There seems to be no obstacle too great to overcome for the Tampa Bay Rays.
With scheduled starter Griffin Jax a late scratch due to right elbow discomfort, seven Rays pitchers combined on an eight-hitter Saturday night in a 3-2 victory against the host Seattle Mariners.
The Rays, winners of five games in a row and 14 of their past 18, will try to sweep the three-game series on Sunday afternoon in Seattle.
Casey Legumina, acquired from Seattle in late April, started for the Rays on Saturday and was followed by Cam Booser, Tyler Wells, Steven Matz, Garrett Cleavinger, Kevin Kelly and Bryan Baker.
Matz got the victory with two perfect innings, Cleavinger and Kelly were credited with holds, and Baker earned his MLB-leading 34th save of the season.
Seattle’s Josh Naylor hit a double and two solo home runs — in the second and seventh innings.
“Outstanding effort by all of them,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “From Casey, I know Booser gave up the home run (in the second), but after that settled down, made some big pitches, left some guys stranded on base and then (Wells) and Matz probably highlighted by their two innings of work each.”
As for Jax?
“He went and got checked out. It’s non-ligament-related, so we’ll see,” Cash said. “I mean it’s late in the day. We’ll get some information and know more (Sunday).”
Victor Mesa Jr. hit a solo homer in the fourth inning and Richie Palacios delivered a tiebreaking, two-run single with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth to provide Tampa Bay just enough offense.
Naylor, meanwhile, snapped a 43-game homerless drought, but the Mariners still suffered their third straight loss and dropped to 3-5 on their nine-game homestand. Naylor had a chance in the ninth to become the first player in franchise history to have four extra-base hits in a game at T-Mobile Park, which opened in 1999, but flew out to the warning track in center field with a runner on base.
“A hard-fought ball game,” said Mariners manager Dan Wilson, who was honored pregame as one of the top 50 players in franchise history as the team celebrates its 50th season. “This is a tough one for sure, but the guys fought to the end. The energy in the ballpark, the fans kept everything going.”
Wilson wasn’t around to see the end, as he was ejected after plate umpire Emil Jimenez refused to grant a ball-strike challenge to Julio Rodriguez on a called third strike to end the sixth inning. Jimenez ruled Rodriguez had waited too long to tap his helmet following the pitch.
The Rays haven’t announced a starting pitcher for the series finale, while the Mariners are set to send right-hander Emerson Hancock (6-6, 3.33 ERA) to the mound.
Hancock has lost his past two starts and hasn’t won in his past four. He suffered an 8-0 defeat Tuesday to Detroit despite six quality innings in which he allowed three earned runs and struck out six.
Hancock is 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA in three career appearances against the Rays. He made his first start against Tampa Bay on July 12 in St. Petersburg, Fla., but he lasted just 1 2/3 innings before taking a 107.2 mph grounder from Yandy Diaz off his pitching hand. The Mariners won 8-2.
–Field Level Media
