The Rays’ offense was ignited early by Nick Fortes, whose three-run homer in the second inning off Mariners starter Luis Castillo set the tone for the night. Fortes finished with three runs scored, while Tristan Gray also homered and Yandy Díaz contributed a two-run double. Junior Caminero went 3-for-4 with two RBI singles, and Jake Mangum matched him with three hits as Tampa Bay pounded out 13 total.
For the Mariners, the defeat continued a troubling trend on the road, dropping them to 32-38 away from T-Mobile Park and marking their eighth loss in the last nine road games. Castillo struggled again, allowing five runs and six hits over four innings, pushing his ERA to 7.31 since the start of August and a staggering 10.06 over his last four outings. Despite these woes, manager Dan Wilson remains confident in Castillo’s ability to rebound, stating, “He’s been a guy that we’ve been able to depend on, and we still depend on him, and he’s going to figure it out.” (MLB.com recap)
The Mariners’ offense was mostly quiet, only breaking through in the ninth inning with a two-run homer from Leo Rivas—his first in the majors. Seattle’s loss leaves them holding a slim 1.5-game lead over Texas for the final American League wild card spot, while the Rays closed to within 4.5 games of the Mariners in the playoff chase. Historical playoff odds reflect the urgency: Seattle entered the series with an 87.1% chance of clinching a postseason berth, but every defeat tightens the race (FanGraphs playoff odds).
Looking ahead, the series continues with an anticipated pitching duel between Drew Rasmussen (10-5, 2.64 ERA) and Bryan Woo (12-7, 2.95 ERA), both of whom rank among MLB’s top fastball pitchers this season according to Baseball Savant’s Fastball Run Value metrics. The outcome of this series could be pivotal for both teams’ playoff ambitions.
For more on the Mariners’ ongoing playoff push, see the Seattle Mariners team page on ESPN.