Roman Anthony, red-hot Red Sox aim to shut down Mariners

It is a bit premature to call Roman Anthony the current face of the franchise.

But the prized Boston Red Sox prospect is in the running.

A day after three-time All-Star Rafael Devers was traded to San Francisco, Anthony launched his first major-league home run as the Red Sox defeated the host Seattle Mariners 2-0 Monday.

The three-game series continues Tuesday in Seattle.

The first-inning blast off Mariners ace Logan Gilbert snapped a 0-for-12 slump for Anthony, who was 1-for-17 in his first six MLB games.

At 21 years and 34 days old, Anthony became the youngest Red Sox player to belt a home run since Devers, who was 20 years and 275 days old when he went deep in July 2017 at Seattle.

“It is who we are. We’re going to use the kids,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of having rookies Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell in the lineup. “They’re going to play, we’re going to have different lineups and we loved (Anthony’s) at-bat. … He did a good job.”

The Red Sox, who have won six consecutive games, still were processing the trade of the disgruntled Devers, who was pulled off the team’s flight to Seattle on Sunday after a lengthy wait on the tarmac.

“Probably just as shocked as everyone else. That’s the best way to describe it. Didn’t really see it coming,” shortstop Trevor Story said before the Monday game. “The timing of it comes at a weird time. We thought we were playing really good. It’s a brutal reminder that this game is a business. It showed its face.”

Still, behind Lucas Giolito’s six scoreless innings, the Red Sox went out and posted their second successive 2-0 victory after defeating the visiting New York Yankees on Sunday afternoon. He struck out 10.

“Obviously, the guy means so much to that group, means so much to the organization, to the city of Boston,” Cora said of Devers. “I’m not going to hide it. But at the same time, we have to show up.”

The Mariners had a three-game winning streak snapped. They went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position, leaving three runners on base in the third and two in both the seventh and eighth innings.

Seattle’s Logan Gilbert made his first start since April 25 (right elbow flexor strain) and went five innings. He gave up two runs on three hits and matched his season-high with 10 strikeouts.

“It just felt like a long time since I was out there. … Six weeks felt like a year for me,” Gilbert said. “So I was definitely ready to let everything go.”

On Tuesday, Boston’s Walker Buehler (5-4, 5.01 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound against fellow right-hander Bryan Woo (5-4, 3.39) of Seattle.

Buehler is coming off a 4-3 victory against visiting Tampa Bay in which he allowed three runs on six hits over seven innings with seven strikeouts. He is 1-0 with a 4.24 ERA in three career starts against Seattle.

Woo, who has pitched at least six innings in all 13 of his starts this season, has lost his past two outings. He won his only previous start against Boston.

–Field Level Media