Drew Rasmussen kept dealing, and the Rays kept rolling.
Tampa Bay opened its series at T-Mobile Park with a 2-1 win over the Mariners on Friday, riding seven scoreless innings from Rasmussen and solo home runs from Jonathan Aranda and Jonny DeLuca. The victory pushed the American League-leading Rays to 69-46 and stretched their lead over the second-place Boston Red Sox to four and a half games.
Rasmussen was in full control from start to finish. He worked 91 pitches across seven innings, allowed just two hits and two walks, and struck out eight.
The outing moved him to 10-5 with a 2.75 ERA, and his season line keeps getting louder: 130 strikeouts in 124 innings over 22 starts. He has now gone three straight starts without allowing an earned run, covering a combined 20 innings.
The offense didn’t need much. Tampa Bay managed only four other hits beyond the two homers, struck out five times and left eight runners on base. The Rays were 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position, but Aranda and DeLuca supplied enough pop to make the difference.
Seattle finally cracked the shutout in the ninth when Julio Rodriguez hit a solo homer off closer Bryan Baker. Even then, Baker closed it out and earned his 33rd save, striking out three in the inning.
The win keeps Tampa Bay in the middle of a strong run, and the schedule doesn’t offer much relief. After the Mariners series, the Rays head to Sacramento to face the Athletics, then return to Tropicana Field for an American League East homestand against the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays. They don’t see a team with a winning record again until the final week of August.
Tampa Bay will go for a fifth straight win on Saturday, with Griffin Jax set to start against George Kirby. First pitch is scheduled for 9:50 p.m. Eastern.
In Other News...
Rays Bullpen Could Get Relief At Exactly The Right Time
The Rays have spent plenty of the summer juggling arms, and the bullpen has taken its share of hits with pitchers such as Cole Sulser, Shane McClanahan and Griffin Jax all on the injured list. Even by Tampa Bay standards, the pressure on the staff has been heavy, which makes any sign of pitching help worth watching closely.
Manuel Rodriguez has become one of those names to track after getting back onto a rehab assignment following elbow surgery. His recent minor league work has pointed in the right direction, and if his command and stuff keep holding up, the Rays could soon have a fresh bullpen option exactly when they need one most. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Deadline Squeeze Leaves Tampa Bay With One Bullpen Decision
The Rays spent the days around the trade deadline reshaping the roster, and one of the quiet collateral moves involved Steven Wilson. Tampa Bay activated the right-hander from the 60-day injured list, designated him for assignment and, after he cleared waivers, outrighted him to Triple-A Durham as the club created room for the four trades it completed before the deadline.
Wilsons path back through the organization now goes on without a spot on the 40-man roster, a reminder of how tight the squeeze gets when a front office is trying to add talent and keep every piece in motion. For the Rays, it was another small but necessary adjustment in a deadline stretch defined by roster math as much as by the trades themselves. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Keep Showing Why They Look Like The ALs Most Complete Team
The Rays kept leaning into the same formula that has made them so tough to line up against, getting quality pitching, timely contact and enough depth to close out a three-game sweep of Seattle with a 4-1 win. Ian Seymour handled six innings and allowed just one run, and Cedric Mullins delivered an RBI single that put Tampa Bay in front, another reminder that this club can beat you a few different ways without needing a big night from one player.
Seattle, meanwhile, left Tropicana Field having dropped four straight and five of its last six, a skid that only sharpens the contrast with Tampa Bays steadiness. The Rays have looked increasingly complete in recent days because the wins keep coming in different shapes, and this one fit the pattern again, with the staff setting the tone and the lineup doing just enough to keep control once it had it. [Read more 🡒]