BOSTON — Eduardo Rodriguez turned in his seventh straight quality start and the Boston Red Sox notched their fifth straight win with a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night.
Rodriguez (4-1) allowed five hits and walked three but battled through six innings and remained unbeaten since his first start of the season. He struck out four and has the third-most strikeouts (257) of any Boston pitcher in the modern era within his first 50 starts.
Three relievers worked an inning apiece, with Craig Kimbrel adding to his early season magic with a perfect ninth for his 13th save of the season and his 27th straight at Fenway Park.
First baseman Mitch Moreland took a hit away from Danny Valencia that would have been the first hit by a right-handed batter off Kimbrel this season. He finished the game by getting Taylor Motter to bounce out — making right-handed hitters 0-for-39 against him this season.
The win moved the Red Sox within two games of the first-place New York Yankees in the American League East — the closest Boston has been since April 25 (also two games out).
The last-place Mariners (21-28) lost for the sixth time in seven games and have scored five runs in those six losses. Their best chance to score was in the second inning, but two baserunning blunders kept them off the board.
Yovani Gallardo, who lasted 5 1/3 innings, fell to 2-5 with the loss.
The Red Sox (26-21) scored a second-inning run on a groundout and added two in the sixth, one scoring on a Gallardo wild pitch and the other on a passed ball by Mike Zunino.
In four games during their current homestand — all wins — the Red Sox have been gifted six runs — on four wild pitches, a passed ball and a balk.
Hanley Ramirez and Christian Vazquez had two hits apiece for Boston.
Jean Segura had three of Seattle’s six hits. He has five hits in the last two games and is batting .346 for the season.
Rain, heavy at one point, fell from the fifth inning on.
NOTES: Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia, removed from Thursday night’s wet conditions because of soreness in his surgically repaired left knee, was rested after another day of rain. … The Mariners lost RHP Chris Heston and INF Mike Freeman to waiver claims, both to the Los Angeles Dodgers. … Boston INF/OF Brock Holt, battling vertigo, has been pulled from any game action for at least time being. He will continue to work out and travel with the team. … RHP Rob Whalen makes his first start with the Mariners on Saturday, facing LH Brian Johnson, who will be recalled for his second start of the season for the Red Sox. … Pregame ceremonies honored the May 29 100th birthday of John F. Kennedy, Boston’s favorite sun.
A’s 4, Yankees 1
NEW YORK — Jed Lowrie delivered an RBI single with two outs in the eighth inning and the Oakland Athletics overcame 13 strikeouts by Masahiro Tanaka to get a 4-1 victory over the New York Yankees Friday night.
Lowrie had three hits, including a single and a double off Tanaka in his first two at-bats. The rest of his teammates could do little off the right-hander, who allowed one run and five hits in 7 1/3 innings and recorded each strikeout on swings and misses.
In the eighth, the Athletics did enough to get Tanaka (5-4) out of the game. After Mark Canha was the final strikeout victim against Tanaka, Adam Rosales lined the 111th pitch up the middle and Tyler Clippard came on.
Clippard was charged with a two-base throwing error, allowing Rosales to slide into third on a pickoff attempt. Rosales was thrown out at the plate by third baseman Chase Headley on a ground ball by Rajai Davis.
After Davis stole second and Matt Joyce walked, Lowrie grounded the first pitch into right field for a 1-0 lead. Khris Davis followed with an RBI infield hit that shortstop Didi Gregorius could not make a play on.
Stephen Vogt added insurance with a long two-run homer in the ninth off Jonathan Holder.
While he did not accumulate strikeouts like Tanaka, Sean Manaea (3-3) was just as effective. Moved up a day because Kendall Graveman was scratched with right shoulder soreness, Manaea allowed four hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts.
The left-hander did not allow more than one runner in an inning until the seventh when Aaron Judge singled and Gregorius reached on catcher’s interference. Manaea escaped by getting Headley to hit into an inning-ending double play.
Ryan Madson pitched a scoreless eighth but Santiago Casilla wobbled in the ninth. He gave up a sacrifice fly to Gregorius but stranded two by retiring pinch hitter Gary Sanchez.
Before Oakland went ahead, Tanaka struck out five of the first six hitters. Oakland had two on in the fourth, but Tanaka struck out Trevor Plouffe to end the inning. The seventh ended when Vogt hit a fly ball that required center fielder Aaron Hicks to catch while crashing into the wall.
NOTES: Oakland RHPs Kendall Graveman (right shoulder soreness) and Jesse Hahn (strained triceps) were not with the team since they were getting evaluated. Manager Bob Melvin said there is a “good chance” Graveman and Hahn will be placed on the disabled list, but a move will not occur until Saturday. … LHP Aroldis Chapman (left rotator cuff inflammation) saw the Yankees’ doctor Friday and could be cleared to begin throwing Saturday. … Yankees RF Aaron Judge was a 31st-round pick of Oakland in 2010 but did not sign because he wanted to attend college.