BOSTON — The Red Sox were in desperate search of a momentum switch, so with the Mariners in town for a three-game visit, Seattle collided with the best of a redemption-seeking performance from manager Alex Cora’s lineup.
It had been a rough post-All-Star break stretch for Boston, especially when the club returned home to host the New York Yankees at Fenway Park this past weekend. Walking into a perfect window of opportunity to capitalize, the Red Sox dropped two of three, allowing a chance to cut into the American League East standings blow with the wind, which made Monday’s series opener all that more crucial.
“We kind of needed it to be honest,” Cora said after Boston’s 14-7 victory.
Boston began its runaway rally early, charging Mariners starter Logan Gilbert with seven runs in the third inning. The Red Sox recorded eight hits, which was their most in an inning since April 27 against the Chicago Cubs — including five for extra bases — which knocked out Seattle’s right-hander after 2 2/3 innings of work. From there, seven more runs were added over the course of the following three innings, giving Boston’s pitching staff a (very) handy 14-3 advantage heading into the seventh inning. It even allowed Cora, too, to relax a bit from the team’s dugout.
“I was able to breathe,” Cora explained. “You see the first inning, what (Gilbert) was doing and you’re like, ‘Oh, here we go again.’ Then Connor (Wong) goes the other way, (Ceddanne) Rafaela gets a hit on a breaking ball, Jarren (Duran) hustles, and then the at-bat was a big one, but the big swing by Masa (Yoshida) — he’s been swinging extremely well.”
Cora added: “Every pitch felt like it meant a lot, probably bigger than what it really is. It was intense and to be able to breathe a little bit today was good for us.”
Masataka Yoshida, who recorded his fourth three-plus hit performance of the season by going 3-for-5 at the plate, doubled Boston’s 2-0 lead in the third inning with a two-run home run off Gilbert. Then the 31-year-old continued inflicting damage to Seattle in the fourth inning with a two-RBI single — finishing the night responsible for driving in a game-leading four runs for the Red Sox.
“Obviously every day I need to be better. Try to be a better version of myself each and every day,” Yoshida said, as translated in Japanese. “That mindset has been helping me.”
Cora emphasized that it’s now time for Boston to turn the page. The team will welcome in newcomers James Paxton (who’s starting next), Danny Jansen and Quinn Priester — along with anyone else the front office acquires before the 6 p.m. ET trade deadline on Tuesday. The Red Sox remain 6 1/2 games back of the division-leading Baltimore Orioles and one game behind the Kansas City Royals for the final AL wild-card spot, amplifying the importance of every series moving forward.
Here are more notes from Monday night’s Red Sox-Mariners game:
— Yoshida tore into Seattle’s pitching staff, and that’s exactly what the two-year big leaguer has been doing lately. Boston’s designated hitter has batted .345 with a .926 OPS, going 30-for-87 (with three home runs and 21 RBIs) in the last 24 games played.
“It was great to see him come out and do the exact same thing, and go out and give a competitive at-bat and have success after that,” Boston starter Nick Pivetta said. “It just kind of fuels the fire and just keeps us going as a group and Masa’s an extraordinary player.”
— Pivetta contributed with a quality start on the mound. The right-hander delivered 6 2/3 innings while surrendering three runs to the Mariners and tallied 10 strikeouts, which tied a season-high for the 31-year-old.
“I think that we come out with a fresh mind every single night with the capability to win every single game,” Pivetta explained. “The belief is around the clubhouse at all times with the guys that we have and we go out and we do the things that we can to win a baseball game.”
— By finishing the night with 11 extra-base hits totaled, the Red Sox tied their season-high mark, the team’s most since Friday night against the Yankees (also 11).
— Boston’s offense has recorded 10-plus hits in a game for the 43rd time this season, which ranks second among AL teams behind the Houston Astros (46).
— The Red Sox and Mariners will continue their three-game series on Tuesday night at Fenway Park. First pitch is set for 7:10 P.M. ET — over an hour after the MLB trade deadline — and you can watch the game, plus pregame coverage, live on NESN.
