G39: Red Sox 14, Mariners 1

Mariners - 000 000 010 -  1  8  2
Red Sox  - 004 121 24x - 14 15  0

Eduardo Rodriguez threw seven shutout innings (7-5-0-1-5, 103) and his bat-wielding teammates pummeled four Mariners pitchers in the first game of an eight-game homestand. The Red Sox are one game over .500 for the first time this season (20-19) and are only four games out of first place.

The Red Sox have outscored their opponents by 57 runs (a margin of 3.8 runs per game) over their last 15 games (101 scored, 44 allowed). Allowing only 2.9 runs per game over the last two weeks and two days is pretty damn good and has resulted in 11 wins in those 15 games.

Seattle got a runner to third base on two occasions (fourth and seventh innings), but there were two outs both times. Rodriguez threw 14 or fewer pitches in four of his seven innings.

Rafael Devers singled, doubled, homered, and drove in four runs. Andrew Benintendi had two singles and a home run, and scored three times. Mitch Moreland doubled and homered and also had four RBI. Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Moreland, and Steve Pearce (who first batted in the seventh) scored two runs each.

The Yankees beat the Rays 4-3, so the MFY are 0.5 GB and the Red Sox are 4.0 GB. They have not been this close to first place since April 4. They were 2-6 and 3.5 GB.

Boston had no hits in the first two innings, but the runs started flowing after that. Jackie Bradley doubled to start the third. After the next two batters were retired, Betts singled to center (1-0). J.D. Martinez singled and Moreland homered (#11) to center (4-0). Devers led off the fourth with his second dong of the year (5-0).

(Inside Edge Scout: "Mitch Moreland is slugging .741 (40 total bases in 54 ABs) on fastballs this season -- tied for 10th best in MLB among hitters with at least 51 PAs; League Avg: .490."

Benintendi singled to lead off the fifth and watched as Betts and JDM were retired. Then it was time for more two-out magic. Moreland doubled in one run (6-0) and, after Erik Swanson (4.2-7-7-0-4, 81) gave way to Anthony Swarzak, Bogaerts and Devers each singled (7-0). Benintendi homered (#5) with two outs in the sixth (8-0).

Pearce batted for Moreland and opened the seventh with a double. Bogaerts also doubled (9-0). Two groundouts produced another run, with Michael Chavis getting the RBI (10-0). (Chavis and Christian Vazquez were the only Red Sox batters to not reach base.)

Tyler Thornburg relieved EdRo in the eighth and I was 104% confident Thornburg would ruin the shutout. And to (presumably) no one's surprise, he did. After Mitch Haniger lined out to third, Domingo Santana tripled to right and Edwin Encarnacion doubled to center (10-1).

In the bottom of the eighth, Benintendi singled, Betts walked, and Eduardo Núñez, batting for Martinez, was safe on an infield single, loading the bases. One run scored on an infield error (11-1), another scored on a fielder's choice (12-1), and two more scored on Devers's double to right (14-1).

Ryan Weber gave up a one-out single in the ninth, but struck out Tom Murphy swinging and Braden Bishop looking to end the game.

Erik Swanson / Eduardo Rodriguez

Benintendi, LF
Betts, RF
Martinez, DH
Moreland, 1B
Bogaerts, SS
Devers, 3B
Chavis, 2B
Bradley, CF
Vázquez, C

The Mariners began the season 13-2 - averaging a ridiculous 7.8 runs per game - but since April 12 have gone 7-18 (with only 4.2 R/G).

Like the Red Sox, they are right at .500. but Boston has been moving in the opposite direction. The Red Sox went 6-13 in their first 19 games and 13-6 in the last 19 games. Chad Jennings has a good article about The Tale of the Two Sets of 19 Games.

Starting Pitchers

                 W-L    IP     ERA   WHIP     K
First 19 games  2-11   90.0   6.70   1.60    79
Past 19 games   5-4   102.1   3.34   1.13   126

Chris Sale

First 19 games: 4 starts, 18 innings, 8.50 ERA
Past 19 games: 4 starts, 26 innings, 1.73 ERA

The other starters have also greatly improved. Rick Porcello went from an 11.12 ERA in the first three weeks to a 2.45 in the past three weeks. Eduardo Rodriguez went from 7.98 to 3.68. David Price has been steady at approximately 3.75.

Bullpen

Most relief innings in the first 19 games:
Heath Hembree (9 games, 10 IP), Tyler Thornburg (8 games, 8.1 IP), Ryan Brasier (9 games, 8.1 IP)
Most relief innings in the past 19 games:
Marcus Walden (8 games, 12.1 IP), Brandon Workman (10 games, 10 IP), Matt Barnes (9 games, 9 IP)

Mookie Betts

                 Hits   RBIs   AVG    SLG     OPS
First 19 games    14      7   .200   .371    .676
Past 19 games     26     14   .382   .647   1.147