First some news from the league office:
Game 1: It was looking like another game in which the Rays couldn't score at home as they trailed Seattle going into the bottom of the 6th 3-0, but a 5-run explosion in that inning led to a 7-4 win. Shane McClanahan got the start and pitched OK except when it came to Julio Rodriguez as the Mariner OF had an RBI double and solo HR off him for 2 of the 3 Seattle runs, and he ended 6 8 3 3 1 5. But thanks to the offense in the bottom of the inning he improved to 7-2 as Keibert Ruiz continued his recent HR binge with #4 with 1 out in the 6th against Roaldo Carvajal, and Judson Fabian walked and Lewin Diaz singled. Keston Hiura whiffed for the second out, but Hunter Bishop delivered a triple to the RF corner to tie the game, and the red-hot Bramdon Perez blasted a HR to dead center to make it 5-3 Rays. Seattle got one back in the 7th off Evan Godwin and Liam Hendriks in large part due to a Wander Franco error, but the Rays answered back in the bottom of the inning with a 2-out single from Lewin Diaz, who had a 3-hit night. Hendriks got them through the 8th and they added one more in the bottom on a Brandon Marsh RBI groundout. With two lefties including the tough Jarred Kelenic leading off the 9th, Jose Alvarado got the call and went 1-2-3 for his 2nd save of the season. And this may be hard to believe, but Baltimore actually lost at Boston so the lead is up to 4 1/2.
Game 2: The Rays scored 3 in the 2nd and Tyler Glasnow was in a groove, making for an easy 7-1 win over Seattle. Glasnow gave the Mariners next to nothing, going 7 5 1 1 2 9 and upping his record to 8-2, 2.77 as he bids for his second Cy Young. Aaron Ashby and Mitchell White pitched perfect innings to finish out the game. Judson Fabian got the offense going with a double to lead off the 2nd and came home along with Nick Gonzales on a 2-run triple from Hunter Bishop, who has become an extra-base machine. Brandon Marsh doubled home Bishop to make it 3-0, and then they tacked on 3 more in the 5th when Wander Franco singled in Bishop, who had doubled to start the inning, Wander and Vidal Brujan pulled off a double steal, Keibert Ruiz singled in Brujan and Wander scored on Fabian's sac fly. And Keston Hiura's sac fly scored Fabian after his 2nd double of the game in the 8th. Bishop remains red hot, now slashing 333/381/643 in 129 AB with 17 doubles, 4 triples and 5 homers and the most impressive thing about him is how well he hits lefties (like Nick Margevicius tonight) despite being a lefty hitter: 283/341/540 career in 123 plate appearances. Elsewhere it was too much to ask for Baltimore to lose consecutive games, which they didn't. Also Houston's Adrian Morejon threw a no-hitter tonight against St. Louis, walking 4 and whiffing 11 on 130 pitches.
Game 3: Walk-off drama at the Trop as Bramdon Perez continues his red-hot ways with a 3-run homer in the bottom of the 9th to give the Rays a 7-5 win and series sweep (and season sweep) of the Mariners. Trailing 5-4 going to the bottom of the 9th thanks to some shoddy defense and bullpen work, Keston Hiura led off with a single, stole second, Hunter Bishop walked and then Perez stepped up and drilled one the opposite way into the LF seats off Seattle closer Will Kincanon for his 6th HR of the year. Mack Anglin got the start and once again his teammates let him down and was also the victim of some bad BABIP luck as Seattle had 3 infield singles off him, two of which were sandwiched around an error by Wander Franco in the 4th. He finished 5.2 6 3 1 2 10 but left with a 4-3 lead. Liam Hendriks got Anglin out of trouble in the 6th and Evan Godwin took the mound for the 7th. Godwin retired Jarred Kelenic but had to suddenly leave with back issues (turns out he'll miss a day or two) and Aaron Ashby was apparently unprepared to come in on short notice as he walked 3 batters and gave up a 2-run double to Julio Rodriguez to put Seattle in front 5-4. Nick Anderson, less dominant these days but still getting outs, pitched 1 1/3 scoreless and Ben Bowden had a quick ninth to pick up his first Rays win. The Rays managed to score 7 runs for the third straight game today despite getting only 4 hits, which they made count with the help of 8 walks from Mariner pitchers. After Keibert Ruiz walked in the 3rd Judson Fabian went deep for #17, his first HR in 10 days and 2nd since May 24, to make it 2-0 Rays and in the 4th a Hiura walk and another Bishop double led to 2 runs on Perez's ground out and Brandon Marsh's sac fly. And the good news continued with word that Baltimore may be coming back to Earth, losing its 2nd in 3 games at Boston and meaning the lead has grown to 5 1/2 games.
Team record: 46-19. Next up: 3 games at home vs San Francisco.