BOSTON - One day after the Red Sox smacked around the Mariners 15-1, they came back for much more with King Felix on the mound.
The Sox actually surpassed their Friday slugfest en route to a 22-10 shellacking Saturday afternoon.
Something has gotten into the Red Sox over the last few days. Maybe it was being embarrassed by the Marlins in Miami. Maybe it was the news that John Farrell has Stage 1 lymphoma and will begin his battle against it. Whatever the case may be, the Red Sox are playing with an edge.
They're certainly not playing like a team with next to no shot at the postseason - and even that sounds like a generous way of putting things.
But Felix Hernandez ran into a Red Sox team at the wrong time, and had the worst start of his career because of it. Hernandez lasted just 2 1/3 innings, but that was enough time for him to allow 10 runs on 12 hits and a walk. The 10 earned runs were the most he's allowed over his career.
Of course, the Sox were going to hit whoever stepped on the mound on this day, as they racked up a season-high 26 hits. That's especially the case for Jackie Bradley Jr., who finished 5-for-6 with two home runs, three doubles, five runs, and seven RBI.
Unlike Friday night when the Sox were in a 1-0 hole to begin things, they struck first this time around. Though they didn't score in the first, they did get to Hernandez for three hits. The second inning is where the real damage began.
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Pablo Sandoval homered to start the inning, and two batters later Bradley Jr. homered to make it 3-0. Both hits were to dead center field, and it was clear at that point that Hernandez didn't have his best stuff. It was even more clear once Mookie Betts singled, Brock Holt singled, Xander Bogaerts singled, and David Ortiz hit a sacrifice fly.
The dust settled and the Sox had themselves a 5-0 lead, more than enough for Wade Miley to work with.
Miley allowed a couple runs in the 3rd inning, but that's as close as the Mariners would get. In fact, only one batter advanced to second base the rest of the way on Miley, who pitched seven innings of two-run, four-hit ball. He walked three and struck out eight and left the game with a 15-2 lead that not even the Sox bullpen could blow (though they gave it a shot anyways).
The Sox stretched things to 10-2 in the third inning, and in doing so chased Hernandez from the game. Alejandro De Aza hit a two-run home run which was eventually followed by a Holt two-run double and Ortiz sacrifice fly.
The Sox would add to their lead in the fourth inning with a Blake Swihart RBI double before tacking on another four runs in each of the sixth and seventh.
Yes, it was that ugly - again - for the Mariners pitching staff. And that's coming from a Red Sox reporter.
Blake Swihart was also 4-for-5 with four runs and three RBI while Xander Bogaerts followed up a hitless Friday night with a four-hit, two-RBI performance.
The Sox bullpen, true to form, allowed eight runs. Tommy Layne came on in the eighth and allowed two runs before he was "relieved" by Ryan Cook with one man on. Cook proceeded to allow a two-run home run to Austin Jackson. Cook then allowed a home run to Mike Zunino in the ninth and, after loading the bases, was pulled in favor of Robbie Ross Jr. The Mariners then added three more runs.
Luckily for the Sox, they did more than enough damage throughout to make up for an inept bullpen, and will go for the sweep on Sunday.