Mookie Betts Homers, Craig Kimbrel Saves In Return From DL To Lead Red Sox To 2-1 Win Over Mariners

Mookie Betts homered to lead off the ninth inning, Craig Kimbrel earned his 18th save in his return from the disabled list and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Seattle Mariners 2-1 at Safeco Field on Monday night.

Mookie Betts Homers, Craig Kimbrel Saves In Return From DL To Lead Red Sox To 2-1 Win Over Mariners

Kimbrel made his first appearance since undergoing surgery on July 11 to repair a medial meniscus tear in his left knee. He allowed a walk, and Kyle Seager reached on a third-strike wild pitch, but Kimbrel got two other strikeouts to end the game.

“As much as we talked before the game about Kimbrel and giving him a little breathing room, that one-run margin wasn’t a heck of a lot,” said Rex Sox manager John Farrell. “He was very good. It looked like he hadn’t missed any time.”

“That’s my job,” Kimbrel said. “I like save situations. It worked out nice.”

Bett’s solo homer to left field against Seattle closer Steve Cishek (2-6), his 22nd, gave Boston a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth. The Red Sox (58-46, 2nd in AL East) now trail the Orioles by one game in the American League East.

Mariners starter James Paxton held Boston to a run and four hits over eight innings. Aaron Hill homered off Paxton in the eighth to tie the game 1-1. It was the second straight ninth-inning comeback for the Red Sox, who overcame a 3-0 deficit to beat the Angels 5-3 with five two-out runs in their final at-bat Sunday.

When Hill stepped to the plate with one out in the eighth, he had only one extra-base hit since joining the Red Sox on July 8. But he made his second one a biggie, lacing that game-tying shot over the wall in left. The blast went a projected distance of 382 feet, according to Statcast™.

“You have to play 27 outs to beat us,” Betts said. “We’re starting to see that more and more now.”

Junichi Tazawa (2-1) got the win with a scoreless eighth after lefty Eduardo Rodriguez held Seattle to a run and three hits over 6 1/3 innings. Rodriguez also walked two and struck out six.

Rodriguez held the Mariners to three base-runners in the first six innings, and only one of his first 19 outs even left the infield.

Paxton retired the first seven batters until Sandy Leon’s one-out single in the third. Hanley Ramirez singled in the fifth and Betts was the first player to reach second with a two-out double in the sixth. All failed to advance. Paxton also walked none and struck out six.