SEATTLE — Mitch Haniger made Boston pay for a costly error by first baseman Kyle Schwarber, hitting a three-run home run with two out in the seventh inning, and the Seattle Mariners held on for a 5-4 win over the Red Sox on Monday night.
The opener of a critical three-game series between the AL wild-card contenders went the way of the home team, thanks, in part, to four unearned runs allowed by the Red Sox.
None was more damaging than Schwarber’s mishandling of Jake Bauers’ grounder with two out in the seventh. Reliever Ryan Brasier (0-1) got the ground ball needed to get out of the inning, but Schwarber misplayed the bounce and Bauers was safe.
J.P. Crawford followed with a broken-bat single and Brasier left a slider in the middle of the plate to Hangier. He didn’t get all of it, but it was enough to clear the wall in left field for his 33rd homer of the season. Haniger went 4 for 4 and homered for the third straight game.
The Mariners also scored an unearned run in the second after an error by right fielder Hunter Renfroe. The Red Sox have allowed 33 unearned runs since the All-Star break, most in the American League.
Boston didn’t go quietly. Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers hit back-to-back homers with two outs in the eighth off Seattle’s Paul Sewald. It was the third straight appearance Sewald has allowed a long ball after allowing just four in his first 48 games this season.
Sewald escaped the inning, and Drew Steckenrider pitched the ninth for his ninth save. Seattle pulled within two games of Boston in the jammed AL wild-card standings.
Starting off
Seattle rookie Logan Gilbert threw six strong innings in his best outing since early July, when he threw seven shutout innings against the Yankees. Rediscovering the feel for his slider, Gilbert allowed five hits and matched his career high with nine strikeouts. The most important of those strikeouts came against the final batter he faced. With Xander Bogaerts at third following a leadoff double, Gilbert struck out Alex Verdugo to end the sixth inning and keep the game tied.
Jose Iglesias homered for the first time since Aug. 6, and later had a bloop RBI single off Gilbert.
Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez allowed six hits and one earned run over six innings. He struck out six.
Trainer’s room
Mariners: OF Jake Fraley (shoulder) could be activated from the injured list in the next couple of days following a rehab stint with Triple-A Tacoma, manager Scott Servais said. Fraley has been out since Aug. 28. … RHP Justin Dunn (shoulder) threw a second simulated game on Monday and could head out to Tacoma or Single-A Everett for a rehab stint, depending on how he feels. Dunn has been on the injured list since late June.
