Kikuchi goes 6 effective innings, Mariners beat Rays 4-2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Yusei Kikuchi went six effective innings, Abraham Toro and Jarred Kelenic homered, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 on Tuesday night.

Kikuchi (7-6) allowed two runs and six hits. The lefty had gone 0-3 in his previous four starts.

Diego Castillo, the third Mariners reliever, worked the ninth to get his first Seattle save and 15th overall. The right-hander was acquired from Tampa Bay on Thursday.

Seattle has won the first two games of the three-game series and is 6-0 overall against the defending AL champion Rays this season.

Randy Arozarena homered for the Rays.

After Cal Raleigh had a second-inning sacrifice fly, Toro and Kelenic connected on solo shots during the fourth off Luis Patiño (2-3) that put the Mariners ahead 3-1.

Toro has three homers and reached base safely in seven consecutive games since being acquired from Houston on July 27.

Seattle took a 4-2 lead in the sixth as Toro scored from third when second baseman Brandon Lowe dropped a throw from shortstop Wander Franco on a potential inning-ending double play.

Arozarena homered on the first pitch in the bottom of the first. Tampa Bay got within 3-2 in the fourth when Austin Meadows scored after left fielder Jake Fraley was charged with an error for misplaying Manuel Margot’s single.

Arozarena has three homers in his last four games.

Patiño gave up three runs and five hits in five innings.

Kikuchi tumbled out of the way when a piece of Nelson Cruz’s broken bat came at him on an inning-ending grounder with two on in the fifth.

LONG JOURNEY

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