The Seattle Mariners kept their season hanging around another day, using two big innings to knock off the Boston Red Sox 8-3 on Wednesday and win the series.
Jhonny Pereda delivered the biggest swing in the middle of Seattle’s second four-run burst, lining a two-run single as the Mariners piled up offense all afternoon. Julio Rodríguez, Josh Naylor, Dominic Canzone and Randy Arozarena also drove in runs for Seattle, which put together 25 runs and 37 hits across the three-game set while taking the final two games.
Roman Anthony provided Boston’s lone long ball, connecting for his first homer since returning from a 101-game absence with a sprained right wrist. The Red Sox have now dropped four of five as they try to hold onto the league’s second wild-card spot.
Seattle got solid work from Bryce Miller, who went 4 2/3 innings and allowed one run on seven hits while striking out three. Cooper Criswell finished things off with a scoreless ninth and was credited with the win.
Patrick Sandoval took the loss for Boston after going four innings plus one batter and giving up three runs on five hits.
The Mariners opened the game up in the third. A wild pitch from Sandoval started the scoring, and with two outs Seattle kept the line moving with RBI singles from Rodríguez and Naylor.
Jarren Duran tried to cut down the play on Naylor’s hit, but his relay throw sailed over third baseman Caleb Durbin’s head and allowed Rodríguez to score.
In Other News...
Mariners Farm System Just Took A Brutal Hit Before The Offseason
The Mariners farm system took another hit late in the season, with shortstop prospect Felnin Celesten likely done for the year after a minor groin injury, according to general manager Justin Hollander. Celesten had been placed on the 7-day injured list at Double-A Arkansas and is now expected to miss the rest of the season, a frustrating setback for one of the organizations more watched infield prospects as the minor league schedule winds down.
Outfielder Brennen Davis is also out for the remainder of the year after an oblique injury landed him on the 60-day injured list, leaving Seattle with one more development loss to absorb before the offseason. There was at least some good news in the system, though, as Brandon Eike and Jack Bowery picked up monthly awards for their August performances, a reminder that the pipeline still has some momentum even with the latest injuries. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners May Be Losing The AL West Rival They Loved Facing
The AL West may be about to get a lot more interesting, and not just because of what happens on the field. Arte Moreno is selling the Los Angeles Angels to billionaire Stan Kroenke, a sports owner whose portfolio already includes several championship-winning franchises, and that kind of change carries real implications for a division that has long been shaped by the Angels uneven results and missed chances.
For Seattle, the timing matters because the Mariners have spent years measuring themselves against a Los Angeles club that has too often looked like a vulnerable target. A new owner with Kroenkes track record could mean a different level of ambition, resources and organizational pressure in Anaheim, and that is the part worth watching now. The Mariners may be seeing one of their most familiar rivals turn into something harder to count on. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Suddenly Face A September Roster Squeeze They Cant Escape
The Mariners had already been juggling late-season roster decisions, and the latest round of moves only tightened the squeeze. Julio Rodrguez was placed on the family medical emergency list, which opened the door for Seattle to select Stuart Fairchild from Triple-A Tacoma and plug another hole in the outfield mix.
Cal Raleigh is still on the 7-day concussion injured list because symptoms have lingered, and Matt Brash was shut down from throwing after lat tightness led to an MRI. Between the outfield, the lineup and a bullpen that has already felt the strain, Seattle is running out of easy answers as September winds down. [Read more 🡒]