Red Sox KO Hernandez, top Mariners 9-5

Sandy Leon hit a three-run home run to cap an eight-run third inning as the Boston Red Sox rallied from an early deficit to rout the visiting Seattle Mariners 9-5 on Saturday afternoon. Mitch Moreland also homered, and Rafael Devers and Jackie Bradley Jr. each had two RBIs. The Red Sox have won a season-high four straight and 10 of their last 12, outscoring opponents 89-34 in that stretch.

The Mariners lost for the 11th time in their last 13 games. Seattle came out swinging in the first inning, scoring four runs off Red Sox starter Rick Porcello. Daniel Vogelbach and Domingo Santana hit RBI doubles, and Jay Bruce crushed a two-run homer to right-centre as Boston's bullpen began to stir.

But Porcello (3-3) settled from there, going 6 2/3 innings to earn the win. He allowed just two to reach base after the first - on an error and a walk - and gave up the four runs on five hits, striking out five. Mariners starter Felix Hernandez, meanwhile, couldn't hold the early lead. He allowed Moreland's solo homer to lead off the second and later in the inning became the 36th pitcher in major league history to reach 2,500 career strikeouts with a whiff of Michael Chavis. But then came his disastrous third inning.

Mookie Betts walked with one out, and J.D. Martinez and Moreland singled to load the bases. Xander Bogaerts singled in a run, and Devers tied the game with a two-run single, improving his RBI count to 17 in his last 16 games. Hernandez then walked Chavis to reload the bases, ending his day. Roenis Elias came in and gave up a two-run single to Bradley before Leon punctuated the uprising with his three-run blast over the Green Monster in left, giving the Red Sox a 9-4 lead.

Hernandez (1-4) was charged with seven runs on six hits in 2 1/3 innings. He was responsible for three of 11 walks by Seattle pitching on the day. After the first, the Mariners were hitless until Omar Narvaez hit a solo homer in the ninth. The second baseman Shed Long was 0-for-3 with a walk in his major league debut.

--Field Level Media

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)