Mariners Crush Red Sox On Opening Day At T-Mobile Park

MARINERS NOTES:

• The Mariners are now 27-16 (.628) all-time in home openers, including 10-6 (.625) after opening the season on the road…have won three straight home openers and are 6-1 in home openers since 2013.
• The Mariners improve to 3-0, marking the 4^th time in club history to start a season 3-0 (also: 1985, 1995, 2014).
• The Mariners 12 runs today are the most in club history in a home opener (previous: 10, 4/6/92 vs. TEX).
• The Marines plated 3 runs in the bottom of the 2^nd inning, snapping a scoreless inning streak against Chris Sale of 20.0 consecutive innings, dating back to the 5^th inning on August 26, 2016 at Chicago-AL.
• The Mariners are the 8th team to hit 3+ home runs off Chris Sale in a game (last: TOR, 9/26/17 at BOS).
• Tim Beckham (2×5, 2 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI) recorded his 4th career multi-home run game (last: 9/23/18 at NYY w/BAL)…becomes the 5th player to hit 2 home runs off Chris Sale in a single game and the first since Toronto’s Josh Donaldson on Sept. 26, 2017 at Boston…was 0-for-15 against Chris Sale entering today’s game.

o    Is the 6th Mariners player with at least 3 home runs in the club’s first 3 games of a season, joining Gorman Thomas (3, 1985), Ken Griffey Jr. (3, 1997), David Segui (3, 1998), Mike Morse (3, 2013) and Robinson Canó (4, 2016).

o    Has hit safely in each of the club’s first 3 games of the season, going 7-for-12 (.583) with 6 runs, 1 double, 3 home runs, 5 RBI and 2 walks.

• Domingo Santana (3×5, 2 R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI) becomes the first player in the Majors to record the game-winning RBI in each of his club’s first 3 games of a season since the Angels Vladimir Guerrero in 2007.

o    His 9 RBI are the most in Mariners history through the club’s first 3 games of a season (previous: 7, 6x, last: Robinson Canó, 2016).

• Marco Gonzales becomes the 15th pitcher in Major League history since 1908 to start and win 2 of his club’s first 3 games of a season and the first since the Rays Victor Zambrano in 2004.

o    Becomes the 2^nd pitcher in club history to make 2 starts in the Mariners first 3 games of a season, joining Jason Vargas (2012).

o    Is now 3-0 with a 2.78 ERA (10 ER, 32.1 IP) with 25 strikeouts and 6 walks over his last 6 starts, dating back to Sept. 11, 2018.

o    Is the 3^rd pitcher in club history to start both Opening Day and the home opener, joining Floyd Bannister (1982) and Félix Hernández (2012)…Seattle has opened the season on the road 16 times.

• Edwin Encarnacion (2×4, R, HR, RBI) recorded his 3rd career home run against Chris Sale and is now batting .333 (7×21) with 3 home runs, 5 RBI and 4 walks in his career against Sale.

o    Leads active players in home runs against the Red Sox with 33 career home runs.

• Ryon Healy (1×4, 2 R, HR, RBI, BB) belted his 2^nd home run of the season in the 5^th inning…has recorded at least 1 extra-base hit in each of his first 3 games this season…has 4 extra-base hits (2 2B, 2 HR) this season.

RED SOX NOTES:

• Boston is now 58-60-1 all-time on Opening Day…is now 34-43-1 when opening the season on the road.
• The Red Sox allowed at least 10 runs on Opening Day for the 6th time in club history (last: 4/1/02 vs. TOR).
• Chris Sale did not record a quality start for the first time in 10 career starts against the Mariners…did not pitch into at least the 7^th inning for the first time in 10 career starts against the Mariners…allowed at least 7 earned runs for the 8th time in his career (last: 8/1/17 vs. CLE).

o    Made his 5^th career Opening Day start (also: 2013-14 and 2016 w/CWS and 2018 w/BOS)…is now 3-1 with a 3.77 ERA (13 ER, 31.0 IP) with 36 strikeouts and 8 walks in 5 career Opening Day starts.

o    Becomes the first pitcher to record the final out of a World Series and throw that winning club’s first pitch of the following season since the Giants Madison Bumgarner (2014-15)…is the first American League pitcher to do so since the Orioles Scott McGregor (1983-84)…joins Carl Mays (1918-19) as the only Red Sox pitchers to accomplish this feat.

o    Is now 6-2 with a 2.73 ERA (22 ER, 72.1 IP) with 100 strikeouts and 15 walks in 10 career starts against the Mariners…is now 3-1 with a 3.73 ERA (13 ER, 31.1 IP) with 46 strikeouts and 10 walks in 5 career starts at T-Mobile Park.

• Xander Bogaerts (1×4, 2B) made his 6^th consecutive Opening Day start at shortstop (2014-c)…he moves into a tie with Rick Burleson (1975-80), Freddy Parent (1901-06) and Rico Petrocelli (1965-70) for the 4^th-longest streak of consecutive Opening Day starts at shortstop in club history…Everett Scott (8, 1914-21) holds the club record.
• Mookie Betts (3×5, R) has hit safely in each of his 5 career Opening Day games, batting .429 (9×21) with 4 runs, 2 home runs, 3 RBI and 2 walks.

o    Made his 5^th consecutive Opening Day start in right field, becoming the first Red Sox right fielder to make 5 straight Opening Day starts since Dwight Evans (10, 1978-97).

BOSTON MANAGER ALEX CORA:

On Chris Sale:

““If you compare it to the first start last year, velocity wise, he hit a few 94, but last year wasn’t 97, 98 either. I do think he tried to go to certain spots but he didn’t get it there. The at-bat with [Domingo] Santana, when threw the slider, that was a good at-bat. He made some good pitches. But then he hung a slider and he flipped it the other way. So, like I said. It wasn’t a good one. We’re have to turn a page and then learn from the next one.”

On missed scoring opportunities:

“We had a chance, Christian [Vázquez] came up with a man on second and third, no outs. We ended up scoring one because of [Eduardo] Nunez’s baserunning play but we were okay offensively, I think we expanded a little bit with two strikes, we don’t usually do that. It’s something we have to keep working on.”

WP: Marco Gonzales (2-0, 4.76) LP: Chris Sale (0-1, 21.00) Save: None