The Tampa Bay Rays trip out West to Seattle last year wasn’t a fun one & so far the Rays trip to the Emerald City this year is proving to be no different. Seattle catcher Mike Zunino had three hits, drove in a career high 7 runs, as the Mariners beat up on the Rays for the second straight night, this time 9-2. The Mariners (27-30), who scored 12 runs on Friday night, allowed a run in the top of the first then touched up Rays’ starter Alex Cobb for nine runs. Cobb allowed a career high 14 hits, including two homeruns.
The Rays’ night got off to a good start with Corey Dickerson hitting a lead-off homerun in the top of the first inning. The solo homerun was Dickerson’s sixth lead-off homerun this year. That 1-0 Rays lead lasted until the bottom second when Seattle put up three runs, one coming home on a single by first baseman Danny Valencia. The other two runs scoring on a double by Zunino. Zunino, who came into the game with just five runs batted in, drove in another run with a single in the fourth & four more with a second deck grand slam homerun in the fifth.
Seattle also tacked on another run off Cobb in the fifth when Nelson Cruz hit a solo homerun. Besides getting three hits from Zunino, who was a triple shy of the cycle, the Mariners got four hits from Valencia, who has seven hits in the series & has yet to make an out. The Rays did get three hits from Evan Longoria & first baseman Logan Morrison hit a solo homerun, his 100th career homerun.
Tampa Bay (29-29) tries to get a win in this series and stay above .500 on Sunday when Erasmo Ramirez 3-0 3.66 gets the start. The Mariners send lefty Ariel Miranda 5-2 4.17 to the mound. Pregame coverage begins on 620 WDAE at 2pm with Inside Pitch hosted by Steve Carney, followed by Neil Solondz & This Week In Rays Baseball.