Cal Raleigh hit his major-league-leading 43rd homer of the season as the Seattle Mariners rallied to defeat the visiting Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 on Friday in the opener of a three-game series.
Raleigh’s three-run shot to right-center field with two outs in the eighth inning off Rays reliever Griffin Jax (1-6) — after one-out singles by J.P. Crawford and Cole Young — gave the Mariners their fifth consecutive victory.
Seattle reliever Carlos Vargas (4-5) threw one perfect inning, and Matt Brash struck out the side in order in the ninth for his second save.
Brandon Lowe and Junior Caminero homered and Drew Rasmussen pitched six scoreless innings for the Rays, who had a two-game winning streak snapped.
Rasmussen, an All-Star right-hander who was born in nearby Puyallup, Wash., allowed just four hits, didn’t walk a batter and struck out four.
Mariners starter Luis Castillo gave up two runs on five hits over seven innings. The righty didn’t walk a batter and fanned five.
The Rays took the lead on Lowe’s second-chance homer with one out in the first inning.
Lowe hit a high fly ball down the right field line that Dominic Canzone appeared to make a circus catch on in foul territory. The ball bounced off the heel of Canzone’s glove just before he crashed into the side wall and he reached out to grab the ball with his bare hand and pin it against his chest. It was originally ruled a catch, but Rays manager Kevin Cash asked for a review, and the video showed the ball glanced off the wall before Canzone could barehand it.
Lowe hit the next pitch over the right field wall.
Caminero went deep to left with one out in the sixth on a high fly ball to left that just stayed fair, making it 2-0.
Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor, who left Seattle’s Thursday game against the Chicago White Sox after three innings with shoulder discomfort, didn’t play on Friday. However, manager Dan Wilson indicated Naylor was available off the bench.
–Field Level Media
