KEN POWTAK
Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — Brandon Workman is in quite a rut, and so are the Boston Red Sox.
Workman gave up seven runs in the fourth inning en route to losing his seventh straight start as the Seattle Mariners beat Boston 7-3 on Saturday.
“The ball was up all day for me,” Workman said. “You can’t pitch like that. You can’t pitch everything belt high. That’s what I did today and they took advantage of it.”
Workman (1-8) was tagged for seven runs and 10 hits in 3 1-3 innings.
“On a day when we looked down and figured out we’ve got a maximum of five innings available in the bullpen, and likely four, we tried to get him through the fourth,” Boston manager John Farrell said.
It didn’t work.
Dustin Ackley’s three-run homer capped the outburst in the fourth, sending the last-place Red Sox to their seventh straight defeat.
Trailing 3-0, the Mariners chased Workman with their big inning.
Chris Denorfia had an RBI double, and Chris Taylor and Jesus Sucre added run-scoring singles before Ackley hooked a drive around the right-field foul pole. Workman’s wild pitch allowed Denorfia to score the tying run.
It was the ninth win in 12 games for the Mariners, who increased their slim lead over Detroit for the second AL wild card.
Boston designated hitter David Ortiz had his streak of reaching base four times in four straight games halted, but he did walk and was hit by a pitch before leaving with a bruised left elbow.
Farrell said Ortiz should be ready to play in Sunday’s series finale.
Dustin Pedroia had a double and two singles for the Red Sox.
Tom Wilhelmsen (2-2) struck out three in 1 1-3 innings of relief after starter Chris Young couldn’t make it out of the fourth.
Young gave up three runs on seven hits and five walks in 3 2-3 innings, his shortest start since his second of the season when he lasted just three innings at Miami.
Boston took a 3-0 lead with single runs in the first three innings.
David Ross had an RBI double for the Red Sox before getting ejected by first base umpire Vic Carapazza.
WARNINGS
Both dugouts were warned after Boston’s Alex Wilson hit Robinson Cano on the backside below the hip with a pitch in the seventh. Ortiz was hit on the left elbow by Charlie Furbush’s fastball, and Yoenis Cespedes had to get out of the way of Danny Farquhar’s high fastball in the sixth.
ONE FOR THE TEAM
Wilson had retired 24 straight batters in his last few relief appearances before plunking Cano. “I’m just worried about getting zeros,” Wilson said.
SHOW OFF THAT ARM
Cespedes fired a strong throw to the plate from left field in the second, easily nailing Kyle Seager to end the inning.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: SS Xander Bogaerts was held out of the lineup after getting hit in the head by Felix Hernandez’s pitch Friday night. “Anytime you get hit in the head — like he did last night — he’s got to go through a protocol,” Farrell said. “He will today just to see if there’s any concussion symptoms.” Farrell also said RHP Joe Kelly is in line to make his next start. Kelly left Friday’s game after feeling slight discomfort in his shoulder.
UP NEXT
RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (12-6, 2.57 ERA) is scheduled to pitch for Seattle in the series finale Sunday. He’s been hit hard by the Red Sox in three career starts, giving up 12 runs in 12 2-3 innings.
RHP Allen Webster (3-1, 4.73) gets the ball for Boston. He’s given up three or fewer earned runs in four of his five starts this season.
BIG MOVE
The Red Sox announced during the game that they signed Cuban defector Rusney Castillo to a seven-year contract, beginning in 2014. The 27-year-old outfielder hit .324 in 2011 and .332 in 2012, his two best years in Cuba.
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