Mariners at Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox struggled to score runs for most of their road trip but come home on a high note after breaking out with the bats and avoiding a sweep at Minnesota on Thursday. The Red Sox will try to keep that momentum going at home when they host the Seattle Mariners in the opener of a three-game series on Friday.
Boston dropped four of the last six on a 10-game trip, including two in Seattle, and failed to score more than two runs in half of those 10 contests but made an exception on Thursday when Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi homered among 16 hits in a 9-2 rout. "We needed some guys to swing it," Betts told reporters. "We got some guys rolling and we hit with some guys on base, so, yeah, we did a good job today." The Mariners did not get off to a great start on a brutal trip through the American League East and were swept in three games at the New York Yankees. Seattle is hoping to keep Wade LeBlanc undefeated when he goes up against Red Sox knuckleballer Steven Wright on Friday.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Wade LeBlanc (3-0, 2.63 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Steven Wright (2-1, 1.23)
LeBlanc is 3-0 with a 2.06 ERA in nine starts since joining the rotation and had no trouble shutting down Boston at home on Saturday. The veteran struck out nine and did not walk a batter while scattering two hits across 7 2/3 scoreless innings to earn his third win. LeBlanc, who is making his second career start at Fenway Park, has yet to allow more than three runs in a start.
Wright put together his third straight outstanding start on Saturday while going up against LeBlanc but came out on the losing end of the 1-0 final. The knuckleballer held Detroit and Baltimore scoreless in his first two starts after joining the rotation but surrendered his first run as a starter on five hits in seven innings at Seattle. Wright worked at least 6 2/3 innings in each of his first three starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Mariners OF Guillermo Heredia is 0-for-14 over his last eight games.
2. Betts is 5-for-10 in the last two games after going 3-for-18 in the previous five contests.
3. Seattle placed RHPs Juan Nicasio (knee) and Dan Altavilla (elbow) on the 10-day disabled list on Thursday.