SEATTLE – (Staff and Wire Service Report from Field Level Media) – Seattle’s Cal Raleigh hit two solo home runs as the Mariners defeated the visiting Boston Red Sox 6-2 on Monday night in the opener of a three-game series.
Julio Rodriguez added a two-run single in a four-run eighth inning as the Mariners pulled away.
The Mariners won for the fifth time in their past six games and finished July with a 17-9 record, tied with Baltimore for the second-best mark in the majors. Boston’s 15-8 record was the month’s best.
Rafael Devers went 3-for-4 for the Red Sox, who took their third consecutive defeat.
Raleigh hit both his homers off right-hander Nick Pivetta (7-6), who was making his first start since beating the Mariners 9-4 on May 16 in Boston. Pivetta gave up three runs on five hits in 7 1/3 innings, with no walks and 10 strikeouts.
Raleigh broke a one-all tie with one out in the seventh, hammering a 1-1 slider just inside the right field foul pole.