Rays vs Mariners

A Scrambled Bullpen Day and a Late-Inning Palacios Punch Deliver 70 Wins to Tampa Bay

• The Headline: Hours after a sudden rotation scratch, the Rays’ bullpen patchwork job holds strong behind Richie Palacios’ clutch swing to edge the Mariners 3-2.

• The Recap:

  Life comes at you fast when you’re managing pitching health in August. The Rays had Griffin Jax penciled in to start, only to pull him hours before first pitch due to elbow discomfort, forcing Tampa Bay into a frantic bullpen game using a staggering seven different arms.

  Naturally, Seattle’s Josh Naylor tried to spoil the science project by launching a pair of solo home runs. But the Rays’ makeshift strategy paid off, and the offense seized control in the sixth when Richie Palacios stepped up with two outs and laced a clutch, two-run single off Michael Rucker to flip the script. Victor Mesa Jr. also chipped in a solo shot to keep the engine humming.

  Steven Matz picked up a stealthy win out of the relief corps, and Bryan Baker locked down the ninth for his AL-leading 34th save, officially making the Rays the first American League squad to hit the 70-win mark.