BOSTON -- After blowing leads of 2-1 and 4-3, the Red Sox ultimately got the last laugh coming in the bottom of the 15th inning on a Stephen Drew walk-off single in the Red Sox' 5-4 win over the Mariners. It was the 10th walk-off win of the season for the Red Sox and with the win they regained first place in the AL East as the Rays lost to the Diamondbacks 7-0.
"Anytime you win a game this late in extra innings it can seem like two [wins]," manager John Farrell said. "Being on the other side of it, a loss after 15 innings can have a little more of an effect than a regular game. ... Finally we were able to push one across after quite a drought of 20-something at-bats with nothing to speak of."
Starter John Lackey went seven innings allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out six. As has been the case with him this season he was dominant aside from one or two innings, which was the case tonight when he allowed two runs in the sixth inning in which the Sox entered leading 2-1. Junichi Tazawa relieved Lackey in the eighth inning, but allowed a home run to Kyle Seager to tie the game at four. Koji Uehara (two innings), Matt Thornton (one inning), Craig Breslow (two innings) and Drake Britton (two innings, win) combined to throw seven scoreless innings of relief in the win.
With the Sox trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Dustin Pedroia delivered a two-run homer over everything in left, putting the Red Sox ahead 4-3 at the time. They scored their first two runs in the fifth inning aided by two Mariners errors. Brock Holt scored on an error and then Jacoby Ellsbury scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Pedroia. Shane Victorino, Pedroia and Drew paced the offense with two hits each.
The teams will conclude their series tomorrow night (7:10, NESN) as Ryan Dempster will go up against Felix Hernandez.
What they'll be saying: Aside from Tazawa allowing the tying run in the eighth, the Red Sox bullpen was outstanding and kept the Sox in the game. Britton picked up his first major league win and continues to prove he belongs on the mound in high-leverage situations. Britton became the fifth Red Sox pitcher to earn their first major league win this season ... The Red Sox had plenty of chances to end the game before Drew eventually did in the 15th as they went 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 13 runners on base.
