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Friday night ended with an abosolute thriller in Seattle as the Rays took down the Mariners 8-7. Logan Gilbert got the start for the Mariners and worked around a hit and a walk in a scoreless top of the first inning. Eugenio Suarez got his big day at the plate started with a two-run homer off of Rays’ opener Matt Wisler. The Rays answered back in the top of the second with three runs on four hits and a walk. The three runs allowed in the inning were more runs than Gilbert had allowed all season across five previous starts.
The Mariners would retake the lead i nthe fourth inning. Eugenio Suarez led off the frame with a walk before Jesse Winker doubled to put Suarez on third. Abraham Toro drove the tying run in with a sacrifice fly. Two batters later, Dylan Moore drove in a run with a base hit. A double, walk, and a base hit would tie the game for Tampa Bay in the top of the fifth. Gilbert would be done after five innings at 99 pitches. The 25-year-old right-hander finshed his day with an excellent 1.64 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 33 innings across six starts.
The Rays would add a run against Andres Munoz in the seventh inning with a walk, hit batter, and a base hit. With Seattle down by a run in the eighth, Julio Rodriguez knocked a base hit with one out. Jarred Kelenic entered as a pinch hitter for Dylan Moore to face J.P. Feyereisen. Kelenic sent an 88 mile per hour sinker in the bottom of the zone out over the center field wall for a go-ahead two-run homer as the crowd went wild at T-Mobile Park.
With a one-run lead in the ninth, Paul Sewald entered to try to close it out. The Rays had other plans. Randy Arozarena and Brandon Lowe each singled to get on base. Manuel Margot played the hero for Tampa Bay as he entered the batter’s box to pinch hit for Harold Ramirez. On a 1-1 count, Sewald threw a 92 mile per hour fastball down the heart of the zone. Margot made him pay with a three-run blast to left field to put the Rays ahead. The drama did not end there.
Ryan Thompson remained in the game for the Rays in the bottom of the ninth. Suarez led off the inning with his second homer of the game. With just a one-run lead, Brooks Raley entered and got Jesse Winker and Abraham Toro to fly out. Rodriguez would finish the game with a hard liner that found the glove of Wander Franco, giving the Rays the win as they extended their winning streak to five games.
Hitters with an EDGE
Randy Arozarena vs Mariners
4-for-5, 2B, 2 R, 1 RBI
Arozarena broke out with a big game at the plate on Friday against the Mariners. He drove in a run with a base hit in the second inning before hitting a double off of Logan Gilbert in the fifth. Arozarena added two more hits and scored on Manuel Margot‘s go-ahead three-run homer in the ninth. Even after the four-hit game, Arozarena is hitting .233/.269/.350 and has yet to leave the yard over 108 plate appearances.
Eugenio Suarez vs Rays
2-for-3, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB
Suarez got the scoring started in this thriller with a two-run homer off of Matt Wisler in the first inning. He’d reach two more times on walks before leading off the bottom of the ninth inning with a solo homer off of Ryan Thompson to bring Seattle to within a run. The 30-year-old third baseman is hitting .219/.318/.490 with six homers and 17 RBI across 110 plate appearances.
Pitchers with an EDGE
Josh Winder
6 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 8 K
16 swinging strikes, 36% CSW
Winder got his second start of the season after pitching well in long relief. He followed a six-inning shutout performace against the Rays with another excellent start, holding the Athletics to one unearned run over six frames. The 25-year-old right-hander scattered three hits and tossed 55-of-80 pitches for strikes while striking out eight batters. He now has a 1.61 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, and 20 strikeouts over 22 1/3 innings.
Merrill Kelly vs. Rockies
8 2/3 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 8 K
11 swinging strikes, 23% CSW
Kelly came just one out away from tossing a complete game against the Rockies. He allowed just one run on a double by C.J. Cron in the first inning before nearly going the distance. After getting his seventh and eighth strikeout of the game, he allowed a pair of base hits to bring the tying run to the plate. Kelly would be pulled at 106 pitches -- 75 for strikes. The 33-year-old right-hander has been excellent over the first month with a 1.22 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 34 strikeouts over 37 innings.
Priority Pickup
Rowdy Tellez, 1B, Brewers -- Available in 54 percent of Yahoo leagues
The Rowdy Tellez breakout we’ve been waiting for could be upon us. The 27-year-old first baseman has been absolutely mashing at the plate with four home runs and five doubles in the last week. Tellez is slashing .282/.344/.624 with seven homers and 24 RBI going into Saturday’s action. That production has come with a supporting 21.7 percent barrel rate and 50 percent hard-hit rate, both among tops in the leagues. And he’s done so with a modest 22.7 percent strikeout rate. Bottom line, everything Tellez is doing seems legitimate. With the Reds on the schedule again next week for the Brewers, now is the time to add Tellez in all mixed leagues.
Closing Time
Liam Hendriks worked around one walk, striking out the side in the ninth inning against the Red Sox on Friday. The 33-year-old right-hander is 8-for-9 in save chances with a 3.65 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, and 20 strikeouts over 12 1/3 innings.
Josh Hader was called on in the ninth inning with a three-run lead against the Braves to close it out. He worked around an error, striking out one batter in the scoreless inning to secure the win for the Brewers. Hader is up to 11 saves on the season with a perfect 0.00 ERA and 16 strikeouts across 10 1/3 innings.
Emilio Pagan narrowly escaped with the save against the Athletics on Friday. He was summoned to protect a one-run lead in the ninth inning. After striking out the leadoff man, he allowed a single and two walks to load the bases with one out. Seth Brown grounded into a force out before Pagan got Chad Pinder to strike out swinging.
With Ryan Pressly unavailable Friday, Rafael Montero took the mound in the ninth inning with a one-run lead against the Tigers. He worked a perfect inning with one strikeout to earn his third save of the season. With Pressly dealing with early-season knee issues, Montero could continue to see ninth-inning opportunities going forward.
Raisel Iglesias made easy work of the Nationals in the ninth inning Friday, needing only six pitches to get through the frame with one strikeout. He’s now 7-for-7 in save chances with a 2.53 ERA and 14 strikeouts over 10 2/3 innings.
After Merrill Kelly gave up a pair of two-out hits in the ninth inning, Mark Melancon entered to record the final out against the Rockies. He walked one batter to load the bases before inducing a groundout to end the game.
Giovanny Gallegos picked up his sixth save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning against the Giants.
After Ryan Thompson allowed a solo homer to bring the Mariners to within one run, Brooks Raley cleaned up the final three outs to earn his third save.
With Taylor Rogers getting the night off, Steven Wilson was called on to protect a one-run lead against the Marlins. He gave up a single and walked a batter to start the frame, but induced three fly outs to secure the win for the Padres and record his first save.
Matchup of the Day
Corbin Burnes (MIL) vs. Max Fried (ATL)
We’ve got a good one on Saturday’s slate of games. In a battle of aces, Burnes takes a 1.93 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, and 43 strikeouts over 32 2/3 innings into Atlanta in a matchup against the Braves. The 27-year-old right-hander is looking every bit as good as he did last season after winning the National League Cy Young Award. On the other side, Max Fried will take the mound for the Braves. Fried has been excellent in his own right with a 3.00 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and 27 strikeouts over 30 innings.
American League Quick Hits: Carlos Correa does not have a fractured finger and is considered day-to-day... Austin Meadows was scratched from the Tigers’ starting lineup Friday due to an illness... The Twins are considering having Sonny Gray start against the Athletics on Saturday... The Red Sox recalled Jarren Duran from Triple-A Worcester... Rich Hill was placed on the COVID-19 injured list... The Twins recalled Royce Lewis from Triple-A St. Paul... Enrique Hernandez was placed on the COVID-19 injured list... Luis Arraez was placed on the COVID-19 injured list... The Orioles optioned RHP Travis Lakins to Triple-A Norfolk... Dylan Bundy was placed on the COVID-19 injured list... Alex Kirilloff was activated from the 10-day injured list...
National League Quick Hits: Fernando Tatis Jr. (wrist) said Thursday that he’s not sure when he will be cleared to swing a bat... Teoscar Hernandez is expected to be activated from the injured list on Saturday... Adam Wainwright was placed on the COVID-19 injured list... Mark Melancon was activated from the COVID-19 injured list... Diamondbacks activated Josh Rojas from the 10-day injured list... Carson Kelly was a late scratch from the Diamondbacks lineup due to abdominal tightness... The Giants activated LaMonte Wade from the 10-day injured list... Steven Matz was activated from the bereavement list... Drew Smyly will return from the bereavement list to start the first game of a doubleheader Saturday... Brewers optioned Keston Huira to Triple-A Nashville... Jose Barrero suffered a setback while rehabbing his surgically-repaired left hand... Mike Minor will resume a rehab assignment on Tuesday... Tyler Naquin was activated from the COVID-19 injured list... The Marlins placed Brian Anderson on the COVID-19 injured list and recalled Bryan De La Cruz...
