The Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners opened a four-game series in Seattle on Thursday night with a 2-1 win against the Mariners. The Red Sox grinded and scratched across a run in ninth to capture the win.

Roenis Elias was on the hill tonight for the Mariners and he turned in a great performance against Boston. Elias lasted 6.1 innings giving up one run on eight hits while striking out two and walking two. He was chased in the seventh after Xander Bogaerts led off with a single and Blake Swihart bunted him over to second. The bullpen held their own when they were called upon in the seventh and eighth.

The Red Sox struck first on a solo shot in the fourth inning by Shane Victorino. That was the only mistake by Elias as he was otherwise stellar on the hill for Seattle.

Joe Kelly toed the slab for the Red Sox in Seattle and also turned in a good performance. Kelly threw 6.1 innings giving up just one run on five hits. He struck out two and walked two. Both starters held their own on this night and kept their respective teams in the ballgame until the ninth.

In the sixth inning, the Mariners finally broke through after a walk by Nelson Cruz, a single by Kyle Seager, and then a wild pitch by Joe Kelly put the Mariners in a good run scoring spot with runners on second and third with just one out. Logan Morrison got the job done and hit a ground ball to the right side that scored the run and tied up the ballgame at one.

In the ninth inning, Fernando Rodney came on in a non-save situation and it was the usual “Fernando Rodney Experience.” Brock Holt led off the inning with a double and was bunted over to third. Pablo Sandoval, a pinch hitter, was hit by a pitch which brought up Mookie Betts who hit a routine fly ball to left field that was dropped by Weeks, the new left fielder, and made it 2-1. The fly ball was deep enough to score Holt anyway on a sac fly, but it extended the inning and Rodney's pitch count was more than it should have.

With two outs Hanley Ramirez came to the plate with the bases loaded, but Rodney got out of the jam and got him to pop up. Seattle came to the plate in the bottom half of the inning versus Boston closer Koji Uehara and went down in order as the Red Sox grabbed the first game of the series.

Also of note in tonight’s game, Brad Miller started his first professional game in left field for Seattle. He was eventually pinch-hit for in the eighth inning in favor of Rickie Weeks. It was quite the questionable decision by manager Lloyd McClendon.

This was a tough loss for the Mariners in game one of this four-game series at Safeco in Seattle. J.A. Happ for Seattle will face off against Clay Buchholz for Boston in game two of four on Friday night.

WP: Barnes (2-0)

LP: Rodney (1-2)

SV: Uehara (8)