Masataka Yoshida hit a two-run home run to highlight a seven-run third inning that carried the Boston Red Sox to a 14-7 victory over the visiting Seattle Mariners on Monday night in the opener of a three-game series.
Yoshida’s home run, his fifth of the season, was one of eight hits in the inning, five of which went for extra bases. Yoshida had three hits in the game, including a two-run single in a three-run fourth that gave the Red Sox a 10-1 lead.
Dominic Smith (No. 6 of the season) and Romy Gonzalez (No. 2) also homered for Boston, which collected 16 hits in the victory. Smith hit a solo homer that stretched Boston’s lead to 11-1 in the fifth, and Gonzalez hit a pinch-hit two-run homer that made it 14-3 in the sixth.
Smith, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Connor Wong and Ceddanne Rafaela each had two hits to help Boston end a two-game losing streak. Eight of Boston’s hits were doubles.
Boston starting pitcher Nick Pivetta (5-7) exited the mound with two outs in the seventh. He allowed three runs on six hits, walked one and struck out 10.
It was Boston’s third victory in 10 games since the All-Star break.
Seattle starting pitcher Logan Gilbert (6-7) allowed seven runs on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings. Gilbert entered the game with a 2.72 ERA.
Seattle received back-to-back home runs from Randy Arozarena (No. 16) and Cal Raleigh (No. 23) in the sixth inning. Arozarena also doubled in the fourth, when he went on to score Seattle’s first run on Jorge Polanco’s sacrifice fly.
Arozarena left the game in the seventh inning after he hit the wall in left field attempting to make a catch in the previous inning.
Seattle scored four runs in the eighth. Dylan Moore had a two-run double, Luke Raley scored on a wild pitch and Moore scored on Jason Vosler’s groundout to second.
The loss ended Seattle’s three-game winning streak.
It was the first time the teams met since they opened the season by splitting a four-game series in Seattle.