The Red Sox fell to the Mariners 3-2 in extra innings Saturday, as they lost for the second time in the series to a walkoff.
As with the last two games, this one started with a lengthy scoring drought for both sides. Unlike Friday's game, however, this time it was the Mariners' starter in Erasmo Ramirez looking strong and Boston's in Josh Beckett getting by on hard-hit outs. Still, through the fourth Beckett was tossing a no-hitter, while Ramirez had left in the third inning after apparently injuring himself fielding a comebacker.
The no-hitter would end, however, in the fifth, and the shutout in the sixth, as Beckett seemed to tire late into his first outing after coming off the disabled list. Despite working with a very low pitch count, Beckett saw the bases loaded with a single, a walk, and then a pop-up behind third that dropped in past a lost Mike Aviles for a hit. John Jaso, the hero from the first game of the series came to the plate, and once again came up big. A double to the wall in right field brought home two runs to score, giving the Mariners the first lead of the game.
It didn't last long at all. In the very next inning, the Sox loaded the bases with three straight singles and then scored a pair on a ground ball and a passed ball. Just like that, the game was tied again.
And tied it would stay! With both bullpens now into the game, the Sox and Mariners traded out after out. While the Sox would pick up a fair few opportunities to score, they would fail each time, stranding runners time and again, as had been their penchant for most of the game.
The fateful inning would prove to be the ninth. With the Red Sox having wasted an opportunity in the tenth with two leadoff baserunners, the Mariners did not waste the opportunity with two on and one out in the eleventh. With Dustin Ackley having gone first-to-third on the second single, the Mariners needed just a sacrifice fly to right from Chone Figgins to win the game, with the throw from Cody Ross skipping in too hot and too close for Jarrod Saltalamacchia to record the out.
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