BOSTON — Dustin Ackley sure loved facing the Red Sox pitching.
Ackley had three hits and scored three runs, Seattle’s bullpen was sharp for the second straight day and the Mariners beat Boston 8-6 on Sunday for the Red Sox’s eighth straight loss.
Ackley had a triple, double and single, finishing 13 for 25 in six games against Boston this season. The Mariners completed their first-ever sweep in a series of three or more games in Fenway Park.
“It’s a good place to hit, especially for a lefty,” he said. “You’ve got that wall over there. It’s a good spot to hit and we made the most of it today.”
Kyle Seager drove in two runs for Seattle in a game that lasted 4 hours, 7 minutes.
“Probably the best word I can probably think of is very draining,” Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon said.
Boston stranded 15 runners and was 6 for 19 with runners in scoring position.
“We had a number of opportunities we created for ourselves once again,” Boston manager John Farrell said. “For us to snap out where we are, this is going to come from us on the mound.”
Dominic Leone (7-2) worked 2 2-3 innings of hitless relief for the win. Fernando Rodney escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth for his 38th save and the Mariners’ pen held Boston to one run over 6 2-3.
In Saturday’s victory, Seattle’s relievers gave up just two hits in 5 1-3 innings of scoreless work.
Will Middebrooks had a two-run double and drove in three runs for Boston, which is on its worst stretch since losing 10 straight in May.
Trailing 5-3, Seattle scored a run in the fourth and took the lead with two in the fifth against Allen Webster (3-2). Ackley tied it with his triple. He scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly.
Middlebrooks’ two-run double had given Boston a 5-3 lead in the third and chased starter Hisashi Iwakuma, who gave up five runs on six hits over 2 1-3 innings, his shortest start of the season.
Iwakuma entered with a 17 2-3 innings scoreless streak, but that ended four batters into the first.
Webster was tagged for six runs on eight hits in 4 1-3 innings.
“Overall I thought I had good command of my pitches,” he said. “I just left them over the middle of the plate.”
Both teams scored three runs in a first inning that lasted 42 minutes.
NOT EASY
Rodney threw 34 pitches in the ninth, walking two, but struck out three, including Kelly Johnson with the bases loaded to end it. “I didn’t really have a message for him, I was just giving him a breather,” said McClendon, who made a trip to the mound.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: 2B Robinson Cano left the game in the bottom of the third with what team called “dizziness,” and he was to be evaluated by a doctor. He walked off the field slowly with McClendon. “Robbie had a little viral thing that Morrison had and hopefully he’ll be OK (Monday),” McClendon said after the game.
Red Sox: It was a tough two days for Boston DH David Ortiz. He was back in the lineup after leaving Saturday’s game early after getting hit by a pitch on the left elbow. “I feel fine,” he said when he came into the clubhouse Sunday morning. He then fouled a ball off his right foot Sunday in his third plate appearance, was down for a bit before striking out swinging. He walked back to the dugout slowly, limping, and had to leave after his single off the base of the right-field wall in the sixth. The club said he had a bruised foot. … Farrell said Xander Bogaerts was placed on the seven-day concussion list.
UP NEXT
Mariners: LHP Roenis Elias (9-10, 4.09 ERA) faces RHP Miles Mikolas (1-5, 7.48) of Texas as the Mariners open a six-game homestand on Monday night. After three games against the Rangers, Seattle faces Washington for three.
Red Sox: RHP Clay Buchholz (5-8, 5.94) is slated to go for Boston when it faces Toronto LHP J.A. Happ (8-8, 4.39). The Red Sox begin a 10-game road trip Monday against the Blue Jays before heading to face Tampa Bay for four and the Yankees for three.
ROSTER MOVES
Boston sent RHP Brandon Workman to Triple-A Pawtucket before the game and recalled RHP Heath Hembree. Workman (1-8) lost his seventh straight start Saturday. … With Bogaerts going the DL, Boston called up INF Carlos Rivero from Triple-A Pawtucket.
