BOSTON — Last Saturday in Seattle Authentic Teuvo Teravainen Jersey , Mariners left-hander Wade LeBlanc pitched what had to be the game of his journeyman career in outdueling Steven Wright and handing the Boston Red Sox a 1-0 defeat.
The Mariners haven’t won since as they head into Friday night’s rematch between the two pitchers in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox won the Sunday game in Seattle and then lost the first two games in Minnesota before rebounding a 9-2 win and Rick Porcello’s ninth win of the season on Thursday.
After losing the game Sunday, the Mariners were swept in a three-game series by the Yankees in the Bronx — to start a difficult 10-game swing through the East that concludes with a four-game series in Baltimore.
LeBlanc, who has been pitching well in his latest role, is 3-0 with a 2.63 ERA and has yielded only 11 earned runs in nine starts — capped by 7 2/3 shutout innings (two hits, no walks, nine strikeouts) against the Red Sox.
He is just 33-35 with a 4.23 ERA in his career, but much of the negative numbers are in the past — at least for now.
After beating the Red Sox, he said, “That’s a stout lineup over there, but the fact that me and Z (catcher Mike Zunino) were able to mix things up and put them in the rocking chair makes things easier. Everything was executed and that’s really all I can say. It’s the most important thing for me — it’s to execute pitches. Today, me and Z were able to do that.”
But the team has faltered since, blowing a 5-0 lead in Wednesday’s game before losing 4-3 on Thursday.
“Coming in here Womens Victor Rask Jersey , we have been playing very good baseball,” said Seattle manager Scott Servais, whose team has dropped five of its last seven. “We know what kind of ballclub they have with the power and the bullpen. I thought we were right in the game the last couple of days.
“But you have to hit on the road. You have to get big hits on the road. We just didn’t get it done. It doesn’t detract or take away from anything that we’ve done to this point. Our guys are not down at all.”
The Boston bats snoozed through the first two games in Minneapolis, wasting starts by Chris Sale and David Price. The bats broke out Thursday, avoiding the sweep and leaving the Red Sox (50-26) as one of three American League teams with 50 wins.
“I think it was just a couple of tough days,” Mookie Betts, who hit is 19th homer of the season Thursday, said after the game. “We came out ready to swing it and it just showed what we can do.”
Wright has been outstanding since making his delayed 2018 debut (after knee surgery and a 15-game MLB suspension). He is 2-1 with a 1.23 ERA and gave up just the one losing run in the matchup with LeBlanc.
“He’s been great. Outstanding, really,” Cora said. “I heard a lot of good things about him before I got here and he’s showed why.”
He is 2-2 with a 1.31 ERA in four games (two starts) against the Mariners. Kyle Seager is 3-for-9 and Nelson Cruz 2-for-6 (both .333), and Zunino is 1-for-8 (.125) and Dee Gordon 1-for-6 (.167) against the knuckleballer.
LeBlanc is 1-0 with a 3.24 ERA in three career starts against Boston. The Current Red Sox roster is a combined 3-for-16 against him. J.D. Martinez is 2-for-3 (.667) and no one has with more than three at-bats against him.
By the 16th inning, the Tampa Bay Rays had their backup catcher pitching Alex DeBrincat Jersey , and the Miami Marlins had one of their pitchers pinch-hit.
It was a battle of attrition, and Tampa Bay won.
Jake Bauers hit a tiebreaking two-out, two-run double in a five-run 16th, ending the Rays’ 13-inning scoreless streak and lifting them over Miami 9-6 on Tuesday night.
”There were a lot of people doing things they’re not used to doing,” Bauers said.
That included Rays reliever Vidal Nuno (2-1), who pitched two scoreless innings and also had two hits. He was thrown out on a headfirst slide trying to stretch a single into a double in the 15th, singled home a run in the 16th and then left the game after straining his right hamstring sprinting to first base.
Nuno will likely go on the disabled list, manager Kevin Cash said.
”What a performance,” Cash said. ”Amazing.”
”That was an incredible effort by Nuno, especially the dive into second base ,” Bauers said. ”That was one of the crazier things I’ve seen on a baseball field.”
Nuno became the first American League reliever to record two or more hits and earn a victory in the same game since the designated hitter rule was adopted in 1973.
Miami’s J.T. Realmuto led off the 15th with a double, but Nuno pitched out of the jam.
Jose Alvarado came on and walked pinch-hitting pitcher Dan Straily before Cameron Maybin grounded out to end the 5 1/2-hour marathon. That gave the Rays their ninth win in 11 games.
”It got a little stressful there at the end,” Cash said. ”We appreciate the win, but we’re beat up.”
Announced attendance was 6,259, and a few hundred remained at the finish. The Marlins offered two tickets to each fan leaving after the game.
Johnny Field singled to start the Rays’ five-run 16th against Brett Graves (0-1), and Carlos Gomez was hit by a pitch. After Kevin Kiermaier hit into a double play, Matt Duffy walked, and both scored on Bauers’ double.
The runs were the first for the Rays since the second inning, when they led 4-0.
Right fielder Mallek Smith was yanked in the fourth inning for missing a sign, Cash said, which left the Rays even more shorthanded in the late innings. Reliever Sergio Romo batted in the 12th, struck out and remains hitless in his career.
Wilson Ramos hit a two-run homer for the Rays, his 12th.
Miami’s Brian Anderson singled home a run in the fifth and has 33 hits with runners in scoring position to lead the majors. Teammate Justin Bour had three hits and scored once.
Rays center fielder Kiermaier threw out Anderson trying to score on a flyout to end the fifth and keep the score at 4-all. Tampa Bay’s Chaz Roe struck out Realmuto with runners at second and third in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings.
”A lot of ifs and buts in a game like that,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: RHP Sandy Alcantara will be placed on the 10-day disabled list with an infection under his upper right arm.
Rays: RHP Chris Archer (left abdominal strain) threw four hitless innings in a rehab start for Class A Charlotte. … RHP Jake Faria (left oblique strain) is scheduled to throw live batting practice Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Marlins RHP Jose Urena (2-9, 4.40), sidelined since June 20 with right shoulder impingement, is expected to come off the disabled list to start Wednesday afternoon against RHP Matt Andriese (1-3, 3.86).