Mariners at Red Sox
After reaching .500 for the first time since the second game of the season, the Boston Red Sox enjoyed the day off with a visit to the White House to be honored for winning the 2018 World Series. Manager Alex Cora was among a number of team members who skipped Thursday's ceremonies but he insisted his players are unified as the Red Sox open an eight-game homestand against the Seattle Mariners on Friday night.
“People are talking about, ‘What’s going to happen in the clubhouse? It’s going to be divided,'” Cora told reporters after Wednesday's 12-inning victory in Baltimore. “That’s not the case. ... We’re in a good place. There’s some guys that are going home tonight and some guys are going back home tomorrow night." Reigning American League MVP Mookie Betts also bypassed the White House visit but he is leading Boston's resurgence, lifting him average from .200 to .290 over the past 18 games. While the Red Sox have won eight of the last 10 games, they opened the season by getting torched for 34 runs in dropping three of four in Seattle. That was part of a blistering 13-2 start to the Mariners, who have tumbled back to the .500 mark after losing three of four at Yankee Stadium to fall to 2-9 over their last 11 games.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Erik Swanson (1-3, 4.94 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (3-2, 5.40)
Swanson halted a three-start losing streak with the best performance of his rookie campaign, earning his first career victory by allowing one hit over six scoreless innings at Cleveland last time out. The 25-year-old was rocked for nine runs and 11 hits over four innings by Texas in his previous turn and roughed up for five runs (four earned) over 5 2/3 innings in a loss at San Diego on April 23. Right-handed hitters are doing the bulk of the damage against Swanson, batting .302 and accounting for four of the five home runs off him.
Rodriguez was shelled in his first two outings of the year, giving up six runs and eight hits in losses to both Seattle and Oakland, but he rebounded with a five-start undefeated streak. He improved to 3-0 over the past five turns by holding the Chicago White Sox to one run on six hits over six innings on Saturday. Rodriguez is 2-3 with a 4.50 ERA in six career starts versus Seattle but has been tormented by Dee Gordon, who is 6-for-10 against him but left Thursday's game after getting hit by a pitch on the right wrist and will undergo more tests Friday.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox DH J.D. Martinez was 7-for-17 with two homers and seven RBIs in the opening four-game set at Seattle.
2. Gordon was 7-for-14 in the first three games against New York and reached base twice in the series finale before exiting the contest.
3. Betts has multiple hits in 10 of the last 18 games, collecting 14 RBIs in that span.