ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Having allowed the Mariners to come from behind to beat them five times last year, the Rays went into Tuesday’s first meeting of this season vowing to change their ways.
Instead, the Rays beat themselves.
A seven-run fourth inning was the breaking point in what ended up an 8-4 Seattle win. Plus the Rays lost top catcher Mike Zunino to injury, as he left with a left biceps strain.
The fourth inning started benignly, with a single by Jesse Winker. By the time it was over, there were two costly infield errors, a walk, a hit batter, a failed replay challenge, 44 pitches by Josh Fleming and just three total hits in Seattle’s 11 plate appearances.
After Winker singled off Fleming, Eugenio Suarez walked and J.P. Crawford lined out.
Then things got bad in a hurry.
Shortstop Wander Franco fielded Abraham Toro’s grounder up the middle to start what could have been a double play, but messed up the toss to second baseman Brandon Lowe. Instead of two outs to end the inning, the Rays got none. They sought to have the call reversed on replay. That didn’t help either, and they lost their challenge.
First baseman Ji-Man Choi fielded Tom Murphy’s check-swing grounder but bounced his throw to the plate for a second straight error, and it scooted past Zunino, allowing two runs to score.
From there, the Mariners piled on. Top prospect Julio Rodriguez doubled in a run. After No. 9 batter Dylan Moore was hit by a pitch, Adam Frazier bounced a ball over Choi’s head and down the rightfield line, allowing three runs to score.
Then a single by Ty Franco made it 7-0.
The Mariners extended the lead to 8-0 before the Rays responded in the seventh, getting two-run homers from catcher Rene Pinto, his first big-league hit, and Franco.
Worse for the Rays, they had to use six pitchers on the night as they opened a stretch of playing 16 consecutive days, and they already were planning for at least one game in that stretch — currently Friday — when they didn’t have a starter and would make it a bullpen day.
