Takeaway
RF Franklin Gutierrez hit two home runs and a bases-loaded double for a career-high six RBIs to make the difference in the Mariners’ 8-4 win over the Red Sox Friday night in Boston’s Fenway Park (box). Hisashi Iwakuma kept the American League’s No. 1 offense in sufficient check to get the win as the Mariners (35-31) won their second in a row. Essential moment
Against starting Red Sox pitcher and former teammate Roenis Elias, Gutierrez hit a two-run homer in the first and a solo in the third that cleared the stadium in left. Coming up with the bases loaded in the fourth, his long drive hit off the right field fence a foot short of being a grand slam to give the Mariners a 7-0 lead.
Hitters
2B Robinson Cano added a solo homer in the eighth, his 19th, and No. 100 for the Mariners this season, second in the AL. It was also his career 258th, 247 of which have come as a second baseman, most for a second baseman in AL history. He broke the record of Joe Gordon.
Cano had two hits, as did SS Ketel Marte and LF Nori Aoki.
Pitchers
Iwakuma provided a solid start, working seven innings and throwing 92 pitches. He gave up nine hits, one walk and had four strikeouts. He surrendered a two-run homer to Ortiz in the fourth, but the only other Red Sox runs were from two sacrifice flies in the seventh.
In his season debut with the big club after his callup, David Rollins pitched a perfect eighth inning, but gave up two singles in the ninth before closer Steve Cishek managed the final two outs.
Elias lasted just four innings against his former team, giving up seven runs, seven hits and three walks.
Words
“It’s always important to play some games in a row. It helps you see the ball better.” Gutierrez on playing his fifth game in a row
“Kuma went right after them. When (Red Sox hitters) work into hitter’s counts, it’s very dangerous in this park. We really needed that start to calm things down a bit.” — Mariners manager Scott Servais
Noteworthy
Gutierrez is the third Mariner with six RBIs in a game this season, following Cano April 26 vs. Houston and 1B Adam Lind May 25 vs. Oakland. The record is eight, three times: Alvin Davis, 1986 vs. Toronto; Mike Blowers 1995 vs. Boston, Mike Cameron, 2001 vs. the Yankees . . . The Mariners entered the game averaging five runs per game, second in the AL behind Boston at 5.82 . . . RHP Wade Miley was put on the 15-day disabled list with a shoulder impingement: “About two, three weeks ago, I thought it was normal shoulder soreness, but it kept barking, and getting worse and worse rather than going away,” Miley told MLB.com. “So I’ll go ahead and take a couple days off, and get it right.” . . . His replacement Saturday, Adrian Sampson of Redmond, was acquired last year at the trade deadline from Pittsburgh for J.A. Happ and will make his major league debut . . . The Mariners have signed 20 draftees, including second-rounder Joe Rizzo and 15 of the top 20. Teams have until July 15 to sign drafted players with remaining college eligibility.
Next
The second of the series’ three games is at 1 p.m. PT Saturday. The Mariners send rookie Sampson to oppose Rick Porcello (7-2, 3.81 ERA). Porcello is 5-0 at Fenway, where the Red Sox have lost five of the past seven.
