ST. PETERBURG, Fla. -- — Yandy Díaz had a two-run single in a three-run eighth inning and the Tampa Bay Rays rallied to beat the AL West-leading Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Monday night.
Ben Rortvedt’s two-out RBI double in the eighth off Austin Voth (2-2) cut Tampa Bay’s deficit to 3-2. Closer Andrés Muñoz loaded the bases with a walk to José Caballero, and Díaz followed with a tough-hop single to right.
“Awesome,” Rortvedt said. “Everyone rallied around each other. It’s contagious, and always good to see Yandy stepping into the box for us in a big part of the game.”
It was Muñoz’s second blow save in 15 chances as Tampa Bay got its MLB-leading eighth win when trailing after seven innings.
Díaz extended his career-best hitting streak to 17 games with a third-inning single.
Phil Maton (1-2) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings, and Pete Fairbanks worked the ninth for his 12th save in 14 chances.
Mitch Garver and Cal Raleigh homered for the Mariners, who are 2-5 on a nine-game trip. Seattle, at 18-24, is the lone division leader with a losing road record.
Seattle took a 3-1 lead on Garver’s two-run homer in the seventh off Chris Devenski, who has given up homers in three consecutive appearances for the second time this season.
“Just weren’t able to shut the door,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said.
Seattle starter Bryan Woo left in the fourth with right hamstring tightness and was replaced by Tayler Saucedo with a runner on first and no outs.
Woo will have an MRI on Tuesday.
“Hopefully it’s a strain and he wont be out too long,” Servais said.
Saucedo made an errant pickoff throw to first that allowed Richie Palacios to advance to third. Palacios then scored to tie it at 1 on a wild pitch, Saucedo’s initial pitch.
Raleigh put the Mariners up 1-0 in the fourth against Taj Bradley with his 13th homer. The right-hander gave up one run and two hits over 5 1./3 innings in his fourth straight strong outing in which he has allowed four earned runs in 23 1/3 innings.
Bradley jokingly credited shaving his beard and his current “evil goatee” for his recent success.
Bradley lost the count of outs in the fourth after Ty France hit an inning-ending popout. He remained in the mound and requested and got a new ball from plate umpire Sean Barber.
“That’s the most efficient I was all year,” Bradley said with a smile. “I felt like if I didn’t threw 20-plus (pitches), I was like, OK, we don’t have three outs yet”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: 2B Jorge Polanco (right hamstring strain) was reinstated from the 10-day IL and went 0 for 4, including three strikeouts.
Rays: 2B Brandon Lowe (broken right pinkie toe) and Amed Rosario (facial lacerations) remain out of the lineup. Both were hit by pitches Saturday. … Ace Shane McClanahan (Tommy John surgery) is throwing at up to 130 feet. The lefty won’t return until 2025.
UP NEXT
Seattle RHP Luis Castillo (6-8, 3.63 ERA) and Rays RHP Zack Littell (2-5, 4.20 ERA) are Tuesday night’s starters.
