The Tampa Bay Rays were unstoppable Wednesday night, thanks to Yandy Diaz, who recorded a career-high 5-for-5 with a double and four singles, leading the team to a 9-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners and completing a three-game sweep at George M. Steinbrenner Field. It was the Rays’ first five-hit game since Tommy Pham in 2020 and was also the 11th such game in franchise history.
Tampa Bay (70-69) matched a season high with its sixth consecutive win, scoring a season-high 19 hits. Six players recorded multi-hit games, including Chandler Simpson and Jake Mangum with three hits apiece. Junior Caminero contributed two RBIs on a 2-for-4 night, raising his RBI total to 102. Hunter Feduccia drove in three runs with two singles, while Brandon Lowe added two sacrifice flies.
The Rays’ early offensive explosion doomed Mariners starter George Kirby (8-7), who lasted only two innings, the shortest start of his career. Kirby allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits, walked none, struck out one, and hit a batter. Five of the first six Rays batters reached in the first inning, producing four runs. In the second, Tampa Bay sent nine batters to the plate and scored another four runs on five hits and a passed ball, forcing Kirby from the game after just 33 pitches.
Seattle (73-67) managed to push back in the sixth inning, scoring four runs. Cal Raleigh drove in his 109th RBI with a single, and Julio Rodríguez hit his 28th home run, a three-run shot, but it was too little, too late. The Mariners have now lost five of six games and 14 of their last 20, slipping in the American League wild-card race.
On the pitching side, Rays starter Adrian Houser (8-4) allowed four runs in seven innings while striking out eight, walking one, and hitting one batter. Houser efficiently retired the first three Mariners hitters of the game before Tampa Bay’s offense erupted. Eduard Bazardo and Emerson Hancock followed in relief, though the Rays added an insurance run in the fifth on Brandon Lowe’s sacrifice fly. Tayler Saucedo finished the Mariners’ relief work with three scoreless innings, allowing three hits, no walks, and striking out four.
The win brings Tampa Bay within 2½ games of Seattle for the final American League wild-card spot. After struggling just a week ago at 64-69 and 7½ games behind the Mariners, the Rays are back above .500 for the first time since July 29, and positioned to challenge the Texas Rangers (72-69) and the Kansas City Royals (70-69) as well.
With their postseason hopes renewed, the Rays will open a four-game series against the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday.
