Farquhar blows save, Mariners lose
Tampa Bay scores two in ninth to end six-game losing streak
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Danny Farquhar was sitting at his locker waiting for reporters when the Mariners’ clubhouse opened after the game.
Having blown his first save as Seattle’s closer, he decided to handle it in a professional manner.
Jason Bourgeois hit an RBI single to cap Tampa Bay’s two-run rally against Farquhar in the ninth inning and the Rays ended a six-game losing streak, beating the Mariners 5-4 Wednesday night.
“Tomorrow is a new day,” Farquhar said. “I’m a guy who’s got a pretty short memory. Forget about it and move on. 162 games, you can’t dwell on one.”
Farquhar (0-1) had converted all five of his previous save opportunities since moving into the closer role.
“It’s hard to get those last three outs,” acting Seattle manager Robby Thompson said. “We’ll see how Danny bounces back. He’s been really good in that situation, but those kind of things happen. We’ll be giving him the ball again.”
The Rays trailed 4-3 when Ben Zobrist opened the ninth against Farquhar by hitting a triple off the top of the right-field wall.
Matt Joyce singled to tie it, Evan Longoria doubled and Wil Myers was intentionally walked to load the bases. Bourgeois singled to right over the Mariners’ drawn-in outfield.
“Just bad execution on a lot of pitches,” Farquhar said. “Pitches up in the zone, middle of the plate. Major league hitters take advantage of that situation.”
Farquhar didn’t retire any of the five batters he faced.
“No outs, bases loaded, that’s like a hitter’s dream to be in that situation with the game on the line,” Bourgeois said. “I was looking for a pitch up and out over the plate. I got it and took advantage of it.”
Joel Peralta (2-5) pitched one inning for the win.
Myers’ two-run homer, his ninth of the season, cut the margin to 4-3 in the sixth after a leadoff double by Longoria.
Rookies Brad Miller and Nick Franklin drove in three runs with back-to-back extra-base hits in the fifth to give the Mariners a three-run lead that held up until the ninth.
David Price failed in his bid to become the first Rays starting pitcher to win this month. He pitched seven innings, giving up four runs on five hits while striking out seven. All four Mariners’ runs came on two-out hits.
“To come from behind against Farquhar, who slammed the door on us yesterday, that’s huge,” Price said. “All those guys put together solid at-bats in the ninth and that’s huge for us.”
Kendrys Morales drove in Seattle’s first run with a single in the first. With two outs, Kyle Seager was hit by a pitch, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Morales’ hit.
Facing the Mariners for the first time in his 138th major league start, Price then retired 12 straight before walking Dustin Ackley with two out in the fifth.
Humberto Quintero followed with an infield single, Miller tripled into the left-field gap to score Ackley and Quintero and Franklin doubled to drive in Miller.
Mariners starter Aaron Harang, pitching in his 33rd different major league ballpark, gave up only three singles until the sixth, when the Rays opened with four straight hits and finished him.
“Harang was good for the five,” Thompson said. “We felt that he could go back out there and hopefully get us through the sixth. It kind of snowballed on him a little bit there.”