Jonathan Aranda recorded three hits and drove in the go-ahead run, and the Tampa Bay Rays claimed their final home series before the All-Star break in a 6-1 win over the struggling Seattle Mariners on Saturday afternoon in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Aranda went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run, including his first two-bagger in the third that scored Yandy Diaz to break a 1-1 tie.
Pinch hitter Ryan Vilade stroked a three-run homer in the seventh that created separation.
On a career-best day, Ben Williamson went 4-for-4 with a double, an RBI, a run and a stolen base to help the Rays improve their majors-best home record to 35-14.
Starter Griffin Jax (5-6) turned in a strong outing over five innings, yielding one run on four hits with three strikeouts and three walks.
Seattle’s Logan Gilbert (7-6) tossed 6 2/3 innings and surrendered four runs on nine hits with five strikeouts and two walks as the club lost its fifth straight.
Cole Young’s double was one of Seattle’s six hits. He scored its only run.
After franchise great Evan Longoria was inducted into the Tampa Bay Rays Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony, Jax kept the home enthusiasm up by extricating himself from a bases-loaded, one-out mess in the first with a pair of strikeouts.
Two batters after Young’s leadoff double in the second, Colt Emerson produced a sacrifice fly, but Williamson tied it for the Rays on an RBI double that scored Chandler Simpson in the home half.
Tampa Bay went up in the third on consecutive doubles by Diaz and Aranda to open the inning, but Gilbert recorded three straight outs to escape the jam. He did so again in the fourth when the Rays put a runner on third with one out.
In the seventh, Mariners manager Dan Wilson appeared to come out to remove Gilbert with two outs, but the pitcher made his case to stay in and did. Aranda then ripped a double.
Following an intentional walk to Junior Caminero, Vilade greeted left-handed reliever Gabe Speier with a three-run blast to left on the first pitch, making it 5-1.
Rays reliever Garrett Cleavinger fanned pinch hitter Mitch Garver looking with two runners on in the eighth to maintain the four-run lead.
The home side added an unearned run in the eighth on reliever Michael Rucker’s throwing error.
