* – The Red Sox scored 10 runs on Wednesday on the final game of a homestand and then were shut out by the Mariners to kick off their road trip. It’s the second straight time they’ve been shut out on the first road game immediately following a 10+ run outburst at home. The other came on Sept. 10, 2010, at Oakland, when the Red Sox managed only three hits.

Note this: Boston is now 6-13 in the first game of a road trip since the start of last season. The good news is that the Red Sox are 10-4 in the game following being shut out since the start of 2011, averaging 6.2 runs and hitting 20 homers in those 14 games.

* – Seattle’s Felix Hernandez struck out 13 Red Sox on Thursday night, marking the second time this season that an opposing starter has fanned 13+, joining the Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg, who whiffed 13 on June 8. It’s the first time that two starters have struck out 13 or more against the Red Sox in the same month since August 1974, when the Angels’ Nolan Ryan fanned a ridiculous 19 on the 12th and the Twins’ Bert Blyleven rung up 14 on the 30th.

Note this: Prior to this month, no opposing starter had struck out 13 or more against the Red Sox since 2006, when Johan Santana, then of the Twins, did the trick.

* – The Red Sox were held without an extra-base hit Thursday for the fourth time this season. Only one team has at least one extra-base hit in every game this season: The Washington Nationals, who are currently at 78 games and counting. It’s their longest such streak since moving back to Washington.

* – Boston lost despite allowing just six total bases (five singles and a double). It was their second loss this month despite six or fewer total bases allowed (2-1 vs. Baltimore on June 6) dropping their record to 4-3 in such games this season. Prior to this season, they had won 94 of their previous 100 such games, dating back to 2007.

* – Franklin Morales’ outstanding start: 7 innings pitched, 3 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts, and no runs allowed, added up to a (Bill James) game score of 79. Prior to last night, the Red Sox had won 37 of their last 38 games in which their starter had posted a game score of 79 or better, dating back to 2008. The only other loss was Jon Lester’s 1-0 loss in Cleveland during the Red Sox’  April swoon last season.

Have a great weekend! It’s supposed to be 100+ here in North Carolina today and for the three after that.