SEATTLE — On a night when Rafael Devers was scratched from the lineup with a sore left shoulder, the Red Sox needed Trevor Story to lift them up against the Seattle Mariners on Friday night.
Not because he’s their second highest-paid player behind Devers, although that matters. But more because he’s one of the leaders in a clubhouse that lacks experience.
Story had two opportunities to change the game but left four men on base in a bitter 1-0 loss at T-Mobile Park.
The Sox advanced only two runners as far as third base on a night Nick Pivetta and Josh Winckowski allowed four hits and struck out 14 with one walk.
Story came up both times, which was just what the Sox wanted.
With Jarren Duran on third base and Masataka Yoshida on first in the first inning, Story struck out swinging at a high fastball from George Kirby for the second out.
Kirby then retired Triston Casas on a fly ball to center field.
In the eighth inning, Reese McGuire drew a walk off Ryan Stanek and went to third on a two-out single by Yoshida. Mariners manager Scott Servais immediately went to closer Andrés Muñoz to face Story.
Story worked the count to 3-1 then swung and missed at a slider. Muñoz came back with the same pitch on the outside corner, too close to take.
“Tried to do all I could to fight it,” said Story, who grounded the ball to third base. Luis Urias, a former Red Sox player, bounced his throw to first base but Ty France dug it out to end the inning.
Muñoz then struck out the side in the ninth. Sox manager Alex Cora called the righthander one of the best pitchers in the league and he certainly looked like it on Friday.
Story accepted the blame.
“You always try to look at each inning as a separate event and try to separate yourself from that,” Story said. “But opportunities against [Seattle], you need to take advantage of them. I didn’t do that today.”
Story had a terrific spring training but is 1 for 8 through two games, striking out twice.
“He didn’t cash in,” Cora said. “It’s one of those, we moved the line enough but we missed it.”
With Devers out of the lineup, the Sox needed others to step up. But their first five hitters — Duran, Tyer O’Neill, Yoshida, Story, and Casas — were 2 for 18.
That was largely because of Kirby, who pitched into the seventh inning before turning the game over to the bullpen. He was outstanding, allowing two hits and striking out eight.
“They were making really good pitches I felt all night,” Story said.
It was a brutal loss for Pivetta, who allowed one run on three hits over six innings and struck out 10 without a walk. The only real mistake he made was leaving a cutter up and over the plate in the sixth inning that J.P. Crawford was able to keep inside the right field foul pole for a home run.
It was very similar to the start Pivetta had against Kirby last July 31 here. He allowed three runs and struck out 10 over 7 1/3 innings but was beaten by two home runs from Cal Raleigh.
Story has a lot to prove to Red Sox fans after two seasons marked by injuries. He wants as many pressure opportunities as he can get.
“Those are the spots I want to be in,” Story said. “That’s why we play. That’s the fun part.”
But there was no fun on Friday. Just frustration.
Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at peteabeglobe.bsky.social.