Robbie Ray notched a season-high 12 strikeouts over 6 2/3 strong innings and rookie Julio Rodriguez homered as the Seattle Mariners defeated the visiting Oakland Athletics 2-1 on Sunday afternoon.
The anticipated pitching duel between Ray (7-6) and Oakland's Frankie Montas (3-9) lasted just one inning after Montas was pulled following the first. Montas departed with shoulder inflammation.
Ray, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner in Toronto before signing as a free agent with the Mariners in the offseason, allowed one run on four hits with two walks.
Since re-introducing his two-seam fastball, Ray has given up three runs and 15 hits in 33 2/3 innings over his past five starts, with 40 strikeouts.
Ray was unscathed until the seventh, when Elvis Andrus hit a two-out, solo homer to left-center field. Andres Munoz replaced Ray and struck out pinch-hitter Seth Brown to end the inning.
Munoz worked a 1-2-3 eighth and Paul Sewald did the same in the ninth, catching pinch-hitter Stephen Vogt looking at a called third strike to end the game. Sewald earned his ninth save of the season.
Rodriguez, batting leadoff with J.P. Crawford wrapping up his four-game suspension for his role in the previous weekend's brawl with the Los Angeles Angels, lined Montas' first pitch of the game over the wall in the left-field corner, clanging it off the top of the manual scoreboard. It was Rodriguez's 14th home run.
Austin Pruitt replaced Montas and retired the first 13 batters he faced until No. 9 hitter Dylan Moore singled to center with one out in sixth. With Moore running, Rodriguez lined a double into the gap in left-center to make it 2-0.
Rodriguez was originally ruled safe on a steal of third but couldn't keep his fingers on the base as he slid past and was then called out. Sam Moll caught Jesse Winker looking at a called third strike to end the inning.
The Mariners took three of four games in the series with their AL West rivals.
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