BOSTON — In a showdown of All-Star sluggers, Nelson Cruz had more RBI, but J.D. Martinez had more help.
Martinez homered and drove in five, and the Boston Red Sox rallied from a five-run deficit to beat the Seattle Mariners 14-10 Friday despite a monster night from Cruz.
Cruz had a pair of three-run homers and drove in seven, but the Mariners still lost their season-worst fifth straight game, including three earlier this week at Yankee Stadium. Seattle led 4-0 and 10-5 before wild Red Sox rallies fueled by RBI from eight different players.
“That’s some fight. We’ve got a great group in here and that was a good one for us,” said Mitch Moreland, who had three hits including a triple as the Red Sox set a season-high with 20 hits.
Martinez went 4-for-5, including a two-run homer in the sixth and two doubles as he and his teammates avenged a 1-0 loss at Seattle against Wade LeBlanc six days earlier. LeBlanc started again Friday but did not fare so well in Boston.
“He pitched a great game against us last time. We all had a little chip on our shoulder coming into today,” said Martinez, who has 23 homers.
Reliever Matt Barnes (1-2) got the win with one scoreless inning, and Craig Kimbrel pitched the ninth.
Juan Nicasio (1-4) took the loss, allowing five runs on four hits in one-third of a lousy seventh inning.
“We were in control after a crazy first inning. We banged it around and they banged it around some, but our guys kept tacking on there. Just couldn’t hold them off at the end,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said.
The only flaw to the second half of the game for Boston: shortstop Xander Bogaerts left in the seventh with a sprained index finger on his left hand.
After Cruz put Seattle up 3-0 in the first with his 19th home run, Ryon Healy added a solo shot during Seattle’s four-run first inning as the Mariners got to knuckleballer Steven Wright. Seattle added two more off Wright in the second after Boston’s five-run bottom of the first.
Despite allowing 10 runs on 10 hits, Wright got a no-decision.
“I might go buy a lottery ticket now because that never happens,” Wright said.
Seattle scored four in the fourth, including Cruz’s second shot of the game, but Boston’s relievers shut down Seattle the rest of the way while the Mariners’ bullpen imploded.
“Tough one,” Cruz said. “It’s a shame because the pitchers have been doing a really good job. They’ve been throwing the ball with consistencey, but it happens.”
Rafael Devers singled in a run in the fifth, and then Martinez homered off Nick Vincent to center in the sixth to pull Boston within 10-8. Mitch Moreland followed with a triple just beyond the reach of diving right fielder Mitch Haniger, and Bogaerts drove in Moreland with an infield single
Barnes struck out the side in the seventh, and then Boston got to Nicasio. Devers singled to lead off, Blake Swihart singled with one out and Nicasio walked Mookie Betts to load the bases. Andrew Benintendi blooped a single into shallow center to bring in Devers and tie it at 10.
Swihart was nearly picked off third as Benintendi scored, but he slid under the tag after a strong throw by center fielder Guillermo Heredia. Seattle did not challenge the close play, and Martinez followed with a two-run single.
Nick Rumbelow later allowed Benintendi to score on a wild pitch, and Eduardo Nunez added a pinch-hit RBI single.
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