SEATTLE — The Rays kept coming back on Friday, and they eventually came out on top.
Manuel Margot’s three-run homer with one out in the ninth inning gave them an 8-7 win over the Mariners in a wild back-and-forth affair.
The Mariners had just gone ahead 6-5 in the eighth on a pinch-hit, two-run homer by Jarred Kelenic off Ryan Thompson.
But the Rays, who had rallied twice earlier to take leads, weren’t done, extending their season-high win streak to five.
Randy Arozarena singled with one out in the ninth, for his fourth hit of the game, and Brandon Lowe followed with another single. Margot, who Brett Phillips dubbed “Mar-go-ahead” for his penchant for clutch hits, delivered again with a shot to left off Paul Sewald.
That proved to be just enough, as Thompson allowed another homer to start the ninth to Eugenio Suarez. He just crossed home when Rays manager Kevin Cash went to the mound and brought in Brooks Raley to close it out.
The Rays improved to 17-10, winning for the 12th time in 16 games to move a season-best seven games over .500. This is the fifth time in franchise history they have been seven games over after 27 contests.
Arozarena had a big night, playing a key part in each of the four Rays rallies — including another mad dash home.
The Mariners took a 2-0 lead in the first off Rays opener Matt Wisler, as Adam Frazier led off with a double and Eugenio Suarez hit a two-run homer with two outs.
The Rays answered with three runs in the second off Seattle starter Logan Gilbert, the Stetson University product who had allowed three runs total (two earned) in his first five starts (in which he was 4-0, 0.64).
A one-out Taylor Walls walk and a single by Francisco Mejia, in his first game since April 20 due to a bout with COVID-19, got them started. With two outs, they got runs on consecutive singles by Yandy Diaz, Wander Franco and Arozarena.
The Mariners took the lead back in the fourth, with two runs off Josh Fleming, who again was not overly sharp. A leadoff walk to Suarez and a double by lefty Jesse Winker started the rally. Abraham Toro’s sac fly got one run home, and after another walk, a single by Dylan Moore made it 4-3.
Only a running, diving catch for the third out in leftfield by Ramirez — making his first outfield start after Arozarena asked to switch to DH due to a sore left knee — kept them from getting more.
The Rays tied it in the fifth on an odd play thanks to Arozarena’s hustle, despite the knee issue.
First he raced out of the box and slid in hard for a one-out double. After Lowe walked, Arozarena went to third on a soft grounder that Suarez picked up but lost the grip on and tossed toward the mound. Arozarena broke for the plate and beat the throw from Frazier.
Catcher Tom Murphy dislocated his left shoulder on the play, and Lowe tried to take advantage by breaking for third. But Suarez alertly picked up the ball and threw him out, the call withstanding a three-minute, 20-second replay review.
The Rays knocked out Gilbert after five innings, matching his shortest outing of the season, tagging him for a season-high seven hits and four runs (three runs).
After Wisler worked the first two innings, Fleming covered 2 2/3, allowing seven of 15 batters to reach (fours hits and three walks), and two to score. Jalen Beeks, J.P. Feyereisen and Thompson followed.
After a solid season debut, Fleming has allowed 23 runs (13 earned) on 24 hits and nine walks in 15 innings in his last five outings. He talked Friday about the need to mix his pitch sequencing more in an effort to be less predictable to hitters.
The Rays went back ahead in the seventh, loading the bases when Franco walked, Arozarena singled and Lowe was hit by a pitch, then getting a run when Ramirez hit a grounder to short.
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