Seattle, WA – The Red Sox rallied from an early four-run deficit and Daniel Nava capped the comeback by knocking in the go-ahead run in the 10th inning, as Boston defeated the Seattle Mariners, 8-7, on Thursday.
The Red Sox fell behind, 5-1, after three innings but scored three apiece in the fourth and fifth frames to even the score at 7-7.
Jackie Bradley Jr. scored what proved to be the winning run after pinch- running for Ryan Lavarnway, who worked out a walk to start the 10th.
Brock Holt bunted him over with a sacrifice and Nava squirted a base hit up the middle off Tim Wilhelmsen (0-3) to give the Red Sox their first lead since the opening inning.
Steven Wright (1-0) saved the Red Sox bullpen with 5 2/3 scoreless frames after Ryan Dempster was lit up for seven runs -- four earned -- in the start for Boston.
Koji Uehara secured his seventh save with a flawless effort in the bottom of the 10th as Boston took the last three of this four-game set from Safeco Field.
"A number of big swings for us with two outs and the two out runs scored," Boston manager John Farrell said. "We continue to grind away and play it right to the last out."
Holt and Jose Iglesias provided offense at the bottom of the lineup, with the duo providing back-to-back RBI singles in both the fourth and fifth innings to help mount the comeback. Jacoby Ellsbury hit a homer and knocked in two.
Erasmo Ramirez was called up from Triple-A Tacoma prior to the game to spot start and make his season debut for Seattle, but it didn't go over well. He was tagged for seven runs on six hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings of work.
"Every ground ball just got to the right spot. The hitters got the luck today," Ramirez said. "What I can do is just continue throwing the ball trying to make quality pitches, but I didn't so they made me pay for that."
Ellsbury homered to start the game, but Seattle countered with a four-run second inning, which featured a leadoff homer from Kyle Seager, an RBI ground- rule double from Brad Miller and a two-run single from Endy Chavez.
Michael Saunders contributed an RBI single the following inning to push the Mariners' advantage to 5-1, but the Red Sox cut into the margin in the fourth and fifth frames.
With two on and two out in the fourth, the Red Sox strung together three run- scoring singles off Ramirez, with Holt, Iglesias and Ellsbury each knocking in a run to pull Boston within 5-4.
The Mariners struck back in the home half with a pair of runs. Miller and Chavez led off with singles and Dempster's day concluded after Kendrys Morales plated a run with a base hit into right. Seager then greeted Wright with an RBI single to open up a 7-4 lead for Seattle.
The Red Sox tied the game at 7-7 in the fifth after their first three batters of the frame reached base. With the bases loaded, Mike Carp plated a run with a sac fly and Boston pulled even on consecutive RBI singles from Holt and Iglesias.
Game Notes
In a high scoring series, Boston outscored Seattle, 34-30, over the four-game set ... The Mariners have homered in 19 consecutive games, tying the club record set in 1999 ... Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to 19 games ... Chavez left the game in the fourth inning with a groin injury.
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