Games 36-38 Series - Lost in Seattle

Friday May 15

This Red Sox loss to the Seattle Mariners was the maddening kind. Jon Lester was spotted a four run lead but after being touched for four runs in the 6th managed to cough it up. Now with a 2-4 record and an ERA of 6.51 Lester is far from the pitcher once thought of as ‘ace material’. Ichiro Suzuki got Seattle on the board with a solo homer in the 5th then put them ahead 5-4 with a two run shot in the fateful sixth. Jacoby Ellsbury was a home run short of the cycle and continues his hot hitting. The previously unheralded Mariners pen had three scoreless innings with former Sox, David Aardsma, getting the save.

Final Score: Mariners 5 Sox 4
Jacoby Watch 3 for 5 with 6TB, a run scored and an RBI

Saturday May 16

Josh Beckett was also spotted a four run lead but managed to go 7 innings with 4H, 3R including 2ER and 120 pitches thrown. Jason B and Jason V each had two run homers. Jeff Bailey chipped in with a solo shot in the 5th as Sox scored all their runs on homers. Oki, Martinez and Papelbon did what the pen does and the Sox had a win. On the plus side the Red Sox bull pen has the best ERA in the AL. On the down side the Sox starters have the worst ERA in the AL. How did that happen!?! What was supposed to be the Sox strength going into the season (starting pitching) has been anything but!

Final Score: Sox 5 Mariners 3
Jacoby Watch: 1 for 5

Sunday May 17


Justin Masterson had a fine outing – perhaps his last one before returning to the pen as Dice-K is due back off the DL. Masterson had 6.1 IP with 9H and only 2R while striking out 6. This is another of those one run losses. Sox had three on this road trip as they lost both series and return home after a 2-4 trip out West. Good thing they don’t have to return there again in the regular season. With the score tied 2-2 in the bottom of the 9th a Nick Green error at SS his 8th in only 23 games led to the Mariners pushing across a run on a single by Gutierrez. Ramon Martinez absorbs his first loss and is now 4-1. J.D. Drew had a solo homer as old friend David Aardsma gets the win. Jacoby Ellsbury’s single has his hitting streak at 13 games. During this span he has gone 21 for 56 and raised his BA to an even .300.

Final Score: Mariners 3 Sox 2
Jacoby Watch: 1 for 5 with 5 LOB