Red Sox's Winning Streak Continues
Connelly Early Leads Red Sox to Second Consecutive Victory Over Mariners at T-Mobile Park
Connelly Early bounced back from a three-start losing streak to lead the Boston Red Sox past the Seattle Mariners 5-1 on Saturday night at T-Mobile Park, according to AP News. It was Boston's second straight win in the series, and the Red Sox now eye a sweep Sunday afternoon.
Wilyer Abreu provided the key blow — a 421-foot, two-run home run in the fourth inning off Emerson Hancock. A three-run sixth inning sealed it. Hancock was charged with all five runs on four hits over 5 1/3 innings, per Reuters.
Early Silences Mariners After a Rough First Inning
Early got into trouble right away. Josh Naylor singled in J.P. Crawford in the first inning to give Seattle a 1-0 lead. But the 24-year-old left-hander then locked in. He allowed just two hits total and struck out seven over six innings, one shy of his season high, according to MDJ Online.
Early entered the game having lost three straight starts on June 2, 8, and 14. Saturday's outing lifted his record to 6-5 on the season. The bullpen finished the job cleanly. Tyron Guerrero, Garrett Whitlock, and Danny Coulombe threw three perfect innings of relief, per Kentucky.com.
Abreu's 421-Foot Homer Flips the Score in the Fourth
With the Red Sox trailing 1-0 in the fourth, Abreu launched a 106.1 mph exit-velocity blast off a 94.8 mph Hancock fastball. The ball traveled 421 feet to center field. It scored Anthony Seigler and put Boston ahead 2-1, according to Newsday.
It was Abreu's 9th home run of the season. He is now batting .274 with 34 RBIs. The right fielder has been a consistent bright spot in what has otherwise been a difficult year for Boston's offense.
Three-Run Sixth Inning Puts the Game Away
The Red Sox broke it open in the sixth. Abreu scored on a wild pitch by reliever José A. Ferrer. Then Caleb Durbin hit an RBI infield single to score Willson Contreras. Marcelo Mayer followed with another RBI infield single to score Jarren Duran. Boston went from 2-1 to 5-1 in a matter of minutes, per The Hour.
Durbin finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and two stolen bases. Boston swiped three bases total in the game. The Red Sox leaned on speed and small ball alongside Abreu's power to build their lead, according to KDH News.
Mariners Drop to .500 as Boston Targets a Sweep
The loss drops Seattle to 39-39 — back to .500 for the first time since May 29, per The Star. The Mariners had led the AL West for much of the spring but have hit a wall in June. Their offense managed just two hits against Early and Boston's bullpen Saturday.
The Red Sox, sitting at 32-43 and 13.5 games back in the AL East, will try for a sweep Sunday afternoon. Boston sends LHP Payton Tolle (3-4, 2.93 ERA) against Seattle's Logan Gilbert (5-4, 3.43 ERA), according to Winnipeg Free Press.
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