Cal Raleigh smashed a two-out, three-run homer in the sixth inning as the Seattle Mariners closed out a disappointing nine-game road swing with a 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday afternoon in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Raleigh’s 14th of the season, walloped 422 feet off reliever Shawn Armstrong (2-2), put Seattle out front for good, 3-1.
The Mariners’ George Kirby (7-5) turned in an outstanding 87-pitch start. The right-hander lasted six innings and yielded one run on a fluky infield single. He fanned seven without a walk.
J.P. Crawford was 2-for-3 with a double, walk, two RBIs and a stolen base as Seattle broke a three-game losing streak and concluded its road trip with a 3-6 record.
Jose Caballero was 3-for-3 with a double and a run for the Rays. Yandy Diaz went 2-for-4 with an RBI, stretching his on-base streak to a career-high 28 games.
Starter Ryan Pepiot was sharp over 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run on one hit while striking out eight and walking two.
In the home first, Diaz was jammed by Kirby’s fastball but blooped a fly to right for his 19th straight game with a hit, tying the 2009 franchise record set by former shortstop Jason Bartlett.
However, Kirby worked a deep flyout by Josh Lowe and a groundout by Randy Arozarena before whiffing Isaac Paredes on a 97-mph fastball to strand Diaz.
In the third after Caballero led off with a double to left, Diaz was at it again and matched another team record. On a short chopper, Diaz won a foot race with Kirby to the bag for another single. Caballero never hesitated and scored easily.
Diaz was credited with an RBI, giving him eight consecutive games driving in a run, tying the team record with four other Rays.
After Raleigh’s homer, Crawford knocked in two insurance runs in the seventh with a single to left.
In the ninth, Seattle closer Andres Munoz walked the first two batters and hit the third, forcing reliever Trent Thornton into the game on quick notice. The right-hander got a fielder’s choice and a game-ending double-play ball in the two batters he faced for his first career save.
–Field Level Media
