, who went six innings, gave up just five hits and struck out four while throwing a season-high 112 pitches. Craig Kimbrel earned his 13th save. Rodriguez has pitched at least six innings in his last seven starts, going 4-0 in that span. The only run support Rodriguez needed came in the second inning, when Hanley Ramirez scored on Josh Rutledge's RBI groundout. Boston added two more runs in the sixth, scoring on a wild pitch and passed ball. Yovani Gallardo (2-5) took the loss. He lasted 5 1/3 innings, gave up seven hits and was responsible for all three of Boston's runs. Seattle has won just one of its last seven. Meanwhile, Boston gave Rodriguez got lots of help from his defense. Jackie Bradley Jr. had a pair of nice plays, getting an outfield assist in the second and running down another ball on the warning track in the sixth. In addition to the pitching miscues, the Mariners had all kinds of issues in the wet conditions, committing two fielding errors. The Red Sox left 11 runners on base, leaving the door open for the Mariners to get back in the game. But Seattle couldn't capitalize, going 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position. The Mariners also left seven runners stranded. TRAINER'S ROOMMariners: LHP James Paxton (strained left forearm) was slated to make a rehab start Friday night in Double-A Arkansas. He has been on the 10-day disabled list since May 5. He could be activated for a start at the end of the month against Colorado. Red Sox: Infielder Marco Hernandez will be out the remainder of the season after undergoing stabilization surgery on his left shoulder on Friday. Hernandez was placed on the disabled list May 4 with a left shoulder misalignment. The 24-year-old hit .276 with two RBI in 21 games. ... A night after he left the game with left knee pain, 2B Dustin Pedroia was held out Friday for what manager John Farrell said was ''precautionary reasons'' because of the wet playing surface. UP NEXTMariners: RHP Rob Whalen (0-2, 4.09 ERA in Triple-A Tacoma) will be making his major league start since last season with Atlanta. He will be 12th different starting pitcher the Mariners have used this season. Red Sox: LHP Brian Johnson (1-0, 7.20 ERA) will be making his second major league start this year and third of his career.---More baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball)
Time: 7:10 PM EDT Venue: Fenway Park, Boston, Mass., 02215 BOSTON -- Eduardo Rodriguez no longer is the other left-hander in Boston's rotation. Rodriguez, who has battled injuries throughout his early career, is quietly off to an outstanding start -- in a Red Sox rotation where fellow lefties Chris Sale (great), David Price (hurt, making his first start of the season on Monday night) and Drew Pomeranz (struggling before a strong outing Thursday) have received much of the attention. Rodriguez (3-1, 3.10 ERA) takes a string of six consecutive quality starts to the mound when he faces Yovani Gallardo and the Seattle Mariners in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night at Fenway Park. All eight starts of Rodriguez's starts have coming after Red Sox losses. The team is 6-2 in those eight games, and Rodriguez is riding a three-decision winning streak." I just go out there and pitch," he said after winning in Oakland on Sunday, when he threw eight innings of three-run ball. "Even if we had won 10, 11 in a row, I am just going to try and win the game. I just go out there and do my job." This time, though, Rodriguez will be pitching after a win. The Red Sox (25-21) completed a sweep of their three-game series with the Texas Rangers with a 6-2 victory Thursday night. Boston has won four in a row, racking up 38 runs in that span. Red Sox pitchers tied the major league record for a nine-inning game by striking out 20 on Thursday, including four in the ninth inning by closer Craig Kimbrel." His stuff is nasty," fellow reliever Matt Barnes said of Kimbrel. "What he is doing right now ... I have never seen anything like that." Kimbrel has retired 53 of the last 56 batters he has faced, including 33 of his last 34. He has yet to allow a hit to a right-handed batter this season. Like Rodriguez, Gallardo was doing his job, and he took a two-game winning streak into his last start. However, he was strafed for nine hits, including two home runs, and 10 runs -- nine earned -- in just 3 2/3 innings of a 16-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. Gallardo (2-4, 5.84 ERA) is 2-2 with a 5.28 ERA lifetime against the Red Sox, who reached him for eight runs in 10 innings in two starts with the Baltimore Orioles last season. Rodriguez is making just his second career start against the Mariners. He went 6 1/3 innings, allowing three hits and a run (no walk, six strikeouts) last Aug. 1. The injury-riddled and last-place Mariners (21-27) ended a five-game losing streak -- during which they scored one run in each game -- with a 4-2 win at Washington on Thursday. Nelson Cruz's three-run homer and Robinson Cano's RBI single provided the offense." That's what Nelson Cruz does for our team," Seattle manager Scott Servais said. "I think from a leadership standpoint, him and Robbie, those are the veteran guys. ... That's what you need, your veteran players to drive the train." Servais was ejected with his team down 2-0 in the top of the sixth inning, and his players responded, giving the Mariners their first win in nine games in Washington." Our guys joke about it, I think we're 2-0 when I get kicked out of games now, so they'd like to see it probably happen more," the manager said. "It's the intensity of the game." Dustin Pedroia is 7-for-18 (.389) against Gallardo, while both Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts are 4-for-12 (.333). Chris Young is just 2-for-18 (.167). The current Mariners are a combined 3-for-20 against Rodriguez, with Cano collecting two hits in three at-bats. Danny Valencia is 0-for-6 against the lefty.
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