Red Sox Waste 12 Hits, Drop Series With Loss To Mariners originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox found plenty of hits Wednesday afternoon. Turning them into runs was a much bigger problem.
Boston collected 12 hits but went quietly in too many important moments, falling 8-3 to the Seattle Mariners in the series finale at Fenway Park. The loss gave Seattle back-to-back wins and a series win after the Red Sox escaped with a 9-8 extra-inning victory Monday.
It was another tough result against a Mariners team that entered the series well below .500. Boston has now lost six of its last eight games, falling to 75-65 and nine games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East.
The Red Sox also entered Wednesday night 4 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees for second place. Seattle did most of its damage during two four-run innings.
Patrick Sandoval encountered trouble in the third after allowing consecutive singles to begin the frame. A wild pitch brought home Seattle’s first run before Julio Rodríguez made it 2-0 with an RBI single. Josh Naylor followed with a single to left, but the play became considerably more damaging when Jarren Duran committed a throwing error. Two runs scored, giving Seattle a 4-0 advantage.
Sandoval was charged with three earned runs on five hits and three walks over four innings. He struck out two and fell to 1-4.
Red Sox Offense Squanders Its Opportunities
Boston responded in the fourth when Trevor Story delivered a ground-rule double to score Wilyer Abreu. The hit put two runners in scoring position, but Connor Wong struck out to end the threat.
FINAL: Mariners 8, #RedSox 3
— Red Sox (@RedSox) September 2, 2026
The Red Sox created another opening in the fifth. Roman Anthony singled, and Abreu later doubled with two outs to put runners at second and third. Nick Sogard grounded out, leaving both runners stranded.
That missed opportunity became considerably more painful in the sixth.
Brayan Bello worked out of trouble after replacing Sandoval in the fifth, but Seattle overwhelmed him one inning later. The first five Mariners reached safely before Boston recorded an out. Jhonny Pereda’s two-run single extended the lead to 6-1. Randy Arozarena added an RBI single, and Dominic Canzone’s double completed another four-run inning.
MORE: Red Sox Make Another Pitching Move After Rough Loss To Mariners
Boston’s best performer was Anthony, who continued looking comfortable following his long absence. The young outfielder went 3-for-5 and launched a 370-foot solo home run in the seventh. Mickey Gasper doubled later in the inning and scored on an Eli White double, cutting the deficit to 8-3. That was as close as Boston came.
Abreu contributed two doubles, while Story finished with an RBI double. Still, Boston stranded eight runners and failed to capitalize on several chances to make the game competitive.
Raymond Burgos provided one encouraging development after being recalled from Worcester earlier Wednesday. The left-hander retired all six batters he faced over two perfect innings, striking out three. Boston now heads to Baltimore for a four-game series against the Orioles beginning Thursday. The Red Sox remain in playoff position, but losing consecutive games and a home series to Seattle is hardly the momentum they wanted before returning to the road.