Red Sox at Mariners
The Boston Red Sox had won nine of 10 and had pushed themselves to the best record in baseball before stumbling of late. The Red Sox will be trying to avoid a four-game slide when they visit the Seattle Mariners again on Tuesday. Boston blew a 7-3 lead in the ninth inning Saturday and has now dropped three in a row for the first time since May.
The Mariners were counting on production from a host of young players to begin the season but have instead leaned on 41-year-old Raul Ibanez. The veteran slugger bashed his 22nd home run in Monday’s 11-4 triumph and has hit safely in 13 straight games. The Red Sox have not lost four straight games this season.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), Root Sports (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Allen Webster (1-2, 7.88 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Hisashi Iwakuma (7-4, 2.60)
Webster picked up his first major-league win by holding the San Diego Padres to two runs and five hits over six innings last Thursday. The right-hander issued a career-high four walks in that start but limited the damage by not yielding a home run. Webster has only made one of his five starts on the road and was pounded for five runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings in a June 22 loss at Detroit.
Iwakuma was selected to his first All-Star team on Sunday but has not been at his best in the last four starts. The Japanese right-hander has allowed four earned runs in each of those turns after holding opponents to two or fewer runs in the previous four. Iwakuma has never faced Boston but has been very good at home, where he owns a 3-1 record with a 1.84 ERA this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox CF Jacoby Ellsbury (wrist) and RF Shane Victorino (hamstring) both sat out Monday’s series opener. Both are day-to-day.
2. Seattle RHP Jeremy Bonderman, who had been scheduled to pitch Thursday’s series finale, was designated for assignment.
3. Boston lost LHP Andrew Miller for the season due to ligament damage in his left foot that will require surgery.