BOSTON – A brief three-game homestand that started with the electricity of a walk-off win ended with a thud.
For the second straight day, the Mariners took it to the Red Sox, capping the three-game series with an 8-3 victory in the Wednesday afternoon rubber match.
Seattle won Tuesday’s contest, 9-6, but had a commanding 9-1 lead for much of the night.
The Red Sox, who have had a habit of fluctuating between hot and cold this season, have lost six of their last eight as they head to Baltimore for a four-game series that starts Thursday night.
Prior to that stretch, Boston had won seven out of eight. The Orioles themselves had won eight of their last 10 games heading into a three-game series in Colorado, where they dropped two games.
Interim manager Chad Tracy’s squad is 75-65 with 22 games left in the season. The Red Sox continue to hold possession of the second American League Wild Card spot.
Here were some key takeaways from Wednesday.
1. Roman clears the Monster
While the Red Sox are 1-3 since the return of Roman Anthony and Trevor Story, who were both out for longer than three months, the duo has performed well since coming back. Anthony was a bright spot in Wednesday’s loss, belting three hits, including an opposite-field shot over the Green Monster.
It was Anthony’s second homer of the season, first at Fenway and first since April 1 in Houston. While Story’s streak of three straight two-hit games upon his return ended, he did hit a double into the corner in left to put the Red Sox on the board in the fourth inning.
2. Sandoval struggles
Five days after making his best start since returning from Tommy John surgery against the Yankees, Patrick Sandoval took a step back against the Mariners. In four innings (plus one batter in the fifth), the lefty gave up five hits and four runs (three earned) while walking three and striking out two.
Of Sandoval’s 80 pitches, only 40 were for strikes. Sandoval is 1-4 with a 4.41 ERA in the 10 starts since he was activated.
3. Bello’s second straight clunker
In Brayan Bello’s first 12 outings as a reliever this season, he was nearly spotless, going 4-0 with a 0.99 ERA. His last two appearances have been a markedly different picture.
After giving up five hits and four runs in 4 1/3 innings while taking the loss at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, Bello tried to keep the Sox in the game on Wednesday after Sandoval’s rough outing, but to no avail. While Sandoval was tagged for four runs in the third inning, Bello was touched up for a four-spot in the sixth, pinning Boston in an 8-1 hole.