The Tampa Bay Rays got exactly what they needed Friday night in Seattle: another dominant start from Drew Rasmussen, just enough offense, and a 2-1 win over the Mariners to open the three-game set.
Rasmussen was the difference. The right-hander carved through seven innings without allowing a run, striking out eight and walking two while giving up only two hits.
The only real threat came in the second, when he had to navigate out of a bases-loaded jam. Even with that traffic, he kept Seattle off the board and came away with his 11th win of the season.
His ERA now sits at 2.75.
Logan Gilbert was strong too, but the Rays made him pay for a pair of mistakes. In 6.2 innings, he struck out six, walked four and allowed four hits, and two of those hits left the park.
Tampa Bay struck first in the second inning when Johnny DeLuca drove his eighth homer of the year to left-center field for a 1-0 lead. The Rays added to it in the next inning when Jonathan Aranda lined a ball down the right-field line to make it 2-0.
That was enough, even with several bats quiet. Yandy, Caminero, Hicks, and Simpson all went hitless, but Tampa Bay still found a way to scratch out the runs it needed.
Garrett Cleavinger and Chris Kelly combined for a scoreless eighth, and Pete Baker took the ninth looking for his 33rd save. Julio Rodriguez broke up the shutout with a solo homer, ending Seattle’s scoreless stretch, but Baker finished the job.
The win kept the Rays steady in the division as both the Yankees, now 4.5 games back, and the red-hot Red Sox, five games back, won their games too. Tampa Bay also moved to a season-high 23 games over .500, and only the Brewers and Braves have a better winning percentage in baseball.
The series continues Saturday night with Griffin Jax set to face George Kirby.
In Other News...
Drew Rasmussen Had Extra Motivation In Another Dominant Seattle Start
Drew Rasmussen has made a habit of looking right at home in Seattle, and Thursday was another reminder of why the Rays trust him in big road spots. He carved up the Mariners for seven scoreless innings in a 2-1 win at T-Mobile Park, striking out eight while allowing only two hits and two walks. After a rocky patch early in the game, he settled in and finished by retiring 16 consecutive batters, the kind of closing stretch that can take the air out of a home crowd.
For Rasmussen, the setting seemed to matter as much as the matchup. He has now been nearly untouchable at T-Mobile Park across five career appearances, allowing just one run in 21 2/3 innings, and this latest outing only added to that track record. The Rays needed every bit of it in a tight game, and Rasmussen supplied exactly the sort of controlled, efficient start that keeps them in a position to win while leaving the Mariners with one more frustrating memory. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Made Their Deadline Push But One Big Question Remains
The Rays did plenty to shore up a roster that still has a real shot to finish atop the American League East, and Jim Bowden of The Athletic rewarded the deadline work with a B grade. Tampa Bay went out and added Freddy Peralta, Liam Hicks and Tyler Wells, a clear sign the front office believed this was the time to press its advantage rather than stand pat.
Of course, the price was real too, with the Rays sending out seven prospects, including one of their top 14. That kind of move says plenty about how the organization views the current window, but it also leaves one lingering question hanging over the deadline haul: whether the new arrivals will be enough to justify the talent that was shipped away. [Read more 🡒]