Upton lifts Rays 5-4
B.J. Upton had three RBI, including a go-ahead two-run single in the eighth, to help the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Seattle Mariners 5-4 Wednesday night.
Tampa Bay loaded the bases on a single and two walks with one out against Mark Lowe (2-7) in the eighth and Upton then gave the Rays a 5-4 lead on his single to left.
Akinori Iwamura had two RBI for the Rays, who are 6-3 since an 11-game losing skid. The defending AL champions, eliminated from playoff contention Tuesday, need to win four of their final 10 games to record a second-ever over .500 season.
Ichiro Suzuki hit an RBI single and Franklin Gutierrez had a run-scoring grounder to put Seattle ahead 3-0 in the fifth. The Mariners lost for the second time in seven games.
Seattle went ahead 4-0 in the sixth when Adrian Beltre scored on center fielder Upton’s errant throw on Jack Hannahan’s single. Upton, trying to throw out Beltre at third, was charged with an error.
Russ Springer (1-4) got the final out in the eighth for the win. Randy Choate pitched the ninth for his fifth save.
The Rays pulled within 4-3 during the bottom of the sixth when Iwamura hit a two-run triple off reliever Garrett Olson and Upton drove in a run with single against Miguel Batista.
Seattle right-hander Brandon Morrow gave up two runs and three hits in five-plus innings.
Rays rookie Wade Davis allowed four runs – two earned – and seven hits over 5 2/3 innings. He was coming off a 3-0 complete game victory over Baltimore last Thursday in his third career start.