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Mariners-Red Sox Preview

Aug 13, 2015 - 6:10 PM The Seattle Mariners are heading east following a historic pitching performance. The Boston Red Sox return home following one they'd like to forget.

Two days after Hisashi Iwakuma tossed the fifth no-hitter in franchise history, the Mariners begin a six-game road trip Friday night against a Red Sox team reeling from a lopsided loss.

Iwakuma joined Hideo Nomo as the only Japanese-born pitchers to throw a no-hitter in Wednesday's 3-0 win over Baltimore. It was the first no-no by an American League hurler since teammate Felix Hernandez's perfect game against Tampa Bay on Aug. 15, 2012, ending a streak of 11 straight by NL pitchers.

The veteran right-hander walked three and got help from a dazzling catch in the ninth inning by Kyle Seager, who made an over-the-shoulder grab of David Lough's foul ball near the third-base stands for the first out.

"He was so good that I'm answering these questions on a foul ball. That's how good he was today," Seager told MLB's official website.

Mike Montgomery (4-4, 3.25 ERA) will have a tough act to follow for Seattle (54-61), winner of seven of 10.

The rookie is trying to regain the form of his first seven major league starts in which he went 4-2 with a 1.62 ERA and two shutouts. Montgomery has gone 0-2 with a 5.93 ERA in his last six outings.

He allowed three runs in four innings of Saturday's 11-3, 11-inning loss to Texas and issued four walks, giving him 15 over his past four starts.

Montgomery, who's never faced Boston, is 3-1 with a 3.06 ERA in six road starts.

Nelson Cruz is expected to return to the Mariners' lineup after missing Wednesday's game with neck spasms. The major league home run leader brings a 21-game hitting streak into Fenway Park, where he's a career .391 hitter with six homers.

Cruz extended his tear with his 34th home run Tuesday and has 13 with 17 RBIs while batting .411 during the streak. He's 5 for 11 against Joe Kelly, who looks to build on an encouraging start and help Boston (50-64) bounce back from Wednesday's 14-6 loss at Miami.

The Marlins battered Red Sox pitching for 17 hits and 10 sixth-inning runs to complete a two-game sweep.

Kelly (4-6, 5.96) has had his struggles as well in a season that includes a month-long demotion to Triple-A. Though the right-hander has posted a 7.11 ERA in four starts since returning, he's won his last two while receiving 14 runs of support.

He pitched well in the most recent one, a 7-2 victory at Detroit last Friday, recording seven strikeouts and yielding two runs in 5 1-3 innings.

"He attacked the zone, he was down in the strike zone," manager John Farrell said. "I thought he had probably one of the best changeups of the season."

Kelly, 2-3 with a 6.27 ERA in nine home starts, threw five scoreless innings in his lone career meeting with Seattle, a 5-3 home loss Aug. 22.

Farrell returned Wednesday after missing the previous game while recovering from hernia surgery, but the Red Sox were without Hanley Ramirez for a fourth straight contest due to a sore left foot. The left fielder spent Thursday with doctors determining whether further tests are needed.

David Ortiz homered twice Wednesday and has gone 9 for 15 in his last three games. He's amassed five homers and nine RBI in his past seven.

These teams split four games in Seattle in May. The Mariners had lost nine straight at Fenway Park before recording a three-game sweep last August.






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