SEATTLE — The Rays were two outs from completing a sweep of the Mariners and crowning Manuel Margot’s latest late-game heroics on Sunday afternoon.
Instead they sustained a tough end to their six-game win streak, losing 2-1 to the Mariners in 10 innings.
With one out in the ninth, Andrew Kittredge, the Rays’ top high-leverage reliever, allowed a tying homer to Abraham Toro.
Then, after the Rays failed to score in their half of the 10th, the Mariners got the winner off Matt Wisler.
Dylan Moore bunted Jarred Kelenic, the runner who started the inning on second base, to third. The Rays intentionally walked Adam Frazier to bring up Ty France, who laced a hard single to left to score the game-ending run.
Until all that, it appeared Margot’s eigth-inning homer was going to be enough. Instead the Rays dropped to 18-11.
Margot has had quite a week, living up to the “Mar-go-ahead” nickname teammates have given him.
Sunday was the third time in five days he knocked in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning or later, the fourth time this season, and the ninth in his career.
Plus, he homered in a third straight game for the first time in his career, having hit a three-run homer to help win Friday’s game and his first grand slam at any level Saturday.
The Rays got an encouraging — and welcomed — performance from lefty starter Ryan Yarbrough, who had a rough season debut last week after an extended injured list stint due to groin tightness, and two poor rehab appearances.
Yarbrough worked five innings, allowing four singles and a walk, and got out of the only mild trouble he had.
In the second, he had two on with one out, but got Kelenic to pop up and Moore to fly out to center.
In the fourth, he allowed a leadoff single to Kelenic, but caught him off base, and he eventually was called out. Second baseman Brandon Lowe grabbed Ji-Man Choi’s wide throw and made a swipe tag, which stood up to a replay review, much to the dismay of many of the announced 32,501 fans.
Ralph Garza Jr., Jason Adam and Kittredge took it from there, Kittredge getting out of a jam in the eighth with two on.
The Rays got the first glimpse of the Mariners’ future as they unveiled George Kirby, their 24-year-old prized prospect who made an impressive debut.
In six innings, the Rays managed only four hits — all singles — and got only one runner to second base. That was in the fifth, when Margot singled with one out and stole second, but got no further as Brett Phillips and Taylor Walls struck out.
The game was played with the T-Mobile Park roof open and in bright sunshine, but with a first-pitch temperature of 47 degrees.
The Rays left after the game for southern California, where they open a three-game series against the Angels and former manager Joe Maddon to conclude their three-city, 10-game West Coast road trip.
