BOSTON — Wilyer Abreu appeared to have lost his third-inning battle against Mariners starter Logan Gilbert when the All-Star righty clipped the bottom of the zone with a 1-2 fastball that looked like it would end the inning. Home plate umpire Andy Fletcher didn’t see it that way, and seven pitches later, Abreu delivered a result that would cap off one of the Red Sox’ most memorable at-bats and catalyze one of the club’s most impressive offensive innings of the season.
The next pitch Gilbert threw got away from catcher Cal Raleigh, then on the 12th pitch of the at-bat, Abreu laced a 100.9 mph single into right field to plate Jarren Duran and give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead. Gilbert folded from there, allowing extra-base hits to Masataka Yoshida (homer), Rafael Devers (double), Tyler O’Neill (double) and Dom Smith (double), all with two outs before being chased from the game. In all, he was tagged with seven earned runs in a seven-run Red Sox third; Boston won, 14-7.
