SEATTLE — James Paxton added a dominant night to what has become a dominant month.
Paxton allowed four singles over seven innings to win his fifth consecutive start in July and Kyle Seager homered to pace the Seattle Mariners to a 4-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Monday night.
“Heck of an effort by Pax tonight,” said Mariners manager Scott Servais. “He is on a nice roll right now and we’re the beneficiary of it. It’s been fun to watch. Getting all of his pitches over. His stuff was electric tonight.”
Paxton (10-3) retired the first 13 hitters before Jackie Bradley Jr.’s single to center with one out in the fifth. The left-hander, who worked out of trouble in the sixth and seventh innings, matched his career high with 10 strikeouts and walked none. Paxton has allowed six earned runs in 33 1/3 innings and not given up a home run in five starts this month.
“My arm just felt really good today. Had the big fastball and it was just coming out easy today,” said Paxton, who missed almost all of May with a forearm strain. “I wasn’t thinking about going out there and throwing 98, 99, that was just what was coming out today.”
Eduardo Rodriguez (4-3) allowed four runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked two in his second start since coming off the disabled list.
“I missed my pitches,” Rodriguez said. “Fastball to Seager, he makes good contact and hits a homer. That’s how it is when you miss a spot.”
Seager started a three-run second with his 14th home run, lining a 2-1 pitch over the wall in straightaway center to open the inning. With one out, Ben Gamel tripled into the right-field corner. Gamel scored on Guillermo Heredia’s fielder’s choice chopper to first, beating the throw home with a head-first slide. Heredia scored from first on Jean Segura’s double into the right-center gap.
“I had a lane to slide in and I felt like I could sneak my hand in there, so I just went for it,” said Gamel, who extended his hitting streak to 11 games and raised his average to .323.
Seattle added a run in the fourth when Gamel singled, Segura was hit by a pitch and Danny Valencia doubled.
In the sixth, Brock Holt reached with one out on a throwing error by first baseman Valencia. Mookie Betts singled Holt to second, but Paxton struck out Andrew Benintendi and Dustin Pedroia.
Hanley Ramirez and Bradley opened the seventh with consecutive singles, but Paxton struck out Chris Young and enticed Deven Marrero into a double-play grounder to short.
“On a night where we got to swing our way out of it, we get a couple of opportunities in the sixth and seventh, and the strikeout was a big weapon certainly for Paxton tonight,” Boston manager John Farrell said. “First and second one out, couple of key strikeouts to (Benintendi) and (Pedroia). And then we come right back in the seventh inning, we think we are in a pretty good spot first and third nobody out, and unable to string any base hits together.”
Paxton is scheduled to get another start before the end of the month.
“I think it’s five wins in the month of July. He’s got a chance to get one more,” Servais said. “It’s hard to win six games in a month. I don’t know if it’s ever been done by a Mariner before, but hopefully we’ll see it.”
TRAINER’S ROOM:
Red Sox: SS Xander Bogaerts was scratched with an illness, although it was not related to the hand injury he suffered last week. Marrero started.
Mariners: CF Jarrod Dyson was out again with a toe injury sustained when he crashed into the wall Sunday. He is day-to-day.
RED SOX MOVES
Boston called up top prospect Rafael Devers from Triple-A Pawtucket. The 20-year-old Devers began the season at Double-A Portland, hitting .300 with 18 homers and 56 RBIs in 77 games. He played just nine games at Portland, hitting .400 with two homers. ... RHP Kyle Martin was optioned to Pawtucket. ... LHP Robbie Ross Jr. (left elbow inflammation) was transferred to the 60-day DL.
MARINERS MOVES
Seattle signed veteran INF Danny Espinosa, who was released last week by the Los Angeles Angels. Espinosa hit .209 with a career-high 24 homers in 2016 with Washington, but hit just .162 in 77 games with the Angels. He will be used in a utility role. ... RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (right shoulder inflammation) was transferred to the 60-day DL.
UPON FURTHER REVIEW
Segura was hit in the foot by a pitch with two outs in the fourth. The Red Sox challenged, but the call on the field was upheld after a review of 1 minute, 10 second.
UP NEXT:
Red Sox: LHP Drew Pomeranz (10-4, 3.51) has won four consecutive decisions over his last five starts, posting a 2.12 ERA over that span. Devers is expected to debut at 3B.
Mariners: RHP Felix Hernandez (5-4, 3.88) is 3-2 with a 3.25 ERA in six starts since coming off the DL (right shoulder inflammation). He is 5-2 in nine starts vs. Boston at Safeco Field.
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