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Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson speaks to the media after a 3-2 loss against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. | Teren Kowatsch/Roundtable Sports
SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners were unable to channel an emotional Saturday night into a victory as they dropped game two of a three-game set, and the overall series, in a 3-2 result against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday at T-Mobile Park.
The evening started on a positive note, with the Mariners honoring the 50 greatest players in team history for the franchise's 50th anniversary celebration. It was also announced that longtime broadcaster Rick Rizzs, who'll be retiring at the end of this season, will be inducted into the team Hall of Fame next year.
The event featured an impassioned speech from "Mr. Mariner" Alvin Davis to prove the doubters wrong and to bring a World Series championship to Seattle.
Several hours later, the emotions at T-Mobile Park turned sour.
It started with an ejection of Seattle manager Dan Wilson in the bottom of the sixth. Home plate umpire Emil Jimenez didn't grant an ABS challenge to center fielder Julio Rodriguez, who was struck out looking on three pitches to end the inning. Wilson came out to argue for his three-time All-Star and was tossed as a result.
"I didn't agree with the assessment that Emil had," Wilson said in a postgame interview. "We just didn't see eye-to-eye on that. I thought Julio had plenty of time to make that call and got to his helmet (for the challenge) in time. He didn't agree."
The home crowd at T-Mobile Park didn't let Jimenez off the hook for the rest of the night and gave him a healthy amount of boos.
At the time of Wilson's ejection, the Mariners trailed 3-1 after the Rays fought back from an early deficit.
Seattle took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second after Josh Naylor hit a solo home run to right field. It was the first baseman's first homer since June 12.
Tampa Bay tied the game in the top of the fourth after right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. hit his own solo homer.
The Rays gave Kirby trouble all night with his pitch count. Tampa Bay fouled off over 20 pitches from the one-time All-Star. He was up to 99 pitches when his night ended after the fifth inning. He finished with two strikeouts, two walks, one wild pitch and one earned run allowed on four hits (one home run).
Kirby's catcher, Cal Raleigh was able to keep the game tied at 1-1 in the top of the fourth inning after making a sliding grab to secure a foulout from Rays catcher Nick Fortes that left two runners stranded in scoring position.
Kirby also made a slide to get the foul pop-up and had his glove under Raleigh's.
"I'm running as hard as I can for that ball, any day," Kirby said after the game. "I'm glad Cal got there and he got it. That was pretty sweet."
Tampa Bay secured the lead in the top of the sixth inning after second baseman Richie Palacios hit a bases-loaded, two-out, two-RBI single.
Following Palacios' single and Wilson's ejection, Naylor had another homer in store. He hit another solo shot in the bottom of the seventh inning — a 434-foot shot.
Naylor finished the game 3-for-4 with two runs, a double, two homers and two RBIs.
"(Naylor) found some barrels tonight, for sure," Wilson said. "He continues to work at it. I like that he got a couple pitches out front and pulled them for homers and was able to drive that ball to left-center. ... Just seeing where his approach is and his ability to find a barrel, hit it hard, hit it a long way, that was really outstanding tonight for him."
After Munoz retired the side in order on eight pitches in the ninth inning, the Mariners entered the bottom of the ninth down 3-2 and an opportunity to either force extra innings or walk it off.
Rodriguez hit a lead-off single, which brought up Naylor.
Naylor came just a few feet shy of a three-homer night and a walk-off after a 100.5-mile per hour, 379-foot fly ball fell on the warning track in left-center field.
After Naylor's flyout, Donovan grounded into a 3-6-3 double play to end the game.
Seattle finished 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded five. The loss gave the Mariners two-straight series losses and guaranteed the team would finish its nine-game homestand with a losing record.
Seattle remained four games out of first place in the American League West and is 3.5 games out of the final wild card spot in the American League.
The Mariners will attempt to salvage a game against the Rays in the series finale at 1:10 p.m. PT on Sunday. Emerson Hancock will start for Seattle. Tampa Bay's starting pitchers is still to-be-determined.
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SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners were unable to channel an emotional Saturday night into a victory as they dropped game two of a three-game set, and the overall series, in a 3-2 result against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday at T-Mobile Park.
The evening started on a positive note, with the Mariners honoring the 50 greatest players in team history for the franchise's 50th anniversary celebration. It was also announced that longtime broadcaster Rick Rizzs, who'll be retiring at the end of this season, will be inducted into the team Hall of Fame next year.
The event featured an impassioned speech from "Mr. Mariner" Alvin Davis to prove the doubters wrong and to bring a World Series championship to Seattle.
Several hours later, the emotions at T-Mobile Park turned sour.
It started with an ejection of Seattle manager Dan Wilson in the bottom of the sixth. Home plate umpire Emil Jimenez didn't grant an ABS challenge to center fielder Julio Rodriguez, who was struck out looking on three pitches to end the inning. Wilson came out to argue for his three-time All-Star and was tossed as a result.
"I didn't agree with the assessment that Emil had," Wilson said in a postgame interview. "We just didn't see eye-to-eye on that. I thought Julio had plenty of time to make that call and got to his helmet (for the challenge) in time. He didn't agree."
The home crowd at T-Mobile Park didn't let Jimenez off the hook for the rest of the night and gave him a healthy amount of boos.
At the time of Wilson's ejection, the Mariners trailed 3-1 after the Rays fought back from an early deficit.
Seattle took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second after Josh Naylor hit a solo home run to right field. It was the first baseman's first homer since June 12.
Tampa Bay tied the game in the top of the fourth after right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. hit his own solo homer.
The Rays gave Kirby trouble all night with his pitch count. Tampa Bay fouled off over 20 pitches from the one-time All-Star. He was up to 99 pitches when his night ended after the fifth inning. He finished with two strikeouts, two walks, one wild pitch and one earned run allowed on four hits (one home run).
Kirby's catcher, Cal Raleigh was able to keep the game tied at 1-1 in the top of the fourth inning after making a sliding grab to secure a foulout from Rays catcher Nick Fortes that left two runners stranded in scoring position.
Kirby also made a slide to get the foul pop-up and had his glove under Raleigh's.
"I'm running as hard as I can for that ball, any day," Kirby said after the game. "I'm glad Cal got there and he got it. That was pretty sweet."
Tampa Bay secured the lead in the top of the sixth inning after second baseman Richie Palacios hit a bases-loaded, two-out, two-RBI single.
Following Palacios' single and Wilson's ejection, Naylor had another homer in store. He hit another solo shot in the bottom of the seventh inning — a 434-foot shot.
Naylor finished the game 3-for-4 with two runs, a double, two homers and two RBIs.
"(Naylor) found some barrels tonight, for sure," Wilson said. "He continues to work at it. I like that he got a couple pitches out front and pulled them for homers and was able to drive that ball to left-center. ... Just seeing where his approach is and his ability to find a barrel, hit it hard, hit it a long way, that was really outstanding tonight for him."
After Munoz retired the side in order on eight pitches in the ninth inning, the Mariners entered the bottom of the ninth down 3-2 and an opportunity to either force extra innings or walk it off.
Rodriguez hit a lead-off single, which brought up Naylor.
Naylor came just a few feet shy of a three-homer night and a walk-off after a 100.5-mile per hour, 379-foot fly ball fell on the warning track in left-center field.
After Naylor's flyout, Donovan grounded into a 3-6-3 double play to end the game.
Seattle finished 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded five. The loss gave the Mariners two-straight series losses and guaranteed the team would finish its nine-game homestand with a losing record.
Seattle remained four games out of first place in the American League West and is 3.5 games out of the final wild card spot in the American League.
The Mariners will attempt to salvage a game against the Rays in the series finale at 1:10 p.m. PT on Sunday. Emerson Hancock will start for Seattle. Tampa Bay's starting pitchers is still to-be-determined.
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