– When shortstop Xander Bogaerts is cranking out home runs Dwayne Haskins Jersey , and crawling around to save runs, the Boston Red Sox know they are in good hands.
Bogaerts hit a tiebreaking home run in the sixth inning, and the Red Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 2-1 on Thursday night for their fourth consecutive victory.
David Price (8-4) pitched seven inning of four-hit ball to earn his sixth victory over his past seven appearances. He gave up a run and struck out seven. Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless ninth to lock down his 22nd save, pitching around two inning-opening walks by striking out Kyle Seager and getting Ryon Healy to ground into a double play.
It was Boston’s major-league leading 48th win of the season, and snapped Seattle’s four-game winning streak.
”That was a pretty cool game, 2-1,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. ”That is a good team over there.”
Bogaerts certainly had a crucial impact. He homered with two outs in the sixth, hitting a 2-2 fastball from Felix Hernandez over the left-center field wall to give Boston a 2-1 lead. It was Bogaerts’ 10th home run of the season, matching his total from 2017.
It was an at-bat that certainly impressed his manager, given that Bogaerts had struck out against Hernandez in his first two at-bats.
”It seemed like he had no chance, honestly,” Cora said. ”He was swinging and missing. I think it was tough for him to see that ball when (Hernandez) was throwing the changeup.
”But he spread out and was trying to make contact. … And he gets a fastball, was short to it and he drilled it.”
Price was fantastic in outdueling Hernandez, who gave up both runs in seven innings, striking out six.
And after a slow first month, he has taken off. The zip has returned on his fastball David Long Jersey , too, reaching 96 mph on Thursday.
”Velocity-wise, yeah (it was my best outing),” Price said. ”Command (wise), it was there, and then it wasn’t – and then it was there again. Whenever I really needed to make pitches tonight, I did.”
Price got a key out in the sixth inning in Seattle’s Jean Segura, the AL’s second-leading hitter at .347. The 11-pitch at-bat ended when Segura grounded a ball up the middle, but right to Bogaerts, who took it from his knees and crawled over to touch second base before throwing over to complete a double play.
”They made (big plays) tonight, and we didn’t,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. ”We had to somehow come up with a big hit and we just didn’t get it.”
The Mariners tied it at 1-all in the bottom of the fifth on Guillermo Heredia’s sacrifice fly to left field. Boston grabbed a 1-0 lead on Jackie Bradley Jr.’s RBI double off Hernandez (6-6) in the second.
MARINERS PROSPECT FINISHES COMEBACK
Nearly a year ago, Seattle right-handed pitcher Rob Whalen walked away from baseball.
After a July 5 start for Triple-A Tacoma, Whalen left the team, citing issues with depression. Placed on the team’s restricted list, he didn’t return the rest of the season.
”I just wanted to come in and have fun, enjoy life and what I get to do for a living,” Whalen said.
It showed his minor-league numbers. Whalen was 7-3 with a 4.50 ERA pitching for Tacoma, and was promoted Thursday by the Mariners to pitch in long relief.
BRADLEY SHOWING SIGNS
Boston’s Jackie Bradley Jr. came into the game in an 0-for-15 slump over his last four games, and just 1 for 23 over the previous week.
Cora said no hitter in the final two games at Baltimore hit the baseball harder than Bradley. He just did not have a hit to show for it. He did drive in the game’s first run Thursday with a sharp double to right field.
”We do feel now he is in a great spot,” Cora said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia (left knee inflammation) is still not doing any baseball activity, although he did work out in the visiting clubhouse gym Thursday. … LHP Drew Pomeranz (left biceps tendinitis) played catch and is feeling better, Cora said. … RHP Tyler Thornburg (right shoulder) was scheduled to make a start Thursday for Triple-A Pawtucket as he makes his way back from thoracic outlet surgery.
Mariners: RHP Nick Vincent (strained right groin) continues to play catch every day, as he did before the game Thursday. It is uncertain when he will get back on the mound for a bullpen session. Servais said he is hopeful Vincent and RHP Juan Nicasio (right knee) will be able to return from the 10-day disabled list early in the team’s upcoming road trip, starting Tuesday in New York.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: RHP Rick Porcello (8-3, 3.54 ERA), the 2016 AL Cy Young Award winner, has gone six innings and given up two earned runs in each of his past three starts (two wins). This will be his 13th career start against the Mariners, and he is 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA at Safeco Field.
Mariners: LHP James Paxton (6-1 Greg Gaines Jersey , 3.02 ERA) is 5-0 with a 1.87 ERA since early May. Paxton is 2-0 with a 0.39 ERA against Boston, having given up just one earned run in 23 innings. He beat the Red Sox last July with seven scoreless innings.
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DETROIT (AP) — Matt Patricia weaved his way through a crowd to hug the man who helped him live a dream.Patricia beat mentor Bill Belichick, seemingly making all the right moves to help the Detroit Lions defeat the New England Patriots 26-10 Sunday night.“I’m sure it meant a lot, his first win as a head coach,” Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “Probably no sweeter than to do it against your old team.“We needed this one.”The Lions (1-2) suddenly looked like a team with a plan on offense and defense under their first-year coach, and former New England assistant. They opened the season with a 31-point loss to the New York Jets at home and fell short in a comeback at San Francisco.Patricia was given a game ball by his players, but refused to relish in the moment.“I’m just happy for the guys,” he said. “They’re the ones who deserve it,” he said.The Patriots (1-2) have had weaknesses exposed on both sides of the ball, losing two of their first three games for the first time since 2012.And, Belichick was in no mood to reflect on his former defensive coordinator earning his first win.“My job is my football team,” said Belichick, who is 14-9 against former assistants. “That’s what I’m worried about. That’s what I’m concerned about.”Patricia and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady also hugged briefly at midfield after the game and other New England players made a point of connecting with their former coach.Detroit was in control from the start, creating holes for rookie running back Kerryon Johnson and giving Matthew Stafford time to pass.Johnson had 101 yards rushing on 16 carries, becoming the first player to reach the mark for the Lions since Reggie Bush ran for 117 yards against Green Bay on Nov. 28, 2013. Detroit’s 70-game stretch without a 100-yard rusher was the longest since the NFL-AFL merger.“We knew we needed to run the ball and take some of the pressure off Stafford and the receivers if we wanted to win this game Christian Wilkins Jersey ,” Johnson said. “The offensive line was hitting holes and we were attacking. That’s the most physical game they’ve played all year, and we were able to take advantage of it.”Brady pulled the Patriots within three points on a 10-yard TD pass to James White early in the third.Detroit refused to let the five-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback get any closer.Stafford responded with a 33-yard TD pass, capping a 10-play, 75-yard drive that took more than 6 minutes off the clock.Darius Slay picked off Brady’s pass at the Detroit 15 midway through the fourth quarter, helping the Lions seal the win.While Patricia and his players downplayed how much he could help them prepare for a team he helped coach the previous 14 years, Slay said it was a factor.“He knows everything about that team and he made sure we knew it as well,” Slay said.THE QBSStafford was 27 of 36 for 262 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Brady was 12 of 24 for 113 yards with a touchdown and an interception.THAT’S COACHINGDetroit ran the play clock down often in the second half, seemingly choosing to shorten the game and keep Brady off the field.“That was a key part of the game,” Patricia said. “You certainly don’t want to give the ball back to them.”Fans booed at Ford Field when Patricia chose to kick a 38-yard field goal instead of going for it on fourth-and-1.“Any points against a team like that is going to be a good thing,” Stafford said. “We had a positive drive and you would hate to come away from it with no points.”Patricia also won a challenge , getting a call overturned that gave Stafford a 5-yard touchdown pass to put Detroit ahead 10-0.ALMOST A LIONNew England tight end Rob Gronkowski confirmed an ESPN report in which sources said he threatened to retire instead of being traded to Detroit in the offseason.“Yeah, it happened,” Gronkowski said. “Brady’s my quarterback. That’s all. I’m not going anywhere without Brady.”INJURY REPORTPatriots: WR Josh Gordon (hamstring) was inactive, delaying his New England debut, after warming up with teammates. S Patrick Chung and DE Trey Flowers were inactive because of concussions. RB Rex Burkhead left the game in the second half with a neck injury.Lions: DE Ezekiel Ansah (shoulder) was inactive.UP NEXTPatriots: Hosts the AFC-East leading Miami Dolphins (3-0).Lions: Play at Dallas (1-2).