The first half of the Seattle Mariners’ six-game road trip to Florida has not played out like a typical summer vacation in the Sunshine State.
After being swept in their three games against the red-hot Miami Marlins, the Mariners will visit St. Petersburg, Fla., to play the Tampa Bay Rays for the first time this season on Friday night.
Randy Arozarena went deep and Dominic Canzone took the team lead with his 15th homer of the season in Thursday’s 8-4 loss to the Marlins.
The Marlins roughed up Seattle starter Bryce Miller for six runs (four earned) on nine hits over five innings.
“It’s going to come,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said of his offense after his squad slipped to .500 through 94 games. “We get to Tampa Bay tomorrow. We have to make our adjustments offensively, and we will, and get headed in the right direction in Tampa.
“It’s been a little bit of a tougher time for us right now. … I know it’s coming. It’s going to start hopefully in Tampa.”
Changeup specialist Luis Castillo (3-7, 4.79 ERA) will start the series opener and hope to repeat his efforts from June, which was his best full month this season.
The right-hander went 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in three starts and one bulk relief appearance.
In seven starts against the Rays, the three-time All-Star is 2-2 with a 3.95 ERA.
Meanwhile, the American League East-leading Rays were carried by their pitching in the two middle contests of their four-game set with the New York Yankees.
That pitching unraveled with one of their top hurlers on the mound Thursday afternoon. The Yankees produced a six-run inning against Drew Rasmussen, and Ben Rice went deep twice to pound their way to a 12-4 victory.
It was a chance to create separation in the division and turn a five-game lead into six, but manager Kevin Cash gave credit to New York as it trimmed the deficit to the same as it was upon arrival — four games.
“Certainly when you’re playing four games against a team that you’re neck-and-neck in the division with, you want to see if you can pick up a game,” said Cash. “But if you’re not going to pick up one, you don’t want to lose any.”
Junior Caminero’s 27th homer, a 438-foot rocket, and Chandler Simpson’s two triples were the offensive highlights.
The speedy Simpson crafted the 18th occurrence of a Rays player hitting two three-baggers, and was the first to do it since Jonny DeLuca slashed a pair of triples on July 31st, 2024.
Simpson also has shaken off a slump that saw him hit .211 overall in June. He has batted .356 over his past 16 games.
“He’s impacted the ball really well,” Cash said of Simpson.
With a few extra days of rest, Nick Martinez (7-2, 2.61) will make his 18th start, coming off his second straight start which lasted over five innings and saw him allow one run. He’s won his last two decisions.
In six starts and three relief appearances against Seattle, the right-hander is 0-4 with a 4.58 ERA.
–Field Level Media
