Ailing Mariners turn attention to opener vs. reeling Red Sox

Outfielder Luke Raley was over the lower back tightness that forced him to miss the first two games of the Seattle Mariners' series with the Baltimore Orioles.

But he sat out the series finale on Thursday in Seattle with the flu.

It's been that kind of week for the Mariners, who despite all of their ailments remain atop the American League West entering Friday night's opener of a three-game series against the visiting Boston Red Sox.

The players who normally occupy the top six spots in the Mariners' batting order -- J.P. Crawford, Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, Josh Naylor, Randy Arozarena and Raley -- all missed games this week because of injuries.

Crawford (left hand contusion) and Raleigh (strained right oblique) were activated from the injured list Tuesday, the same day Arozarena (left hamstring strain) was placed on the IL. Naylor (right wrist discomfort) missed two games before returning Thursday, and Rodriguez (hamstring spasm) sat out the finale against the Orioles after leaving Wednesday's game after six innings with a left hamstring spasm.

"We were banged up, no question," Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. "We've had some injuries over the last week, but it doesn't do any good to focus on that. We focused on winning the series."

The Mariners did that with a 3-0 victory Thursday, scoring all of their runs in the first inning to back Bryan Woo, who allowed three hits over seven-plus innings with nine strikeouts.

"That's the team stepping up in a situation where we needed it to," Wilson said. "That's what the fight in there is all about."

Wilson said he considers Rodriguez, who ran in the outfield and performed agility drills before Thursday's game, as day-to-day.

"Julio's just getting a chance to get a day (off) to make sure we're all set with his legs," Wilson said. "I think that's a smart thing to do."

The Red Sox, in last place in the AL East, have lost four games in a row and eight of their past 10. They were swept in a three-game series at home by Toronto, including a 4-3 defeat Thursday afternoon as the Blue Jays scored the go-ahead run off closer Aroldis Chapman in the ninth inning.

That came after Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Caleb Durbin hit back-to-back homers leading off the bottom of the eighth to give the Red Sox the lead.

"They're all kicks (to the gut)," Kiner-Falefa said. "Swept at home, in division, it doesn't get worse than that, right? So hopefully, we just go to the West Coast and play well. We've got to go on a streak, and we've got to go on a streak now. It's time to go on a streak, or we're going to be having new players in this locker room. So just got to figure it out ASAP."

The Red Sox will start left-hander Ranger Suarez (2-3, 3.21 ERA) in Friday's series opener against Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller (3-0, 1.54)

Suarez is 0-1 in his past seven starts since his last win on April 27. He didn't get a decision Saturday in a 6-3 victory against visiting Texas despite allowing just two runs on six hits over five innings, with seven strikeouts.

Suarez is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in two career starts against Seattle.

Miller has won his past two starts and three of his past four. He pitched eight innings in a 10-2 victory last Friday at Washington, giving up two runs on four hits with seven strikeouts.

Miller is 0-3 with an 8.22 ERA in three previous starts vs. the Red Sox.

--Field Level Media