Rays 5, Mariners 6 (F/10): The losing streak continues

The Rays found a new way to lose inside the terrifying grounds of T-Mobile Park

The Rays have dropped the first two games to start the series in Seattle. Looking to try and at least split the series against the Mariners, Josh Fleming takes the mound against rookie Logan Gilbert.

Gilbert allowed nothing in the first, throwing 18 pitches. Fleming did the same, except he only had to throw 10 pitches. Gilbert was less dominant in the top of the second inning.

Austin Meadows started the inning off with a single on a groundball up the middle. With one out in the inning, Meadows took off for second and Joey Wendle hit a ball down the third base line into left field, scoring Meadows and making it 1-0 Rays.

Wendle moved up to third after his double when Taylor Walls dropped a bunt down for a single. Mike Zunino scored Wendle with a sacrifice fly, making it 2-0. Kevin Kiermaier grounded out to end the inning.

Unfortunately, Gilbert wasn't the only pitcher that was less dominant in the second inning. Fleming allowed a leadoff double to Kyle Seager, who moved up to third when Tom Murphy singled. Jake Bauers drove Seager home with a single, and moved up to second when Dylan Moore walked, loading the bases. Fleming locked it in to strike out the next two batters after a mound visit.

J.P. Crawford refused to be the third-straight strikeout. On a 0-1 pitch, Crawford made it 5-1 Mariners with a grand slam into the right field seats. The big blow left Crawford’s bat at 109 mph with just a 16 degree launch angle. Fleming got out of the inning with no additional runs allowed.

Fleming was better in the third inning, striking out two. He once again worked a scoreless fourth inning despite allowing a leadoff double, a hit that could have been prevented had Austin Meadows caught that fly ball to left.

Mike Zunino led off in the top of the fifth and he did so with a boom, sending a ball 404 feet to make it 5-3. The ball left Zunino’s bat at 110 mph.

With two outs in the top of the sixth, Manuel Margot did the exact same thing to cut Seattle’s lead down to one.

Margot’s home run left his bat at 100 mph and traveled 380 feet. Logan Gilbert was replaced after the home run by Anthony Misiewicz, and he was replaced to start the top of the seventh by JT Chargois.

In the bottom of the seventh, Fleming faced JP Crawford and got him out to record the final out of his start. Fleming threw 6.1 innings, 5.1 of them being really good. He allowed five runs on seven hits, walked two and struck out five on 110 pitches. Drew Rasmussen replaced him, making his Rays debut.

Rasmussen looked really good. He struck out the two batters he faced in the seventh inning and went on to strike out two more in the eighth inning, hitting 100 mph during his strikeout sequence of Jake Bauers. Rasmussen did what he needed to do, keeping the game within one to give the offense one final attempt at tying it.

Brett Phillips pinch-hit for Manuel Margot and struck out to begin the inning, facing Mariners pitcher Kendall Graveman. Joey Wendle hit a long fly ball to deep center field, 397 feet deep, which was caught for the second out of the inning. Brandon Lowe pinch-hit for Taylor Walls, and he hit a long fly ball to deep center field. This time, the long fly ball tied the game.

107 off of the bat, 431 feet, 5-5 ballgame. The dawg delivered when he was needed most.

Matt Wisler was brought in for the bottom of the ninth. He struck out Dylan Moore for the first out. Jake Fraley singled, stole second and moved up to third when Taylor Trammell grounded out. Wisler struck out J.P. Crawford to send this game into extra innings.

Mike Zunino took second base to begin extras. Kevin Kiermaier popped out on the first pitch he saw for the first out. Arozarena grounded out for the second out but moved Zunino up to third in the process. Ji-Man Choi flew out to end the inning.

JP Feyereisen took the mound for the bottom of the 10th with J.P. Crawford taking second base for the Mariners. He threw one pitch and the game was over. Mitch Haniger singled to left, Crawford scored and the hope of splitting the series was gone. The Rays drop to 3-7 in games that go into extra innings.

The final game of the series will be tomorrow afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 pm inside of T-Mobile Park, Shane McClanahan will take the mound for the Rays against Marco Gonzales.