Mariners win to end 5-game skid against Red Sox
SEATTLE – The run that was, and then wasn’t, helped the Seattle Mariners beat the Boston Red Sox 5-4 Saturday night.
Mariners starter Felix Hernandez pitched with the luxury of a five-run lead after the first inning, but the defining play was a crushing collision at home plate and then the umpires’ decision to change a call and take a run away from the Red Sox.
It was the most volatile moment of a high-drama night marked by an inning of big offense by each team and huge plays by both defenses, plus the energy of Mariners and Red Sox fans who comprised a crowd of 41,326 at Safeco Field.
They witnessed a quick launch by the Mariners’ offense against Red Sox starter Josh Beckett, then a hold-your-breath finish that came down to the final pitch.
Ichiro Suzuki hit Beckett’s first pitch of the game over the right-field fence for his second leadoff home run this season – and the 34th of his career.
Then the Mariners kept hitting.
Franklin Gutierrez singled, Dustin Ackley doubled and Mike Carp drove them both home with a double.
After newly called-up slugger Wily Mo Pena flied to center for the first out, Casper Wells drove a 1-1 pitch from Beckett over the fence in left-center for a two-run homer and a 5-0 Mariners lead.
“It was great to see us come out and really be aggressive and jump on them early, especially against a guy like Beckett,” Mariners manager Eric Wedge said. “When you’re facing those type guys, you’ve got to get to them early.”
The rally gave Hernandez something rare – a big lead. Hernandez entered the game 12th in the A.L. with 3.76 runs of support, and he pitched early in the game like the five runs would be plenty. He cruised through three innings.
Hernandez ran into trouble when he walked Jacoby Ellsbury to start the third, setting up a play that left both teams’ managers arguing with plate umpire Mark Ripperger and Mariners catcher Josh Bard woozy on the dirt at home plate.
Ellsbury reached third after an error and Carl Crawford’s infield hit. With one out, Dustin Pedroia hit a high fly to medium-depth right field.
As Ichiro caught the ball for the second out, Ellsbury launched from third base. Ichiro made a one-hop throw to Bard, who caught it in time to tag out Ellsbury, who was sliding hard into the plate.
Ripperger called Ellsbury safe, and the Mariners – on the field and in the dugout – couldn’t believe the call.
Hernandez argued with the umpire and manager Eric Wedge bolted from the dugout. Bard lay stunned on the ground but, for a moment, had the presence to show the baseball to prove he held onto it.
Ripperger called all of the umpires together – with Red Sox manager Terry Francona standing nearby – and after several seconds they reversed the call and ruled Ellsbury out, leaving the score 5-0.
Francona jumped into Ripperger’s face and immediately was ejected.
“Ichiro did a good job getting behind that ball on the throw,” Wedge said. “Really, a perfect throw. The separator there was Josh Bard, hanging onto that ball and blocking the plate. They collided pretty good there.
“It ended up being a bigger play than we thought at the time.”
Hernandez pitched five shutout innings, but he allowed the leadoff hitter to reach base in the third, fourth and fifth but escaped with the help of two double plays.
But in the sixth he gave up two-run homers to Ellsbury and Pedroia.
Hernandez left after seven clinging to the one-run lead. Relievers Jamey Wright and Brandon League then kept Boston at bay.
| Boston | AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg. |
| Ellsbury cf | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .315 |
| C.Crawford lf | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .257 |
| AdGnzlz 1b | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .351 |
| Pedroia 2b | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .310 |
| D.Ortiz dh | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .300 |
| D.McDld pr-dh | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .182 |
| Reddick rf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .314 |
| Aviles 3b | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .238 |
| Lowrie ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .263 |
| Varitek c | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .224 |
| Scutaro ss | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .279 |
| Totals | 32 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Seattle | AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg. |
| I.Suzuki rf | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .267 |
| F.Gutierrez cf | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .221 |
| Ackley 2b | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .297 |
| Carp 1b | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .323 |
| W.Pena dh | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 |
| C.Wells lf | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .274 |
| J.Bard c | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .212 |
| L.Rodriguez 3b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .171 |
| Ja.Wilson ss | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .244 |
| Totals | 32 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 12 |
| Boston | 000 | 004 | 000 – 4 | 10 | 0 |
| Seattle | 500 | 000 | 00x – 5 | 9 | 1 |
E – Carp (4). LOB – Boston 4, Seattle 4. 2B – Ackley (11), Ja.Wilson (8). 3B – Scutaro (1). HR – Ellsbury (20), Pedroia (16), I.Suzuki (2), C.Wells (6). RBIs – Ellsbury 2 (74), Pedroia 2 (62), I.Suzuki (28), Carp 2 (23), C.Wells 2 (20). SB – F.Gutierrez (11). CS – D.McDonald (3). RLISP – Boston 1, Seattle 2. RMU – Ad.Gonzalez. GIDP – C.Crawford, Pedroia, Scutaro, I.Suzuki. DP – Boston 1, Seattle 4.
| Boston | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
| Beckett L, 9-5 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 2.40 |
| Albers | 12/3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2.37 |
| F.Morales | 2/3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4.34 |
| Aceves | 2/3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3.26 |
| Seattle | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
| FHrndz W,11-10 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3.38 |
| J.Wright H, 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3.44 |
| Lge S,28-32 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2.91 |
T – 3:03. A – 41,326 (47,878).