Mariners Log: Bats silenced on road once again in loss to Red Sox

OFFENSE ABSENT AS MARINERS FALL TO 1-3 ON ROAD TRIP

What happened: Eduardo Rodriguez and three relievers combined on a six-hit shutout as the Boston Red Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 3-0 on Friday at Fenway Park.

Rodriguez went six innings and allowed five hits and three walks with four strikeouts. The M’s managed one hit against three relievers.

Yovani Gallardo allowed three runs on seven hits and a career-high six walks with five strikeouts. Jean Segura had three of the M’s six hits.

Line Outs

• In the second, the M’s got a runner to third technically with no outs, but as Kyle Seager – who had walked – was sliding into third, Danny Valencia was called out trying for a double off a hard hit ball off the wall in left center. Taylor Motter lined out to short left and Ben Gamel struck out to strand Seager.
• The Sox got it going in the bottom half. Hanley Ramirez doubled into the left field corner, went to third on Mitch Moreland’s ground out, then scored on Josh Rutledge’s ground out. Jackie Bradley Jr doubled to left and Christian Vazquez drew a walk after starting 0-2. Gallardo rebounded to strike out Deven Marrero to limit the damage.
• Gallardo completely lost the strike zone in the third, walking Ramirez and Moreland on nine pitches total to load the bases. He issued two more balls to Jeff Rutledge before finding the corner to go 2-1, then Rutledge let him off the hook by swinging at a borderline pitch and flying out to right to end the threat.
• M’s put two on with two down in the fifth as Mike Zunino walked and Jean Segura beat out a “Baltimore chop” off the plate. Guillermo Heredia looped one into short right but Mookie Betts made a nice running catch for the third out.
• Gallardo put up a clean inning in the fourth then struck out the side in the fifth, utilizing a sharp curveball against Xander Bogaerts and a nasty slider to Moreland.
• A single and a pair of walks put Gallardo back into hot water in the sixth. With his 105th pitch Gallardo uncorked a wild pitch and one run scored, moving the other two runners up. Mookie Betts then walked to load them up again. Manager Scott Servais called upon Dan Altavilla, and he threw a wild pitch and another run scored. Altavilla then walked Bogaerts to load the bases again. Ramirez flied out and the M’s got out of the inning down 3-0.
• The M’s made very little noise against three Red Sox relievers in the late innings, managing just one hit.

The Takeaway

In a steady drizzle, Gallardo didn’t pitch well but well enough to keep the M’s in the game. Once again, on the road, the offense was completely absent as they lose their sixth in seven games and fall to 1-3 on the road trip.

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Players of the Game

Hero: Jean Segura. 3 for 4. Only semblance of offense.

Goat: Robinson Cano. Emblematic of the M’s offense, 0 for 4, K, three LOB.

Next Game

The Seattle Mariners (21-27) face the Boston Red Sox (25-21) at 1:05 p.m. at Fenway Park. Rob Whalen makes his Mariners debut and becomes the 12th starter used against LHP Brian Johnson (1-0, 7.20).