Mariners 1, Red Sox 0
SEATTLE -- Pinch hitter John Jaso's ninth-inning single scored Casper Wells and gave the Seattle Mariners and Felix Hernandez a 1-0 win over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday.
The throw from Boston right fielder Cody Ross was in time to get Wells, but he was ruled safe by umpire Adrian Johnson when the ball popped out of Jarrod Saltalamacchia's glove.
Wells started the rally against Scott Atchison with a double. After an intentional walk to Justin Smoak, Jaso delivered Seattle's third walk-off win of the season.
Hernandez threw a five-hit complete game, walking one and striking out 13, which matched his career high. Entering the ninth inning, he hadn't been in any real trouble since the third inning, when he'd allowed a couple of two-out singles that went for naught.
But with one out in the ninth, David Ortiz smoked a single back up the middle, knocking Hernandez into the dirt. Off his game for the first time all night, Hernandez then walked Jarrod Saltalamacchia on a 3-2 pitch.
Adrian Gonzalez tried to bring in the game's first run, but his fly near the wall in left-center was tracked down by Seattle center fielder Michael Saunders before Will Middlebrooks popped out.
Both starting pitchers, Boston's Franklin Morales and Hernandez, were at the top of their game from the outset.
Morales, making just his third start after opening the season with 22 relief appearances, set down the first eight men he faced before giving up his first base runner on a walk. He wound up throwing seven shutout innings and striking out seven.
Seattle center fielder Franklin Gutierrez opened the fourth inning with a single up the middle for Seattle's first hit, but moments later he was gingerly walking to the clubhouse after being hit by a pickoff throw at first base by Morales.
Boston first baseman Gonzalez missed the throw, and the ball caught Gutierrez near his right ear, below the batting helmet.
Gutierrez fell immediately, and the game was put on hold while he was treated by the team's trainers. Ultimately he walked slowly off the field with help and Saunders took over for him.
Gutierrez has been back just with the Mariners for just two weeks after missing the first 64 games of the season due to a partially torn right pectoral muscle and plantar fasciitis.
NOTES: Hernandez has a history of success when facing the Red Sox. He is 6-2 with 3.18 ERA in 12 career starts against Boston. ... The Red Sox are ready to bring Josh Beckett (shoulder inflammation) back into the rotation. He'll get his first start Saturday after a 15-day stint on the disabled list. Boston manager Bobby Valentine indicated that he might go with six-man rotation for the time being. ... Seattle right-hander Kevin Millwood, who came out of Wednesday's game with a recurrence of a right groin injury, was feeling better Thursday. There is still a chance he will make his next start Monday. ... Boston designated hitter David Ortiz is sitting on 399 homers. With his next home run, he will break a tie with Andres Galarraga and Al Kaline and be alone 49th place on baseball's all-time homers list.
