The Sox can only hope for a series split against the Mariners Sunday as they send Felix Doubront to the mound opposite Jason Vargas.
We'll keep you up-to-date on all the action as it goes down in Safeco.
Red Sox 2, Mariners 1, Mid 10th -- A shaky Brandon League lets the Red Sox finally take the lead. After a Nick Punto ground out, League left a fastball up and over the plate to Ryan Kalish, who nearly put the Sox ahead on his own, doubling off the wall in dead center to get the Sox another RISP opportunity. Dustin Pedroia follows by lacing a hit into right field, but Kalish is only able to move to third, leaving it up to David Ortiz. While the Sox only need a ball to medium depth, Ortiz nearly gives them so much more, just barely getting under a Lucas Luetge sinker, sending the ball all the way to the track before Ichiro can come up with it, plenty deep to score Kalish from third.
The Sox just need to hold on for one inning in this very light-scoring series now to leave with a tie and gain on both the Rays and Orioles.
Red Sox 1, Mariners 1, End 9th -- For the second straight night, the Sox and Mariners are ready to offer up some bonus baseball. Vicente Padilla has to work around a 1-out double and a 2-out walk, but gets Brendan Ryan to hit a lazy fly to right on the first pitch he sees, ending the ninth with the 1-1 tie intact.
Red Sox 1, Mariners 1, Mid 9th -- The Sox can only hope that they're headed to extra innings again, as a one-out walk and stolen base from Will Middlebrooks is wasted.
Red Sox 1, Mariners 1, End 8th -- With another 1-2-3 inning, Scott Atchison sends the game into the ninth in a 1-1 tie. It's the third time a game has been tied heading to the ninth so far this series, with the Sox 0-2 in said games. Hopefully this time things end differently.
Red Sox 1, Mariners 1, Mid 8th -- It's been a long time in coming--both for the Sox and their second baseman--but Dustin Pedroia chose a pretty good time to unload his first homer in well over a month. It's a fastball over the outside part of the plate from Jason Vargas that's to blame, with Pedroia putting a long swing on it and pulling it just over the lip of the wall in left field to tie the game up.
Mariners 1, Red Sox 0, End 7th -- Scott Atchison continues his stellar season and keeps the Mariners close with a 1-2-3 seventh, but it's all up to the offense now if they're going to make something of this.
Mariners 1, Red Sox 0, Mid 7th -- Kyle Seager snags his third line drive at the hot corner in an otherwise uneventful seventh inning. The Sox are down to six outs to avoid their second time being shut out in this series.
Mariners 1, Red Sox 0, End 6th -- Dustin Ackley picks up a two-out walk, but Kelly Shoppach guns him down trying to steal second, ending the inning.
Mariners 1, Red Sox 0, Mid 6th -- An amusing misplay by Casper Wells has him sliding to the grass as a Cody Ross fly ball falls behind him to give the Sox a one-out baserunner. But with a pop-out from Adrian Gonzalez and another strikeout from Will Middlebrooks, the inning ends without further incident. 35 innings into this series and the Sox are stuck on seven runs.
Mariners 1, Red Sox 0, End 5th -- Felix Doubront's night has ended with just the one earned run, but it's hardly been an impressive night. A single, walk, and hit batsman surrounding an Ichiro fly ball to the track loads the bases in the fifth, making Bobby Valentine turn to Matt Albers. His first pitch is a sinker that stays perhaps a bit too high for comfort over the middle of the plate, but Jesus Montero's struggles against righties continue, leaving him--and the Mariners--the victim of the double play as Will Middlebrooks steps on third and fires to first.
Mariners 1, Red Sox 0, Mid 5th -- The Sox trade a solid hit for a weak one, as Kyle Seager again robs the Sox of a line drive--this time off the bat of Kelly Shoppach--but then can't make the play on a Nick Punto bunt in time. Brent Lillibridge pops up behind him, however, and Dustin Pedroia's fly ball is an easy out for Casper Wells in center.
Mariners 1, Red Sox 0, End 4th -- Doubront has to survive another long, shaky inning. Starting the inning with two walks, the southpaw immediately finds himself in a jam. Dustin Ackley can't get the bunt down, however, and then finds himself rung up on a fastball, and a ball in the dirt provides a free out when Miguel Olivo gets stuck in no man's land between second and third, allowing the Sox to tag him for the second out. With Chone Figgins grounding out to third, the deficit stays at just the one run.
Mariners 1, Red Sox 0, Mid 4th -- 1-2-3 go the Red Sox, who are really not doing what they should against a pitcher like Vargas. They've yet to score before the fifth in this series.
Mariners 1, Red Sox 0, End 3rd -- Another long inning lets Seattle open the scoring in the third. Like the Sox in the top of the second, the Mariners put men on the corners with no outs. Unlike the Red Sox, however, they can produce at least the situational out necessary for the run. It comes from Ichiro, who lifts a fly ball deep enough to bring Chone Figgins in from third. A walk from Kyle Seager is all that follows, leaving Seattle with just the one run, but Doubront's pitch count is back up to untenable levels as a result.
Red Sox 0, Mariners 0, Mid 3rd -- David Ortiz gives the Sox their only baserunner of the inning by drawing a two-out walk from Vargas before Cody Ross gets underneath a 2-0 fastball, lifting a lazy fly ball to right field.
Red Sox 0, Mariners 0, End 2nd -- Felix Doubront enjoys a much quicker second inning, getting a Miguel Olivo fly ball out with his first pitch and a ground ball from Justin Smoak with his third. Four more pitches earns him a strikeout against Dustin Ackley, leaving him with a fairly normal count headed into the third.
Red Sox 0, Mariners 0, Mid 2nd -- Frustration continues for the Red Sox, who get leadoff singles from Cody Ross and Adrian Gonzalez to put runners at the corners but just can't push the run across. Will Middlebrooks goes down swinging at a changeup low in the zone for the first out, Daniel Nava manages just a weak pop-up, and while Kelly Shoppach draws a walk to load the bases and Nick Punto puts good wood on the ball, his line drive is grabbed in the air by a diving Kyle Seager to save at least one run.
Red Sox 0, Mariners 0, End 1st -- Ichiro Suzuki fouls off three straight two-strike pitches, Casper Wells adds another pair before striking out, and Kyle Seager works an eight-pitch walk. While Jesus Montero goes down on two pitches, it's still an incredibly long inning for Doubront, who has often had problems with pitch counts.
Red Sox 0, Mariners 0, Mid 1st -- With Mike Aviles a late scratch, Brent Lillibridge inexplicably takes over in the leadoff role despite a career .709 OPS and .282 OBP against left-handed pitchers. It's no great surprise that this lets Jason Vargas get off to a hot start, striking him out on five pitches to start a 1-2-3 frame. Vargas' low arm angle may have given David Ortiz troubles to finish the inning, as he too struck out, looking a bit foolish on some of the pitches.