TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays’ game with the Seattle Mariners wasn’t over before it started Wednesday, but it was pretty darn close.
The Rays scored four runs in the first inning off Mariners starter George Kirby, then scored four more in the second, only the third time in franchise history that they scored four or more runs in each of the first two innings.
They cruised to a 9-4 victory, completing a sweep of Seattle and moving to within 2.5 games of the final wild-card spot in the American League.
The Rays have won a season-high-tying six games in a row and are now 70-69. They are over .500 for the first time since July 28, and have won nine of 11 games.
They are right back in a playoff race with 23 games to go.
“We definitely feel better with where we're at, where we're positioned. We've just got to keep at it,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “We're a long ways away. There's a lot of games left. But we should enjoy the way that we've played, certainly the last three days.”
The Rays had 19 hits, led by Yandy Diaz, who went 5-for-5. It was his first game with five hits in his career and the 11th in Rays history. Tommy Pham was the last one to do it, on Sept. 18, 2019.
The Rays got a great start from Adrian Houser, too. He pitched seven innings, got out of the first on just three pitches for the second time in his career, and picked up his eighth win. He allowed a three-run homer to Julio Rodriguez that barely cleared the wall in right field. It would not have been a homer in any of the other 29 parks.
The Rays are home all weekend, playing four games with the Cleveland Guardians, who are 69-69 and right in the playoff chase with the Rays.
They two teams just played Aug. 25-27 in Cleveland, with the Guardians taking two of three. The Aug. 27 extra inning loss was the last time the Rays lost.
Related stories on Rays baseball
CAMINERO HITS 40TH HOME RUN (Tuesday): Junior Caminero hit his 40th home run — just the second Rays player ever to do that — and also had a huge two-run double in Tampa Bay's 6-5 win over Seattle. To read the game story, CLICK HERE
RAYS RIP MARINERS TO WIN SERIES OPENER (Monday): Fighting for their playoff lives, the Tampa Bay Rays opened a critical series with the Seattle Mariners with a dominating 10-2 win at Steinbrenner Field. To read the game story, CLICK HERE