Mitch Moreland began warming up with swings in the Boston clubhouse

SEATTLE (AP) —around the fifth inning. Manager Alex Cora nearly used Moreland as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning but thought it would be better to wait.Good choice.“When you get to that situation or think you might be in it http://www.chicagocubsteamshop.com/authentic-david-ross-jersey , you try to prepare the best you can and be ready for it when it comes,” Moreland said.Moreland connected for a three-run homer in the ninth inning and the World Series champion Red Sox rallied for their first win of the season, beating the Seattle Mariners 7-6 on Friday night.A day after losing its opener 12-4, Boston bounced back by rallying from a 6-1 deficit, capping the comeback with Moreland’s shot. It was the fourth pinch hit homer of Moreland’s career, and he’s the 12th player in Red Sox history with a pinch hit go-ahead home run in the ninth inning or later.“We wanted Mitch to hit with men on and he put a good swing on (it),” Cora said.It was 6-4 when Rafael Devers opened the ninth with a double off closer Hunter Strickland (0-1), moved to third on a passed ball, and pinch hitter Blake Swihart was hit by a pitch.Strickland got a huge out when Devers was nailed at the plate on Jackie Bradley Jr.’s groundball, but Moreland didn’t miss a 2-0 fastball in the middle of the plate and lined into over the right field wall. Strickland was checked by a trainer earlier in the ninth but remained in the game.Strickland said he had tightness in the back of his shoulder and was going to be looked at by team doctors.“I was all over the place, everybody saw it. It wasn’t good at all http://www.chicagocubsteamshop.com/authentic-david-ross-jersey ,” Strickland said. “I just wasn’t comfortable, but that’s no excuse.”Matt Barnes pitched the bottom of the ninth to close out the victory for his first save since 2017. The Red Sox have a different look in the bullpen this year after closer Craig Kimbrel became a free agent — he hasn’t yet signed with a new team.Cora remained coy about whether Barnes is the full-time closer.“We were watching the game and the game dictated for Barnes to be in the ninth,” he said.Boston’s comeback ruined another fine effort by rookie Yusei Kikuchi, who pitched six solid innings and left in line for the victory. After pitching well last week in Japan, Kikuchi showed his new hometown fans the mix that made him a prized signing by Seattle in the offseason.Kikuchi allowed two earned runs and four hits, including homers by Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez, and struck out five.It was all for naught as Seattle’s biggest concern entering the season — its bullpen — failed to come through. The Mariners traded Edwin Diaz, who led the majors with 57 saves last year, to the New York Mets in a big deal during the winter.WACKY EIGHTHChristian Vazquez’s home run in the eighth pulled Boston within 6-4 and the Red Sox missed a chance at more runs in the inning when Eduardo Nunez bounced into a 1-2-3 double play against Cody Gearrin to end the threat. Nunez stopped running to avoid being tagged by Gearrin, but the pause allowed Seattle to complete the inning-ending double play.“There is nothing you can do there. You can run into it but it’s such a weird play I think everybody in this room would have stopped, too http://www.chicagocubsteamshop.com/authentic-david-ross-jersey ,” Cora saidSLUGGING SEATTLESeattle continued its slugging start to the season with three home runs off Boston starter Nathan Eovaldi, who lasted five innings and allowed six runs.Mallex Smith hit his first career leadoff home run, Domingo Santana’s torrid start continued with his third homer and Omar Narvaez’s first hit of the season was a solo shot just fair down the right field line for Seattle. The Mariners have 12 home runs in four games, including eight in the first two against Boston.TRADING PLACESThe Mariners added depth at catcher by acquiring Tom Murphy from San Francisco for minor league pitcher Jesus Ozoria. Seattle optioned David Freitas, who started on opening day, to Triple-A Tacoma to clear the roster spot.UP NEXTRed Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (13-5, 3.82 in 2018) gets the start after setting a career-high in wins and a career-low ERA last season.Mariners: RHP Mike Leake (10-10, 4.36 in 2018) makes his first outing since pitching one of Seattle’s two exhibition games when the team was in Japan. It will be Leake’s seventh career start vs. Boston. PHOENIX (AP) — Bryan Mitchell’s strong return to San Diego’s rotation and a big boost from Franmil Reyes‘ bat put Arizona in a deeper hole in the NL West.Reyes homered twice and had four RBIs, Mitchell pitched five effective innings in his return from the DL and the Padres knocked off the playoff-contending Diamondbacks 6-2 Monday night.“I just tried to take one pitch at a time and not really let things speed up,” said Mitchell, who earned his first win since April 12 Anthony Rizzo Jersey , 2017. “It had been a while so that first inning was kind of different, but we were able to get out with one run, limit the damage there. I definitely settled in after that.”Mitchell (1-3) was sharp in his first start off the DL due to a right elbow impingement, holding the Diamondbacks to a run on two hits — all in the first inning.Reyes hit a three-run homer off Zack Godley (14-8) in the second inning and a solo shot off the right-hander in the fourth. Austin Hedges added a two-run single in the eighth inning for the Padres, who have won five of seven.Reyes had his first career multihomer game and has homered in five of the past nine games to extend his hitting streak to nine games.“He looks really confident in the batter’s box,” Padres manager Andy Reid said. “I can’t really think of anybody in big league baseball who has as much pop or more pop than him.”Steven Souza Jr. had a run-scoring single in the first inning and Paul Goldschmidt an RBI double in the eighth for Arizona. The Diamondbacks were limited to five hits in their fourth loss in five games, dropping two games behind Colorado in the NL West.“This is a group of guys that have done it before. They have done it this year at times,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “It obviously hasn’t been as consistent as we have seen it. The same theme I have been talking about. Grind it out, keep getting after it, stay with the process. If it is not there for you, hand it off to the next guy.”The Diamondbacks returned to the desert after a difficult trip to Southern California. Arizona entered a four-game series with the Dodgers atop the division and left a game back after Los Angeles won three of four. All three loses came when the Dodgers rallied late http://www.chicagocubsteamshop.com/authentic-david-ross-jersey , including Matt Kemp’s two walk-off hits off Archie Bradley.The Diamondbacks found themselves needing to rally after Godley walked the first two batters of the second inning and Reyes followed with a three-run homer to the pool deck in right-center to put San Diego up 3-1.Godley gave up two hits for the second straight start, but both were home runs. He allowed four runs and struck out six in five innings.“I felt like I made really, really good pitches,” Godley said. “I made two bad pitches on the night. Both of them I paid for.”LOPEZ RECALLEDThe Diamondbacks recalled RHP Yoan Lopez from Double-A Jackson and transferred 3B Jake Lamb to the 60-day disabled list. Arizona signed Lopez to an $8.27 million bonus coming out of Cuba in 2015, but he spent four seasons in the minors and at one time considered leaving baseball. The 25-year-old was 2-5 with 12 saves and led Southern League relievers in opponent average at .174. Lamb had season-ending left shoulder surgery last month.PADRES MOVESSan Diego reinstated RHP Luis Perdomo (right shoulder) from the 10-day disabled list and RHP Kirby Yates from the bereavement list. Both will work in the Padres’ bullpen.TRAINER’S ROOMDiamondbacks: Catcher Alex Avila had a foul ball bounce off the dirt and hit him in the throat in the third inning, but stayed in the game before being replaced by a pinch hitter in the seventh.UP NEXTDiamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray has allowed three runs or less his past five starts heading into Tuesday’s game against the Padres. San Diego LHP Joey Lucchesi is winless in four career starts against the Diamondbacks with a 7.71 ERA.