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Rays go for another win over Mariners

Aug 20, 2011 - 2:54 PM (Sports Network) - The Tampa Bay Rays continue to play host to the hapless Seattle Mariners in a three-game series from Tropicana Field.

Since being acquired from Detroit, Seattle's Charlie Furbush has been solid at home. In his two starts at Safeco Field, Furbush is 2-0 with a 1.67 ERA. He was outstanding on Sunday against Boston, limiting the Red Sox to just one run on four hits. On a down note, Furbush is 0-3 on the road this season with an 8.20 ERA.

Furbush was strong in his only previous start versus the Rays this season, as the rookie hurler permitted a mere one earned run in 5 1/3 innings of action.

Expected to get the ball for the Rays tonight is Jeremy Hellickson, who has been a solid starter for the club this season. The righty is 10-8 with a 3.22 ERA, but he is coming off a poor performance against the Yankees on Saturday that saw him yield four earned runs on eight hits in just 4 1/3 innings of action. At home this season, the hurler owns a 2.70 ERA.

Hellickson is 2-0 lifetime versus Seattle with a 1.26 ERA, and both of those starts came this season. He has allowed just eight hits in 14 1/3 innings to the Mariners.

Yesterday, Ben Zobrist singled in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth inning to send the Rays to a 3-2 win over the Mariners in the opener of this series.

Earlier in the inning, Johnny Damon reached on an infield single with two outs that should have ended the inning, but third baseman Adam Kennedy took too long to get the ball to first and Evan Longoria followed with an RBI single to left to knot the game at 2-2. Zobrist then hit a single to center for the go- ahead run.

John Jaso also added an RBI for the Rays, who ran their winning streak to three games.

Juan Cruz (5-0) earned the win in 2/3 of an inning in relief and Kyle Farnsworth worked a perfect ninth to notch his 22nd save of the season.

Tampa Bay has allowed the fewest runs in the American League (477).

Felix Hernandez (11-11) was excellent in defeat, giving up three runs on six hits while fanning nine and walking three over eight frames.

Kyle Seager cracked his first major league home run for the Mariners, who have lost three straight.

Seattle's Mike Carp extended his hitting streak to 18 games.

The Rays captured seven of nine over the Mariners in 2010.