Boston Red Sox's Wilyer Abreu reacts after his RBI single during the third inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Monday, July 29, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
BOSTON (AP) — Wilyer Abreu capped a 12-pitch at-bat with an RBI single and Masataka Yoshida hit the next pitch for a two-run homer as the Boston Red Sox scored seven runs in the third inning on the way to a 14-7 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Monday night.
Yoshida also had a double among his three hits and drove in four runs. Abreu had two RBIs for Boston, which had lost seven of nine games since the All-Star break.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said the key to the inning was Jarren Duran hustling to beat out a potential inning-ending, double-play grounder before Abreu’s at-bat.
“That changed the game, then Abreu puts on that at-bat,” Cora said. “He beat him with the fastball his first at-bat. He went to the fastball a lot in that one, and Wily just stayed on him. … That was an awesome at-bat.”
Dominic Smith added a solo homer and two RBIs, Romy Gonzalez hit a pinch-hit two run shot and the Red Sox had a season-high eight doubles.
Nick Pivetta (5-7) struck out 10 and allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings.
Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh hit solo homers for the Mariners, who had a three-game winning streak halted.
Seattle’s Logan Gilbert (6-7) was tagged for seven runs in 2 2/3 innings. The 27-year-old righty had held opponents to one or no earned runs in 11 of his previous 21 starts. Against Boston, his night unraveled quickly with two outs in the third inning.
With a runner on third and two outs after his wild pitch allowed Connor Wong to score the first run, Abreu had fallen into an 0-2 hole before battling back to a full count. He then fouled off five straight pitches before hitting a ground single to right that made it 2-0.
Abreu yelled into the Red Sox dugout as he was running to first.
“I can’t really remember a time,” Abreu said through a translator when asked if he was ever that fired up on a single. “It felt really good to win that battle.”
Gilbert thought he had him struck out and the fifth pitch that was called a ball.
“It’s tough. It’s not the first missed strike ever and it won’t be the last, it’s part of the game,” Gilbert said. “It just comes down to execution and finding a way out of it. That stuff’s going to happen. … It’s a tough game already, it’s tougher when you have four outs or an extra strike.”
Yoshida then homered on a 94.6-mph fastball from Gilbert, sending it an estimated 425 feet over the Red Sox bullpen and making it 4-0.
“I think it really comes down to trying to be aggressive on the first pitch,” Yoshida said through a translator.
Rafael Devers doubled, and Tyler O’Neill and Smith had consecutive RBI doubles before Seattle manager Scott Servais lifted Gilbert.
“We had two strikes on Abreu and couldn’t get strike 3,” Servais said. ”To his credit, he had a really good at-bat to finish it off.”
Smith homered into the first row of Green Monster seats near the left-field foul pole to make it 11-1 in the fifth.
MAKING MOVES
Seattle made its third significant move ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, acquiring veteran Justin Turner from Toronto in exchange for minor league outfielder RJ Schreck.
Boston acquired right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester from the Pittsburgh Pirates for minor league infielder/outfielder Nick Yorke in an exchange of former first-round draft picks, then optioned Priester (2-6, 5.04 ERA) to Triple-A Worcester.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: C Raleigh was shaken up when he got hit by a foul tip, but he stayed in the game. … Arozarena hit a side wall in left hard trying to make a catch and came out early, but Servais said he felt alright and would play Tuesday.
Red Sox: 1B Triston Casas is scheduled to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday. He’s been on the IL since mid-April due to a rib strain.
UP NEXT
Mariners: RHP Luis Castillo (8-10, 3.38 ERA) is slated to start the second of the three-game series on Tuesday. He’s 1-2 with a 5.06 ERA in three career starts against the Red Sox. Boston LHP James Paxton (8-2, 4.43) is slated to make his first start since being picked up in a trade with Los Angeles on Friday.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
BY KEN POWTAK
Associated Press
This post was last modified on 07/29/2024 9:13 pm
