G2: Red Sox 7, Mariners 6

Red Sox  - 010 101 013 - 7  8  1
Mariners - 210 300 000 - 6  8  1

Mitch Moreland's pinch-hit three-run homer with one out in the top of the ninth gave the Red Sox their first victory of the season.

Rafael Devers doubled off Hunter Strictland to start the inning, with the Mariners holding a 6-4 lead. A passed ball put Devers on third and Blake Swihart (batting for Sam Travis) was hit by a pitch. Jackie Bradley grounded to first and Devers was tagged out at the plate. Moreland, who had started loosening up for a possible late-inning at-bat in the middle innings, hit for Christian Vazquez and crushed Strictland's 2-0 pitch. The line drive to right had an exit velocity of 114 mph - the third-hardest home run by a Boston player since 2015.

Matt Barnes pitched the ninth, getting a groundout to shortstop and striking our Domingo Santana and Daniel Vogelbach.

Manager Alex Cora:

The coaching staff [said] "We should save Mitch in case something happens later in the game," and we went with Blake [Swihart] first [as a pinch-hitter in the ninth]. We wanted Mitch to hit with men on and put a good swing on it. ... From the seventh inning on, he was preparing and was in the cage with [coaches] Ramon [Vazquez] and Andy [Barkett]. That's what they do, they prepare. We don't stop playing.

Like Chris Sale on Opening Day, Nathan Eovaldi (5-8-6-2-3, 89) gave up three home runs. Mallex Smith homered on Eovaldi's second pitch of the game and Santana hit a solo shot with one out. Omar Narvaez went deep in the second. Two doubles, a single, and a sac fly brought in three Mariners runs and gave Seattle a 6-1 lead in the fourth.

Boston had hit three home runs before Moreland connected: Xander Bogaerts leading off the second, J.D. Martinez in the sixth, and Vazquez in the eighth. A run also scored on Bradley's double play in the fifth.

The bullpen, maligned by so many "experts" before the season began, pitched four no-hit innings, with seven strikeouts. Colten Brewer, Brandon Workman, Brian Johnson, and Barnes each pitched one inning. Brewer walked two in the sixth, the Mariners' only baserunners after the fifth inning. Johnson struck out the side in the eighth.

Nathan Eovaldi / Yusei Kikuchi

Benintendi, LF
Betts, RF
Martinez, DH
Bogaerts, SS
Nunez, 2B
Devers, 3B
Travis, 1B
Bradley, CF
Vazquez, C

Kikuchi is a 27-year-old rookie left-hander from Japan. He made his debut on March 21 in Tokyo, allowing one earned run to the Athletics in 4.2 innings.

(I'm missing this game, but will update things on Saturday morning.)