SEATTLE (AP) — Cal Raleigh hit his MLB-leading 43rd homer of the season, a go-ahead three-run shot in the eighth inning, giving the Seattle Mariners a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night.
The Mariners won their fifth consecutive game and remained 1 1/2 games behind the AL West-leading Houston Astros.
Raleigh erased Seattle’s two-run deficit with a 417-foot shot to right-center field off Griffin Jax (1-6) after singles by J.P. Crawford and Cole Young.
Raleigh homered for the first time since July 31 against Texas. He leads Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber by two homers. Schwarber hit his 41st homer Friday.
Carlos Vargas (4-5) worked a scoreless eighth and Matt Brash earned his second save of the season, striking out all three batters in the ninth.
Rasmussen allowed four hits over six shutout innings, striking out four and walking none. Pitching in his home state, Rasmussen yielded one earned run across 20 1/3 innings in his career against Seattle.
Brandon Lowe hit a solo homer in the first and Junior Caminero hit his 31st homer of the season in the fifth to give Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead.
Luis Castillo surrendered two runs on five hits in seven innings. He struck out five and walked none.
Key moment
The Mariners finally got their first runner in scoring position in the eighth after Young’s single that moved Crawford to second.
Key stat
Rasmussen has allowed only two extra-base hits over his last five starts. Seattle didn’t have a runner in scoring position against the lefty.
Up next
Tampa Bay RHP Joe Boyle (1-1, 2.30) faces Seattle RHP Logan Evans (5-4, 4.30) on Saturday following Ichiro Suzuki’s jersey retirement ceremony.
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