Zach Eflin tied for the American League lead with his 14h win, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Seattle Mariners 6-3 on Sunday to take three of four in a series between playoff contenders.
Tampa Bay opened an 8 1/2-game lead over Seattle for the top AL wild card. The Mariners entered tied with Toronto. The Rays started play four games behind Baltimore in the AL East, while Seattle trailed AL West-leading Houston by 1 1/2 games.
Eflin (14-8) lasted five innings for the second consecutive start, allowing three runs and seven hits. At one point in the fourth and fifth, six of nine batters had hits off the right-hander.
Seattle went 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position against Eflin, and 2 for 11 overall. Seattle was 5 for 30 during the series.
Eflin set a franchise record with his 11th home victory in a single season. He matched Toronto's Chris Bassitt and Baltimore's Kyle Gibson with his 14th win.
Four pitchers combined for scoreless, two-hit relief, with Pete Fairbanks working the ninth to for his 21st save in 23 chances. The Rays' bullpen has not allowed an earned run in its last 21 2/3 innings.
It took the Rays just 11 pitches to score three times in the first off Bryce Miller (8-5). Yandy Díaz had a leadoff single, Brandon Lowe walked, Harold Ramírez hit a two-run double and Josh Lowe had a run-scoring doulble.
Luke Raley made it 5-0 on a third-inning, two-run double.
Miller gave up five runs and nine hits over five innings.
Seattle got run-scoring singles from Josh Rojas and Sam Haggerty in the fourth. Eugenio Suárez had a fifth-inning sacrifice fly.
LOSING ARGUMENT
Seattle had two-on and two-out in the third Cal Raleigh grounded out to first that Mariners manager Scott Servais unsuccessfully argued with the umpires went off Raleigh’s foot and should have been a foul ball.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: Closer Andrés Muñoz has a minor hip issue but threw before the game.
“Am I concerned? No,” Servais said.
Rays: 3B Isaac Paredes didn’t play one day after taking a pitch from Seattle RHP Luke Weaver off his right hand. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said Paredes, who has a team-best 29 homers, is “pretty sore.”
MOVING DAY
Weaver was designated for assignment as Seattle recalled RHP Eduard Bazardo from Triple-A Tacoma.
UP NEXT
Mariners: RHP Logan Gilbert (13-5) will look to join the group of AL 14-game winners Monday night against Los Angeles Angels LHP Reid Detmers (3-10). Gilbert is 8-0 with a 2.89 ERA since July 4.
Rays: RHP Tyler Glasnow (8-5) and Minnesota RHP Sonny Gray (7-6) are Monday night’s starters. Glasnow struck out 14 over six innings Wednesday in a win over Boston.
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