ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Seattle supervisor Scott Servais had an enormous smile when he began his postgame media session by saying you bought hit to win on the highway earlier than including “unless you got great pitching.”

That’s precisely what the Mariners bought Thursday night time.

Luis Castillo went six innings to win his sixth consecutive resolution, Mike Ford drove in a run and the Mariners beat the Tampa Bay Rays 1-0 in a matchup of playoff contenders.

“Our guys stepped up tonight,” Servais mentioned. “Wow!”

Castillo (12-7) allowed 4 hit, 4 walks and struck out eight. The right-hander labored out of two-on, one-out jams in every of the primary three innings. He threw 108 pitches, one off his season excessive.

“In those situations I don’t lose focus,” Castillo mentioned by way of a translator. “If you look at my career, I actually like those situations because it helps me get focused. The way that I was able to battle and battle just shows the way this team is.”

PHOTOS: Castillo wins sixth straight resolution, Mariners beat Rays 1-0 in matchup of playoff contenders

Isaiah Campbell and Matt Brash each went an inning earlier than Andrés Muñoz labored the ninth to get his twelfth save and full a four-hitter.

Seattle moved inside a half-game of idle Houston for the AL West lead, and is 5 1/2 video games again of the Rays for the highest AL wild card. The Mariners, presently holding the second wild card, are 41-19 over their final 60 video games.

Tampa Bay dropped 4 video games behind AL East-leading Baltimore.

Muñoz hit Luke Raley with a pitch main off the ninth, however the Tampa Bay middle fielder was thrown out making an attempt to steal second by catcher Cal Raleigh.

“Big out, throwing the guy out,” Servais mentioned. “From a catcher, an old catcher like I am. Game-winning home run, throw guy out in ninth inning is right there.”

Taylor Walls then drew a stroll and stole second as Jonathan Aranda struck out. Pinch-hitter Harold Ramírez struck out to finish the sport,

It was the Mariners’ 14th shutout, and thirty eighth time they've held an opponent to 5 hits or fewer this 12 months.

Rays starter Zack Littell (3-5) went a career-high eight innings, giving up one run and 5 hits throughout an 86-pitch outing. It was his eighth begin after was being inserted into the Rays’ injury-depleted rotation on June 30. The righty’s earlier finest was six innings.

“It’s been fun.” Littell mentioned. “Truly been a learning experience. It’s just nice to go out there … it feels like every week there’s something that I kind of stumble upon.”

Eugenio Suárez doubled main off the second and scored Ford’s single because the Mariners took a 1-0 lead.

Littell retired 19 of his 21 batters following Ford’s hit.

“I thought I settled in really nicely there at the end,”Littell mentioned. “Just attacking hitters.”

The introduced crowd was 10,060. Tampa Bay began the day averaging 17,828, which is fourth-lowest within the majors.

HOT BAT

Mariners RF Teoscar Hernández prolonged his hitting streak to a career-high 16 video games with a first-inning single.

LONG RUNS

Suárez ran all the way in which from his third-base place into foul territory on the first-base facet to seize Raley’s third-inning foul after Raleigh overlooked it. … Mariners LF Dominic Canzone went midway over a brief wall within the left-field nook after monitoring down Paredes’ foul ball.

LAPSES

Seattle 2B Josh Rojas was doubled off first base by Paredes on a excessive pop foul close to third base to finish the second. … Ford struck out within the seventh after being given a strike on a 3-2 rely for calling a second time throughout the identical at-bat.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Walls (groin) began after lacking three video games. He performed a pair of video games final weekend after lacking six weeks with an indirect damage. He struck out in all these at-bats towards Castillo.

UP NEXT

Mariners RHP George Kirby (10-9) and Rays RHP Taj Bradley (5-7) have been set to begin Friday night time.

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