Rays 1, Mariners 0
Record: 69-50
Attendance: 24,219
The first story line with three parts is that the Rays won another one-run game, that they swept their third series in the last four, all on the road, and that they have improved their record to 69-50, one game shy of that magical-mythical super achievement of being 20 games over .500. A second story line has to do with the continuing cold bats. They got a game-winning homer from Eric Sogard, who continues to pay dividends on his trade deadline acquisition, but they went 0 for 8 in the remaining innings. In all they managed a mere six hits. They have to do better or they will eventually fall out of sight in the pennant race.
The story line everyone wants to talk about, however, is manager Kevin Cash's decision to pull his starter Ryan Yarbrough with two outs in the ninth and with only 99 pitches. But that pesky 27th out, in Cash's estimation, needed a hard-throwing, right handed, fresh arm to face pinch-hitter Omar Narvaez, currently hitting .291 with 17 HRs. The strategy worked when Narvaez grounded out to second to end the game and the team ended up with a victory, Yarbrough's record improving to 11-3 and Emilio Pagan earning his 12th save and second in a row. Yes Yarbrough was denied a chance to pitch the Rays' first complete game in three years, hardly a goal in modern-day baseball, but the important things are first that they won the game and second Yarbrough got the win.
Cash's nightmares will always include Narvaez smashing a game-tying homer off Pagan, and then the Mariners rallying in extra innings for a win the Rays absolutely needed. That, of course, as if you need to be reminded, has happened several times this season. But Pagan has been peaking as the Rays' late inning go-to man, despite his early season shakiness. This is the time to peak, and Cash got first-rate peak performances from Yarbrough and Pagan.
No controversy. The win is what counts.
Monday's game is against San Diego. The opener will be Diego Castillo to be followed by bulk man Austin Pruitt.
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