The Boston Red Sox fell 5-0 to the Seattle Mariners on Sunday afternoon, ending their season high six game win streak.
Seattle improved to 22-29 with the win, as Boston dropped to 27-22.
It’s the fourth time this year the Red Sox have been shut out, and second time at Fenway Park (4/27 vs NYY).
Rick Porcello started the game for Boston and took the loss, allowing two earned runs while scattering 11 hits through 6 1/3 innings. The sinkerballer is now 3-6 with a 4.21 ERA on the year (11 starts).
11 hits allowed matched a season high (third time) for the 6’5” righthander, including his previous start vs Texas.
Porcello, last year’s AL Cy Young winner, has now allowed 40 hits in his last four starts. Opponents are hitting .329 against him in the month of May and .306 overall (was .230 in 2016).
Sunday also marked the seventh time in 2017 that Porcello has left a game without receiving a run of support prior to his departure.
Making his first career appearance against the Red Sox, RHP Christian Bergman picked up the win tossing seven innings of four hit ball while inducing four double plays (all in consecutive innings to begin game). He is now 2-2 on the season.
Bergman entered the game with a 6.30 ERA, in large part to his previous start against the Nationals in which he allowed 10 earned runs in four innings (was 2.25 prior).
The Red Sox will try to begin a new win streak on Memorial Day Monday (2:10 pm ET) in Chicago against the White Sox as lefty David Price makes his 2017 debut. The game kicks off a 10 game road trip for Boston as they will follow with trips to Baltimore and New York (Yankees).
To make room for Price on the 25 man roster, RHP reliever Brandon Workman was optioned to Pawtucket, just a week after getting recalled.
Workman has made just one appearance (5/4) in two big league stints this year.
During Boston’s six game win streak, starting pitchers were 6-0 with a 2.51 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 43 innings. In addition, the offense scored 47 runs while hitting to the tune of a .330 average (66 for 200), and the defense committed just two errors.
Perhaps the biggest highlight of the streak came on Saturday afternoon, as spot starter Brian Johnson tossed a five hit shutout in his third career start and first at Fenway. By doing so, he became the first Red Sox pitcher since Pedro Martinez in 1998 to throw a shutout in his first home start with the club (also against the Mariners).
Johnson’s struggles with anxiety have been well documented, almost forcing him to retire from the game altogether. Definitely an awesome feel-good moment for himself that should only boost his confidence.
Journeyman reliever Blaine Boyer was recalled from Pawtucket to fill Johnson’s spot on the roster, both moves being announced on Sunday.
Boyer recorded the final two outs in the series finale for Boston, a scoreless appearance.
With the Yankees’ 9-5 win against Oakland on Sunday, the Red Sox trail them by three games in the AL East and four games in the loss column at the conclusion of the weekend.
Boston still maintains the top Wild Card spot in the AL, leading Baltimore and Cleveland (who both lost Sunday) by 1.5 games.