Seattle rally extends Red Sox skid to 6 games

DOUG ALDEN
Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Ending their latest losing streak was just out of reach for the Boston Red Sox.

The slide reached six straight in painful fashion Friday night as the Seattle Mariners rallied for five runs with two outs in the ninth inning to beat Boston 5-3.

“This was pretty tough. If that’s not the tale of how this season has gone so far, I don’t know what is,” shortstop Brock Holt said.

Austin Jackson hit a bases-loaded double with two outs in the ninth to pull the Mariners within 3-2, then Dustin Ackley followed with bloop single that Holt couldn’t quite reach on a diving attempt in shallow left. Two more runs scored and the 3-0 lead Boston held with two outs in the ninth was now a 4-3 deficit.

“Unfortunately Ackley finds kind of the Bermuda Triangle out there to drive in the two,” Boston manager John Farrell said.

Red Sox closer Koji Uehara (5-4) gave up all five runs on five hits in the ninth as the World Series champion Red Sox fell to a season-low 16 games below .500.

Seattle ended a nine-game losing streak at Fenway that began in May 2011.

The Mariners had managed only two hits through the first eight innings, then got five against Uehara and extended Boston’s losing streak to six.

Dominic Leone (6-2) pitched one inning of relief for the victory and Fernando Rodney got his 37th save.

A night after being held to one hit in a 2-0 loss to the Angels, the Red Sox chased Seattle ace Felix Hernandez in the sixth inning after Yoenis Cespedes’ three-run homer.

Hernandez was in line for the loss before the ninth-inning rally, which he said he watched from the clubhouse.

Boston starter Joe Kelly limited Seattle to one hit in five solid innings and three relievers preserved the shutout until Uehara’s collapse in the ninth.

Uehara had an 0-2 count on Jackson, who drove the next pitch down the line in left to cut the lead to 3-2. Ackley followed with a shallow fly that Holt couldn’t quite run down.

“He hit it kind of far up there,” Holt said. “I was hoping I could get to it and end the game. Unfortunately it fell.”

KING FELIX

Hernandez pitched for the first time since his record streak of 16 straight starts of seven or more innings while allowing two runs or fewer ended Saturday in a loss at Detroit. Hernandez three strikeouts for his sixth straight season with 200 or more and finished with seven over 5 2-3 innings. He also gave up five hits, including two in the costly sixth inning.

ERASER

Seattle temporarily held a 1-0 in the fourth before Boston challenged a call successfully and took the run off the board. Kendrys Morales hit a sinking fly ball that center fielder Mookie Betts reached with full-speed dive that was initially ruled a hit. Betts was so certain he caught the ball for the third out that he wasn’t paying attention to Ackley rounding third, then made a wild throw toward home that sailed to the backstop. Boston still had its challenge and the call was overturned after a quick review confirmed Betts made the catch.

NO STREAK

With the comeback, the Mariners avoided losing consecutive games for the first time since a four-game skid July 22-25.

TRAINER’S ROOM:

Mariners: CF Michael Saunders’ rehab assignment as he gets over an oblique strain has been temporarily interrupted by flu-like symptoms. “He will not play for two or three days,” McClendon said. “He’s been dehydrated.” It is the second rehab interruption for Saunders, who was out on paternity leave last month.

Red Sox: SS Xander Bogaerts was hit in the head by a pitch in the fifth and left the game between innings to be evaluated for a concussion. … 1B Mike Napoli missed his third straight game with back spasms. Manager John Farrell said Napoli could return to the lineup on Saturday.

UP NEXT:

Mariners: RHP Chris Young (12-6, 3.07 ERA) returns to the mound after pitching six scoreless innings in his last start, when Seattle beat Detroit 8-1.

Red Sox: RHP Brandon Workman (1-7, 4.26 ERA) tries to end a slide of losses in six straight starts. Workman allowed just two runs on six hits in seven innings on Monday, but didn’t get much run support and the Red Sox lost to the Angels 4-2.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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