Mariners 4 - 1 Rays
Final
  for this game

Mariners take series opener vs. Rays

May 26, 2015 - 4:12 AM St. Petersburg, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Roenis Elias pitched six quality innings as the Seattle Mariners earned a 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in the opener of a three-game series on Monday.

Elias (3-1) scattered six hits and three walks, the only costly mistake coming on Logan Forsythe's home run in the sixth inning.

Robinson Cano drove in two runs, Mike Zunino hit a solo shot and Nelson Cruz knocked in another run as Seattle improved to 4-3 on a nine-game road trip.

The Rays dropped their third straight thanks in part to an 0-for-10 showing with runners in scoring position.

Another hard-luck loss fell on Jake Odorizzi (3-5), who was charged with two runs -- one earned -- over seven innings. He struck out seven and allowed just five hits and two walks in dropping his third straight start.

"I tried to give us as many innings as I could and try to save the bullpen," Odorizzi said.

The Rays came in with an AL-low 18 errors but began the game with their fourth in three games. Tim Beckham's error followed by a walk put runners on first and second, and Cano and Cruz followed with RBI singles on two-strike counts.

Odorizzi settled in and allowed just four more baserunners the rest of his outing, while Elias escaped a couple jams to keep the Rays off the board.

Twice Tampa Bay stranded two in scoring position with one out, and Rene Rivera's leadoff double in the fifth went for naught when Elias retired the top of the Rays' order in succession to keep it 2-0.

The score finally changed when Forsythe crushed a leadoff shot deep to left in the sixth, but the Rays failed to cash in on several more scoring chances.

Another misplay by Beckham on a ball hit by Smith was ruled a double, and the Mariners added an insurance run on Cano's base hit through the right side.

Zunino took Brandon Gomes deep in the ninth, and Fernando Rodney worked the bottom half and posted his 13th save.

"I was able to get something I can could handle...and just barreled it up," Zunino said of his homer.

Game Notes

Beckham was recalled from Triple-A Durham on Monday to take the roster spot of first baseman James Loney, who went on the disabled list with a left middle finger fracture ... Odorizzi has pitched into the seventh inning nine times in 10 starts, eclipsing his total in 31 starts last year ... Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager extended his hitting streak to 11 games ... This was the first-ever matchup of MLB managers who played in the Little League World Series. Tampa Bay's Kevin Cash played for Tampa Northside in 1989, and Lloyd McClendon played for Gary, Ind. in 1971.






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