Seattle, WA—The Seattle Mariners started their three-game home series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night in a dramatic manner, winning 3-2 thanks to a late-inning comeback.
The opening coincided with Ichiro Suzuki Hall of Fame Weekend, bringing more energy and excitement to a already enthusiastic crowd of 39,780 fans. The Rays were quick to establish themselves. Tampa Bay’s first baseman Brandon Lowe hit a solo home run off Mariners’ ace Luis Castillo in the first inning, putting them on top of the 1-0 lead.
Castillo, who has been a key player for Seattle this season, recovered quickly from the early blow and worked through the next few innings with his consistent blend of power and precision.
In the sixth inning, Tampa Bay received another boost from Rays third baseman Junior Caminero. Caminero appeared to be ready to take his shot when he faced a 3-1 count and unloaded on a Castillo pitch, sending it deep over the outfield wall to extend the Rays’ lead to 2-0. The Seattle fans, who were buzzing all evening in anticipation of Ichiro’s celebratory weekend, were temporarily quieted by the home run.
Castillo completed seven innings of pitching, allowing only five hits, two earned runs, and striking out five. Although his performance was impressive, it seemed to be eclipsed by Tampa Bay’s early offense – until the Mariners staged a late rally.
In the eighth inning, Seattle’s breakthrough occurred.
“For me, in between innings, I kind of realized my (pitch) count went up with very few innings,” Castillo said in a postgame interview via translator Freddy Llanos. “So, when I was in the dugout, I just kind of made that mentality switch of being a little more effective, being a little more fast-paced, not giving the batters as much time to think when we’re out there.”
The Mariners staged their comeback as the Rays turned to reliever Griffin Jax to keep their two-run edge. The crowd was on its feet as catcher Cal Raleigh entered the batter’s box after a pair of baserunners reached.
Raleigh, known for his clutch power, did not fail to deliver. Raleigh hit a three-run home run into the right-field seats on Jax’s pitch, flipping the score to 3-2 for the Mariners. Raleigh’s 43rd home run of the season was the result of the blast, which made him the major league leader in long balls.
“We had a lot of fans tonight, so that was awesome,” Raleigh said after the game. ” … I am a human, I do hear (the chants). But yeah, I’m just trying to focus on the task at hand…I was just so excited I really didn’t hear them (while I was running the bases). I was just pumped up. That was a sweet go-ahead homer. Big spot. Those are the games you look back on at the end of the year, you’re like ‘that was a big one.'”
More importantly, it proved to be the decisive blow, giving Seattle the lead for the first and only time in the game. Carlos Vargas, who threw a scoreless eighth inning in relief, earned the win, boosting his record and acknowledging Castillo’s strong performance. Matt Brash shut out all three batters he faced in the ninth to record his latest save.
As the final strike was called, the crowd went wild with the hard-throwing right-hander’s dominant performance.
“(Brash has) been really good all year,” Raleigh said. “Credit to him, because it’s tough, that first year coming off Tommy John. He’s done a really good job, and tonight he was really good. He’s using all his pitches — sinker, (four-seam), sweeper and changeup. Was able to keep them off-balance.”
This victory marks the Mariners’ 64th win of the season and sets the stage for a pivotal series in their playoff push.
With Ichiro Suzuki’s legacy being celebrated throughout the weekend, the comeback win felt like a fitting tribute to one of the franchise’s all-time greats, a gritty, dramatic, and memorable player.
Seattle will look to build on their momentum as the series continues, while the Rays aim to bounce back. If Friday night was any indication, fans can expect more excitement and fireworks at T-Mobile Park in the games ahead.
