BOSTON -- Peer at the stat sheet from the Mariners’ 8-3 win over the Red Sox on Wednesday afternoon, and it paints the picture of another offensive breakout.
Seattle strung together 12 hits -- none of which cleared the fence -- and were in the driver’s seat all afternoon.
The Mariners took two of three against a Red Sox team that looks bound for October, and perhaps more notable, they did so after suffering one of their most demoralizing losses of the year in the series opener on Monday.
Yet, a closer look at the box score would reveal that a bevy of bullpen arms were deployed despite the lopsided score. Moreover, Bryce Miller surrendered just one earned run among the 21 batters he faced upon his return to the rotation after a 10-day hiatus.
His final line illustrated Seattle’s greater strategy at play, specifically for manager Dan Wilson. As the calendar flipped to September, Wilson has shown more bold bullpen management than he has all year.
Such are the times -- and the stakes – in Seattle’s season, as the club sits at 66-74 with its playoff hopes dwindling.
Wilson gave Miller an early hook after 4 2/3 innings and at just 65 pitches. Even more telling, it came with the cushion of a 4-1 lead.
The right-hander had just induced a forceout from Ceddanne Rafaela that came short of an inning-ending double play. Yet, with Miller facing Boston’s lineup the third time through and lefty-hitting Wilyer Abreu due up, Wilson went to southpaw José A. Ferrer.
It wasn’t exactly a jam, as Rafaela was on first base and there were two outs. Ferrer then gave up a double to Abreu that put both runners in scoring position before getting out of it. But an inning later, the Mariners plated their second four-spot of the day, allowing Wilson to use his lower-leverage arms the rest of the way.
Miller's early hook came less than 24 hours after Wilson went to Andrés Muñoz with one out in the ninth to close out a 9-6 win, immediately after September callup Hoby Milner gave up a towering two-run homer to Jahmai Jones.
Over the past two days, Wilson has shown that he’s taking no more chances.