Gonzales K's 9 as bright spot in Mariners' loss

SEATTLE -- Marco Gonzales has been one of the bright spots in this rough season for the Mariners, but the club’s No. 1 pitcher was knocked out of Friday night’s 5-3 loss to the Rays at T-Mobile Park after taking a hard grounder up the middle off the back of his left leg in the seventh inning.

Manager Scott Servais said the move was precautionary, with Gonzales’ pitch count already at 98, though the lefty likely will be sore for a few days after getting hit squarely in the upper calf.

• Box score

“It got me pretty good, but in the moment I had some adrenaline going and didn’t feel it too much,” Gonzales said. “I tried to fight to stay in with where we were at in the game. I didn’t see a reason to come out, but with my pitch count getting high, Skip just said he was making an executive decision and it was best to go to the ‘pen.”

Gonzales, who was attempting to equal his career-best 13th win of the season, wound up with a no-decision as he allowed seven hits and two runs over 6 1/3 innings, with two walks and nine strikeouts. The strikeouts tied his career high, which he’s equaled three times, including once earlier this year against the Rangers in April.

The 27-year-old southpaw remains 12-9 with a 4.25 ERA in 25 starts, including 7-3 with a 3.54 ERA over his last 11 outings.

Gonzales was hit by a 95.6 mph one-hopper off the bat of Willy Adames leading off the seventh. He fielded the deflection and threw Adames out, but was removed from the game after a brief huddle with Servais and athletic trainer Rob Nodine.

“It probably won’t feel too good tonight,” Gonzales said, “but I’ll try to keep moving and I should be fine. It’s just a bruise.”

Rays rally in ninth

The Mariners’ bullpen has undergone dramatic turnover this season, with only two of the nine current relievers having been with Seattle on Opening Day in Tokyo back in March. One of those newcomers, veteran Anthony Bass, has pitched well since being acquired in May and had made eight straight scoreless appearances until giving up three runs in the top of the ninth.

The Rays broke open a 2-2 tie despite getting only one ball out of the infield as Bass issued three walks -- one intentional -- and Tampa Bay took advantage of an error on shortstop J.P. Crawford to score an unearned tally.

Ji-Man Choi battled back from a 1-2 count to draw a bases-loaded walk for the go-ahead run.

“I put myself in that situation,” Bass said. “It’s never easy when you have runners on base in scoring position, but you’ve got to make pitches, especially that late in the game, and I didn’t do that tonight.”

The loss snapped the Mariners’ nine-game win streak over the Rays in Seattle, dating back to 2016. The Mariners have lost six of their past seven to fall further into the American League West cellar at 48-69, while Tampa Bay has won 10 of 13 to stay in the thick of the AL Wildcard chase at 67-50.

Court makes it count

Ryan Court went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, including a solo blast in the ninth for his first career home run, a pretty good night for the 31-year-old rookie. He also added an excellent running catch up against the wall down the right-field line in just his second start at that position in his pro career.

“I’m feeling more comfortable in the outfield, which is huge,” Court said. “Anything I can do to help the team to win. When I get to play, if the opportunity is there, I'm going to try my best to take advantage of it.”

While the opposite field homer will be one to remember, Court seemed more pleased with the catch he made on Avisail Garcia’s ball down the line leading off the sixth after not making a similar play last week in Houston in his previous start when Gonzales was also on the mound.

“He’s been so great and pitched so well that I’d run through the wall for him,” Court said. “I felt so bad about that thing in Houston, and he was so great and comforting, saying ‘You’ll get it next time.’ So anytime I’m out there with him, or anyone, anything I can do, put my body on the line, anything.”