Mitch Moreland hit a three-run home run and had four RBIs, and Eduardo Rodriguez pitched seven scoreless innings as the Boston Red Sox moved above .500 for the first time this season with a 14-1 win over the visiting Seattle Mariners on Friday.
Rafael Devers went 3-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs, and Andrew Benintendi also went deep as the Red Sox won for the ninth time in their last 11 games. Boston had been below .500 since March 30 before evening its record Wednesday.
The Mariners, meanwhile, fell below .500 for the first time this season. Seattle has dropped 10 of its last 12.
Rodriguez (4-2) gave up just five hits and struck out five, walking one. While he cruised through the Mariners' lineup, Seattle rookie right-hander Erik Swanson hit a wall in the bottom of the third.
Jackie Bradley Jr. dumped a double down the left field line to begin the frame and advanced to third on a groundout. After Swanson struck out Benintendi, Mookie Betts hit a chopper up the middle to give the Red Sox a 1-0 lead.
J.D. Martinez followed with a single, and both runners scored on Moreland's blast to dead center, his 11th homer this season.
Devers led off the fourth with his homer to make it 5-0, and Moreland knocked out Swanson with an RBI double in the fifth. Devers added an RBI single later in the frame to make it 7-0.
Swanson (1-4) went 4 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits and striking out four.
Benintendi (three hits) crushed a solo homer in the sixth, and Boston scored twice more in the seventh for a 10-0 lead. Seattle finally got on the board on an Edwin Encarnacion RBI double in the eighth, but the Red Sox tacked on four more in the bottom of the inning.
The Mariners played without second baseman Dee Gordon, who is day-to-day after getting hit by a pitch on his right wrist Thursday. Seattle manager Scott Servais also missed the game to attend his daughter's graduation. Bench coach Manny Acta served as skipper in his place.
-Field Level Media
Seattle | Boston | |
Erik Swanson | Player | Eduardo Rodriguez |
Loss | W/L | Win |
4.2 | IP | 7.0 |
4 | Strikeouts | 5 |
7 | Hits | 5 |
13.50 | ERA | 0.00 |
Seattle | Boston | |
Domingo Santana | Player | Andrew Benintendi |
3 | Hits | 3 |
0 | RBI | 1 |
0 | HR | 1 |
6 | TB | 6 |
.750 | Avg | .600 |