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“DIARY OF A WINNER” |
THE BEST RED SOX TEAM EVAH! ... June 16, 2018 ... Despite having a fastball that doesn’t reach 90 miles an hour, Wade LeBlanc effectively shut down one the Red Sox. LeBlanc pitched into the eighth inning and Nelson Cruz had an RBI single as the Seattle Mariners beat the the Sox, 1-0. LeBlanc gave up just two hits and struck out nine over 7 2/3 innings. After a single by Mookie Betts on the opening at-bat of the game, he retired the next 22 batters until Eduardo Nunez singled with two outs in the eighth. LeBlanc (3-0) wasn’t a part of the Mariners starting rotation until the first week of May. But since replacing an injured Erasmo Ramirez in the rotation, LeBlanc has shined for the Mariners. He’s posted a 2.06 ERA in nine starts and Saturday’s gem was the best of the lot. A near-capacity crowd at Safeco Field saluted LeBlanc with a standing ovation as he left the field after Nunez’s single. Alex Colome got pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland to pop out to end the eighth, and Edwin Diaz struck out the side in the ninth for his 27th save. It was LeBlanc’s first start of more than seven innings pitched since his first outing of the 2011 season with the San Diego Padres. His nine strikeouts were also his most since striking out 10 against the Los Angeles Dodgers that same season. LeBlanc had a little help from Dee Gordon at second base with diving stops to rob Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts of base hits. The Mariners needed LeBlanc’s stellar outing as they struggled to get a lot going against knuckleballer Steven Wright. Wright (2-1) held Seattle to just one run and five hits with two walks and four strikeouts over seven innings. Three singles off Wright in the third inning gave the Mariners their early advantage. Gordon reached with one out while Mitch Haniger and Cruz each singled with two down. It snapped Wright’s string of 25 1/3 scoreless innings, which topped the stretch of 25 scoreless innings by Oakland’s Daniel Mengden for the longest in the majors this season. |
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