Pro Sports

Leake pitches into 9th, Mariners beat Rays 5-4

Posted June 07, 2018 7:00 am

By MARK DIDTLER

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Mike Leake delivers to a Tampa Bay Rays batter during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 7, 2018, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) The Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Mike Leake pitched into the ninth inning, Mitch Haniger homered and drove in three, and the AL West-leading Seattle Mariners beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 on Thursday night.

Leake (6-3) was lifted with a 5-1 lead after allowing his eighth hit, a leadoff double in the ninth to Wilson Ramos. Johnny Field hit a three-run double off Alex Colome before the former Rays' closer got a game-ending grounder from Daniel Robertson.

Haniger has 46 RBIs, one off his career high set last season. The Mariners won for the 10th time in 13 games.

Robertson homered for the Rays, who have scored 16 runs during a seven-game losing streak. The slide includes a three-game sweep last weekend in Seattle.

Seattle took a 3-0 lead in the second off Austin Pruitt (1-3). Dee Gordon hit a sacrifice fly, and then Jean Segura scored from first base on Haniger's two-run single - a ball that second baseman Joey Wendle dived for and knocked down in shallow right field.

Denard Span, playing at Tropicana Field for the first time since being traded with Colome by Tampa Bay to Seattle on May 25th, made it 4-0 with a solo homer in the third.

After Robertson had a leadoff shot in the third, Haniger got the run back with a solo drive in the fifth.

Pruitt entered in the second after bullpen starter Ryne Stanek worked out of a bases-loaded one-out jam during the first.

Pruitt gave up five runs and seven hits in seven innings.

With Chris Archer (left abdominal strain) and Jake Faria (left oblique strain) both on the disabled list, Tampa Bay is using just Blake Snell and Nate Eovaldi in regular starting roles.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rays: Pitching coach Kyle Snyder, hospitalized in Seattle during a road trip last week for an undisclosed issue, rejoined the team.

DEBUT

Rays first baseman Jake Bauers went 0 for 4 in his first major league game. The 22-year-old lined out to left and to second base before second baseman Gordon made a nice play on a hard one-hopper in shallow right field. Bauers struck out in his last at-bat. To make room for Bauers, INF Brad Miller was designated for assignment.

MARINERS' MOMENTS

Segura had two hits and tops the majors with 28 multihit games.

UP NEXT

Mariners: LHP Marco Gonzales (6-3) will start the second of the four-game set with Tampa Bay on Friday night. He has allowed a combined one earned run over 26 innings in his last four starts.

Rays: Reliever Wilmer Font (0-0) will become Tampa Bay's 13th pitcher to start a game this season in its third consecutive bullpen day Friday night.

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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

Tampa Bay Rays' Ryne Stanek pitches to a Seattle Mariners batter during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 7, 2018, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) The Associated Press

Seattle Mariners' Jean Segura (2) scores ahead of the tag by Tampa Bay Rays catcher Wilson Ramos on a single by Mitch Haniger during the second inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 7, 2018, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) The Associated Press

Seattle Mariners' Denard Span (4) celebrates after his home run off Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Austin Pruitt during the third inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 7, 2018, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) The Associated Press

Seattle Mariners' Denard Span (4) shakes hands with third base coach Scott Brosius after Span hit a home run off Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Austin Pruitt during the third inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 7, 2018, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) The Associated Press

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Mike Leake (8) kicks the mound as Tampa Bay Rays' Daniel Robertson runs around the bases after Robertson hit a home run during the third inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 7, 2018, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) The Associated Press

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