The Seattle Mariners (46-30) started their 11-day, 10 game road swing in the worst possible way. After a signature home stand in which the M’s won five of seven games, the team packed its bags headed to the Bronx with much swagger and confidence never before seen from a Mariner team preparing to take on the New York Yankees in New York.
Well so much for the swagger and valor heading into Yankee Stadium. The Mariners took on the big bad Yankees in a three-game series and when the dust had settled the Mariners were quickly brought back to earth with no pretense about who they are and what they will need to do if they are going to break the teams 16-year-old playoff drought. The Mariners loss all three games to the Yankees making it four consecutive losses.
After the Yankee debacle, the Mariners headed to Fenway Park for a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox (51-26). It was the Red Sox who sent the Mariners down the losing streak when they beat the Mariners 3-9 in the last game of the homestand in which the two teams split a four-game series at Safeco before the Mariners departed for Yankee Stadium.
Game one of the three-game series at Fenway Park was a colossal 14-10 slugfest in which the home side prevailed. The Mariners looked like they would snap the four-game losing streak when they jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. The Red Sox took the lead when it was their turn to bat by scoring five runs. The Mariners went on to take a 10-5 lead after four innings but were unable to hold the lead as the Bosox scored a run in the fifth, three in the sixth, three in the seventh and completed the come back with a five-run eighth inning.
The loss was the second time the Mariners blew a five-run lead on the current road trip and ran the losing streak to a season-high five games.
“We’ve got to get it turned back around,” said Mariners manager Scott Servais. “We had a lot of momentum going, but this trip has not gone well, obviously. We did do some positive things offensively, but locking down wins on the road is not easy to do. We’ve certainly got guys capable of doing it. We have to get back on the right track. Tonight was a ballgame we no doubt should have won.”
Game Notes
NELSON CRUZ (4-for-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 7 RBI) recorded a season-high 7 RBI, his 5th career game with 7+ RBI. Nelson a had a pair of 3-run HR in the first and 4th innings.
DEE GORDON (2-for-4, 2 R, BB) recorded his 20th multi-hit game of the season with a pair of singles
J.D. MARTINEZ (4-for-5, 3 R, 2 2B, HR, 5 RBI, SB) recorded a career-high-tying 4 hits (7th time, last 4/18 at LAA), including a game-winning 2-run single, 2 2B and his 23rd HR of the season…Tied Mike Trout for the ML lead in HR.
