SEATTLE — It was anything but a normal outing for Shane McClanahan, but the Rays didn’t need the dominance they’ve grown accustomed to from the star left-hander as they scored eight runs in the eighth inning en route to a 15-4 win over the Mariners Friday night at T-Mobile Park.
In his previous start against Kansas City on June 22, McClanahan left the game after just 3 2/3 innings with back tightness. The current MLB leader in wins (11) struggled his way through three innings, managing just one strikeout while allowing four runs on five hits and three walks.
Despite their starter’s rough outing, the league-leading Rays (57-28) picked up their third straight win by chipping away at the deficit before an avalanche of runs in the eighth frame put things out of reach. A two-run home run by Randy Arozarena put the Rays on the board in the fourth inning, and they added runs in the fifth and sixth to knot things at 4-4.
The eighth-inning barrage saw 13 Tampa Bay batters rack up eight hits on their way to a 12-4 lead.
