BOSTON — Mike Montgomery was no match for the emotionally charged Boston Red Sox.
Several hours after learning of manager John Farrell’s cancer diagnosis, the Red Sox hit the Seattle Mariners rookie hard on the way to a 15-1 victory Friday night.
“It’s tough to see something like that happen to your manager,” said Montgomery, who gave up nine runs on 10 hits in just 2 1/3 innings.
“They put some good at-bats together, really good at-bats and I don’t know if that had something to do (with that), but they definitely put a lot of good at-bats together.”
Montgomery (4-5) permitted only nine runs in his first seven starts of the season, but the lefty has surrendered 32 in the last seven since July 10.
“It’s really not hard to analyze,” Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. “If you look at the film, you see a lot of balls … middle of the plate, up out over the plate. Just no deception at all.”
Seattle slugger Nelson Cruz went hitless in three at-bats, halting his 21-game hitting streak. It had tied Troy Tulowitzki for the majors’ longest this season.
Kyle Seager homered for Seattle, which had won eight of 12.
“They strung together quite a few hits there early and really put it out of reach pretty soon, pretty early,” Seager said.
Travis Shaw hit two home runs and Rusney Castillo hit one in the aftermath of Farrell announcing he’d taken a medical leave to treat lymphoma.
Fighting back tears, the 53-year-old Farrell said that he had a “highly curable” form of cancer and has taken leave for the rest of the season.
Farrell said the cancer of the lymphatic system was discovered when he had hernia surgery in Detroit earlier this week. He’s planning on being back for spring training.
Shaw had a two-run homer and solo shot, and Castillo’s was a two-run drive in Boston’s highest-scoring game of the year. The Red Sox finished with a season-high 21 hits.
Brock Holt and Pablo Sandoval each had three RBIs with two doubles. Holt’s first drove in two runs to cap a six-run third inning.
Joe Kelly (5-6) limited the Mariners to one run and four hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked two.
Leading 3-1, Boston broke it open with its six-run third. Sandoval had a two-run double, Shaw followed with his two-run homer into the Red Sox bullpen, and Holt had a two-run double over the head of leaping center fielder Austin Jackson.
Holt’s second RBI double came in the fifth, Sandoval’s second run-scoring double came an inning later and Shaw homered in the eighth.
Trailing 1-0 in the first, David Ortiz had an RBI double and Castillo followed with his homer.
Seager homered in the first to put Seattle up 1-0.
CRUZ CONTROL OFF
Cruz reflected on his career-high 21-game hitting streak, which came to an end after an 0-for-3 night.
“It’s always good to be consistent,” he said. “That’s what you (like) to see. I see a lot of pitches today, so that was good. Fouled off a lot of pitches, so that was really positive.”
Cruz did work a walk in his first at-bat, making it 25 straight games in which he has reached base safely via hit, walk, or hit-by-pitch — the longest active streak in the majors.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: Cruz was the DH after missing the last game on Wednesday with neck spasms. “His neck is fine. Just going to balance it as much as I possibly can,” McClendon said.
Red Sox: RHP Steven Wright was put on the seven-day concussion DL. He was hit in the neck by a batted ball during BP on Wednesday in Miami. … OF Castillo left with a bruised left foot after fouling a ball off it.
UP NEXT
Mariners: RHP Felix Hernandez (14-6) is scheduled to start the middle game of the three-game set. He has an 8-3 career record against the Red Sox.
Red Sox: LHP Wade Miley (8-9) is slated to start on Saturday. He’s 0-1 in his last five starts.
