SB Nation Tampa Bay - Mariners Vs. Rays: Rays Take Two Of Three, Move Closer To Playoff Spothttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49019/tb-fave.png2010-09-26T16:57:18-04:00http://tampabay.sbnation.com/rss/stream/14725602010-09-26T16:57:18-04:002010-09-26T16:57:18-04:00Mariners Topple Rays 6-2, Avoid Sweep
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hlPUf0ehTFoOiFlLADBIPosvqRo=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828137/large_tampabay.sbnation.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Josh Wilson hit a three-run homer as Seattle avoided a sweep by downing Tampa Bay, 6-2, in the finale of a three- game set from Tropicana Field.</p>
<p>Jose Lopez drove in a pair and Matt Mangini knocked in a run and scored once for the Mariners, who halted a three-game skid.</p>
<p>Luke French (5-6) allowed eight hits and two runs over five-plus innings for the win.</p>
<p>Desmond Jennings and B.J. Upton drove in a run each for the Rays, who still hold a one-game lead over the Yankees in the AL East, with New York and Boston playing later Sunday.</p>
<p>James Shields (13-14) was charged in the loss for eight hits and five runs over six full frames.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>09/26 16:32:52 ET</p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/tampa-bay-rays/2010/9/26/1713459/mariners-topple-rays-6-2-avoid-sweepClark Brooks2010-09-25T23:58:46-04:002010-09-25T23:58:46-04:00Rays Beat Up On Mariners, Extend Lead in AL East
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hlPUf0ehTFoOiFlLADBIPosvqRo=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828137/large_tampabay.sbnation.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Matt Joyce hit a two-run homer and B.J. Upton added two hits, including a solo shot, and two RBI as Tampa Bay rode a four-run first inning to down Seattle, 9-1, in the middle test of a three-game set from Tropicana Field.</p>
<p>Carl Crawford posted three hits and knocked in a run for the Rays, who have won four in a row, including the first two in this series, to move 1 1/2 games ahead of the Yankees in the AL East. New York fell to Boston earlier Saturday.</p>
<p>Ben Zobrist, Dan Johnson and Reid Brignac also drove in a run each for Tampa, which shrunk its magic number to clinch a playoff berth to two.</p>
<p>Matt Garza (15-9) worked seven frames for the win, scattering eight hits and one run while striking out five.</p>
<p>"We came out really upbeat for the game. We had a lot of energy about the whole group," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "We know what we're after. It's fun to watch."</p>
<p>Franklin Gutierrez finished 2-for-4 and drove in the lone run for the Mariners, who have dropped three in a row and eight of their last 11.</p>
<p>Doug Fister (6-13) was charged in defeat for five hits and four runs with four strikeouts over six innings.</p>
<p>The Rays jumped on top to stay in their first at-bat.</p>
<p>John Jaso started the surge with a double, then Zobrist doubled him in. Crawford then singled and Johnson's sacrifice fly made it 2-0. Joyce followed with a two-run shot to right.</p>
<p>"The first four of five guys came out swinging, and it was suddenly a little too late [to recover]," recalled Fister.</p>
<p>Garza worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the Seattle first, then held the M's at bay until the fifth, when a double and fly out put a runner on third with two down. However, the home hurler induced an inning-ending groundout from Ichiro Suzuki.</p>
<p>Chone Figgins led off the sixth with a double, stole third and scored when Johnson mishandled a bouncing Gutierrez grounder that was eventually ruled a single.</p>
<p>A leadoff single in the Seattle seventh turned into a line drive double play from Greg Halman, then Garza exited after getting Josh Wilson on a fly out to right.</p>
<p>Upton pushed the Rays' edge to 5-1 with a leadoff long ball in the home half. Jaso then doubled with one out and came in on a two-out single from Crawford.</p>
<p>In the eighth, Brad Hawpe hit a run-scoring single, Upton followed with an RBI triple and Brignac added a successful single to make it 9-1.</p>
<p>Dan Wheeler recorded the final five outs to lock down the victory.</p>
<p>Game Notes</p>
<p>Garza hadn't won since September 3, losing twice with a no-decision since then...Jaso finished with two doubles and scored twice...Mariners left-fielder Mike Carp left the game in the top of the fifth after suffering an apparent leg injury while running to second base.</p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/tampa-bay-rays/2010/9/25/1712370/rays-beat-up-on-mariners-extend-lead-in-al-eastClark Brooks2010-09-24T23:26:03-04:002010-09-24T23:26:03-04:00Rays Top Mariners 5-3, Reclaim 1st Place
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hlPUf0ehTFoOiFlLADBIPosvqRo=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828137/large_tampabay.sbnation.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Willy Aybar drove in a pair of runs, and the Tampa Bay Rays moved into first place in the AL East with a 5-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners.</p>
<p>Jason Bartlett, Ben Zobrist and Kelly Shoppach each had a pair of hits for the Rays, who took a half-game lead over the Yankees after the latter lost to Boston. Tampa Bay, which is coming off a four-game split with New York, possesses a much easier schedule than the Yanks. While the Rays play Seattle, Baltimore and Kansas City to finish the season, New York has to deal with the Red Sox twice and Toronto.</p>
<p>Jeff Niemann (11-7) snapped a five-start winless skid after allowing three runs, seven hits and a walk in 5 2/3 innings. Rafael Soriano set the single- season franchise mark with his 44th save of 2010.</p>
<p>Adam Moore went 2-for-4 with two RBI for the Mariners, who have lost 11 of their last 14 games. Jason Vargas (9-12) dropped his seventh consecutive start, yielding five runs, six hits and four walks in just 4 1/3 frames.</p>
<p>After Seattle tied the game with a two-run fourth, the Rays went ahead for good with a three-run fifth.</p>
<p>B.J. Upton worked a leadoff walk and stole second. Bartlett's base hit put runners on the corners before Aybar's one-out single plated Upton for a 3-2 advantage.</p>
<p>Zobrist followed with a bunt single to score Bartlett, and Ryan Rowland-Smith came out of the bullpen to get out of the jam. A passed ball, however, allowed Aybar to score for a 5-2 lead.</p>
<p>The Mariners got a run back in the sixth on Moore's RBI single, but Grant Balfour and Joaquin Benoit pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth, respectively, for the Rays.</p>
<p>Soriano pitched around a one-out walk in the ninth to lock down the win.</p>
<p>Tampa Bay got on the board in the second on back-to-back doubles by Zobrist and Shoppach leading off the inning, and Aybar's sacrifice fly in the third made it a 2-0 game.</p>
<p>Seattle, though, fought back with a two-run fourth.</p>
<p>Chone Figgins singled and stole second, and Franklin Gutierrez cut the Mariners' deficit to 2-1 with a one-out infield single. Gutierrez swiped second before Moore's two-out single up the middle tied the game at 2-2.</p>
<p>Game Notes</p>
<p>Soriano broke Roberto Hernandez's 1999 mark for saves in a season with the Rays...Tampa Bay is 36-17 in games where the opposition starts a lefty...Niemann is 3-0 in five career starts against Seattle...The Rays' magic number to clinch a playoff spot was reduced to three with the win...Tampa Bay leads the season series, 6-1...The record for most consecutive starts lost by a Mariners pitcher is eight, held by Randy Johnson, Mike Parrott and Rick Honeycutt.</p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/tampa-bay-rays/2010/9/24/1710773/rays-top-mariners-5-3-reclaim-1st-placeClark Brooks2010-09-24T15:35:52-04:002010-09-24T15:35:52-04:00Mariners Vs Rays: Three Game Series At Tropicana Field Begins Tonight
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hlPUf0ehTFoOiFlLADBIPosvqRo=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828137/large_tampabay.sbnation.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>Having spent seven of the last ten days going head-to-head with the New York Yankees for supremacy in the AL East division, the Rays return to Tropicana Field tonight to begin their last homestand of the regular season against the Seattle Mariners.</p>
<p>Undoubtedly, the Rays will have one eye on the scoreboard tonight as the Yankees and Red Sox, the team they're chasing for the division and holding off for the Wildcard respectively, face off tonight in New York, the first of three this weekend and six over the last ten days between the longtime rivals. This schedule shaking out this way is a definite advantage for the Rays as they're guaranteed to move closer to a spot in the postseason no matter what but the Rays can help themselves most by taking care of their own business. This not a knock on the Marinersbut the Rays are simply a better team with more to play for and as such, should be looking to jump all over the visitors from Seattle regardless of what's taking place in the Bronx. If that happens, the Rays could end the weekend in first place in the division with the Wildcard spot locked up.</p>
<p>This has largely been a season the Seattle Mariners (58-94, 4thin the AL West)and their fans would probably like to forget. They lost their ace starter (Cliff Lee) in a trade with the Rangers, they fired their manager (Don Wakamatsu) in August and the greatest player in the history of the franchise (Ken Griffey Jr.) retired before the all-star break. At least he did so as a Mariner, which was nice. They come into this series 3-7 in their last ten games, having lost two of three in Toronto in their last series. One highlight from that series, and in the Mariners season, was rightfielder Ichiro Suzuki collecting his 200th hit of the season, becoming the first player in history to get 200 hits in each of his first ten seasons and tying all-time hit leader Pete Rose for most 200 hit seasons. Jason Vargas (9-11, 3.75) gets the start tonight.</p>
<p>The Rays (91-61, 2nd in the AL East) will counter with Jeff Niemann (10-7, 4.48) whose ongoing struggles since returning from the disabled list a month ago have become a point of concern. He's 0-4 in five starts since returning, lasting no longer than five innings in any of them. During that stretch, he has allowed 31 runs, all earned, in 19.1 innings, walking 15, striking out 19 and giving up six homers. Another bad outing tonight could force manager Joe Maddon to make changes in the rotation. The emergence of rookie Jeremy Hellickson, who most recently pitched 3.1 inings in relief on Wednesday would be a significant factor in Maddon's decision making. The Rays are 5-5 in their last ten, winning the last two of a four game series with the Yankees in New York, their first consecutive wins since Sepetember 10th and 11th against the Blue Jays.</p>
<p>For more on the Seattle Mariners, row out to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lookoutlanding.com/"><strong>Lookout Landing</strong></a>. And as always, for more Rays coverage, please visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.draysbay.com/"><b><font color="#004175">DRaysBay</font></b></a>.</p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/2010/9/24/2321522/mariners-vs-rays-three-game-series-at-tropicana-field-begins-tonightClark Brooks