Boston @ Seattle preview
T-Mobile Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 14, 2010 ) Boston 9, Seattle 6
Seattle finally broke out of its slump Tuesday, scoring at least four runs at home for the first time in 17 games.
Unfortunately for the Mariners, Boston’s David Ortiz broke out as well, with his three-run homer in the eighth inning off reliever Brandon League helping seal a 9-6 victory at Safeco Field.
The Mariners scored more than three runs at home for the first time since Aug. 6 when they beat Kansas City 7-1. They also had 12 hits and Nos. 1-2 hitters Ichiro Suzuki and Chone Figgins combined to go 7-for-8 with five runs scored. Still, the Mariners were saddled with a sixth consecutive loss and have the worst record in the American League (55-90).
They will try to avoid a second consecutive series sweep Wednesday afternoon when David Pauley (2-7, 4.39 ERA) faces Clay Buchholz (15-7, 2.53) in a matchup of right-handers.
Boston (81-64) eyes its first series sweep in Seattle since July 21-23, 2008. Ironically, Buchholz helped Boston complete that sweep in his only appearance against the Mariners. He allowed three runs with seven strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings of a 6-3 victory in 12 innings but got a no-decision.
The Red Sox are 6½ games behind Tampa Bay for the American League wild card with 17 games remaining.
Buchholz is second in the AL in ERA and was brilliant most of the summer, going 7-1 with a 1.93 ERA from June 15 to Aug. 22.
He has lost two of his last three starts with a 5.40 ERA, and his last start might have been enough to knock him out of contention for the Cy Young Award.
In a hideous performance Friday at Oakland, the All-Star allowed five runs on five hits and four walks in just one-plus inning of a 5-0 loss.
Pauley has gotten just one run of support in his last four starts and is 0-3 with a 5.55 ERA in them. He gave up three runs in 6 2/3 innings on Friday to the Los Angeles Angels - a 4-3 loss in 14 innings.
He lost to Boston 5-3 on Aug. 25, allowing four runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Former Mariner Adrian Beltre was 3-for-4 with a double in Tuesday’s victory. The extra-base hit gave him a major league-best 71.
Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek started Tuesday for the first time since he fractured his foot on June 30 and the Mariners wasted no time running on him. They stole four bases in six chances.