The Seattle Mariners (37-36) defeated the Tampa Bay Rays (43-29) 6-5 in ten innings on Saturday night. It is the fifth consecutive loss for Tampa Bay, knocking them out of first place in the American League East - they now trail the Red Sox (43-2) by 0.5 game in the AL East standings.
After the Rays got two runs in the top of the second, the Mariners answered with five runs in the bottom of the frame - four of which came on a J.P. Crawford grand slam - to set the pace. Tampa Bay rallied with solo homers in the fifth from Mike Zunino and sixth from Manuel Margot to pull within 5-4, before Brandon Lowe tied the game with a pinch hit solo home run in the top of the ninth.
After the Rays were unable to advance the extra runner in the top of the tenth, Mitch Haniger singled on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the tenth to drive in the extra runner J.P. Crawford and lift the Mariners to a 6-5 win.
Tampa Bay now looks to avoid suffering a four-game sweep in Seattle when they wrap up the series on Sunday afternoon. First pitch Sunday is scheduled for 4:10 PM - pregame coverage begins with Neil Solondz and This Week In Rays Baseball at 2:30 PM on 95.3 WDAE & AM 620.
PHOTO COURTESY GETTY IMAGES