SEATTLE_Boston starter David Price departed to a standing ovation, one of the few times on Tuesday night that the sparse weeknight crowd at Safeco Field rose as one.
The invading Red Sox hoard was tipping its collective hat to a mostly dominant seven innings of work. Seattle Mariners fans were applauding their team's first sustained rally of the night, a late surge that threatened to turn the game on its head.
Catcher Mike Zunino had led off the bottom half of the eighth inning with a solo home run to left. Guillermo Heredia followed with his first major-league hit to cut the Red Sox lead to 4-2. When Price trudged toward the visiting dugout, there were two runners on and nobody out, the heart of the order due up.
Two batters later, half of the crowd collapsed dejectedly into seats, while the other chunk roared louder than it had all night.
Robinson Cano's three-run home run off relief pitcher Fernando Abad capped a furious comeback as the Mariners scored five runs in the eighth to stun the Red Sox 5-4 on Tuesday night at Safeco Field.
With the win, Seattle (53-52) moved five games behind the Red Sox for the American League's second wild-card berth.
Edwin Diaz, in his first appearance since taking over the closer role from Steve Cishek, came out of the bullpen in the top of the ninth to earn his first save. He struck out Jackie Bradley Jr. with a 98 mph fastball. He got Sandy Leon swinging, too, and beat pinch-hitter Andrew Benintendi with a 99 mph heater to end it.
Boston had opened the scoring in the first frame of the game, David Ortiz driving home Dustin Pedroia with a two-out double down the left-field line.
The Red Sox got to Seattle starter Wade LeBlanc again in the fourth, Hanley Ramirez crushing a home run well beyond the left-field wall and Aaron Hill scoring Bradley with a two-out single.
But for those handful of mistakes, LeBlanc mostly cruised. The lefty (1-0, 4.31 ERA) lasted six innings, scattering five hits, striking out five and walking just a single batter.
His outing was business-like and efficient _ and completely overshadowed by the dominance of his opposite number.
The Mariners hardly even threatened against Price for the first seven innings.
The 30-year-old ace is the all the more dispiriting because at his best, he makes it look so easy. His windup is almost languid, a lazy leg kick and a slowly unfolding delivery.
Kyle Seager sent a momentary jolt through the crowd with a two-out double in the bottom of the second, but Zunino promptly went down swinging to end the threat. Cano reached base with a one-out single in the fourth, but Nelson Cruz struck out and Dae-Ho Lee grounded into a fielder's choice.
Luis Sardinas fired a sharp line drive back through the box, off Price's right knee and directly at third baseman Hill for the unconventional 1-5-3 putout. It had been that kind of night.
Price hardly even looked fazed, shrugging off the concerns of anxious trainers. His brow didn't furrow in earnest until two frames later.
Zunino pulled a solo home run over the left-field fence, and Leonys Martin and Luis Sardinas followed with consecutive singles. Heredia's first hit was lined over leaping first baseman Hanley Ramirez and chased Price.
Relief pitcher Matt Barnes struck out Seth Smith but was swiftly replaced by Abad _ against whom Cano entered the evening 1 for 11 against all-time.
Cano took a big swing and left the batter's box at a slow trot, admiring the long drive that again divided the crowd.
