Mariners at Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox hope to continue their offensive surge when they host the slumping Seattle Mariners on Saturday night for the middle contest of a three-game set between two teams in playoff position in the American League. The Red Sox rallied from a five-run deficit Friday for a 14-10 victory in the series opener and have scored 23 times in their last two games - 32 in their past three victories.
J.D. Martinez homered among four hits and knocked in five Friday while Mitch Moreland registered three hits to improve to 9-for-19 during a five-game hitting streak for Boston, which has won three of five against the Mariners in 2018. Eduardo Rodriguez goes for his seventh straight win when he takes the mound for the Red Sox on Saturday and he will face veteran Mike Leake, who struggled against Boston last week. Seattle has dropped five consecutive contests, allowing 41 runs in the process, to fall 3 1/2 games behind first-place Houston in the AL West. Nelson Cruz has been red hot through the slide for the Mariners, belting nine homers over his last 13 games after going deep twice in Friday’s setback while knocking in seven runs.
TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, FOX
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Mike Leake (7-4, 4.47 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (9-1, 3.59)
Leake saw his seven-game unbeaten streak come to an end last Sunday when he yielded five runs on eight hits across six innings against the Red Sox. The 30-year-old Arizona State product had allowed two or fewer runs in his previous five outings and has walked one better or fewer in seven of his past eight starts. Rafael Devers is 3-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs versus Leake, who is 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA in five career games against Boston.
Rodriquez has permitted nine total runs during his six-game winning streak, but the pitch count has risen to 100 in each while reaching six innings just twice. The 25-year-old Venezuela native held Seattle to two runs on six hits and one walk with nine strikeouts over six innings last Sunday. Dee Gordon is 4-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs against Rodriguez, who is 2-1 with a 2.66 ERA in four career contests versus the Mariners.
WALK-OFFS
1. Gordon has hit safely in 10 straight contests, going 17-for-43 in that stretch to raise his batting average to .294 overall.
2. Martinez is 38-for-113 with six homers and 18 RBIs in 30 career games against the Mariners.
3. Mariners SS Jean Segura (forearm infection), who leads the majors with 32 multi-hit games, is day-to-day after missing the last two games.