Mariners look for back-to-back series wins to round out homestead against the Rays

As you would expect from the Mariners, the team just wrapped up a three-game series against the Giants in which every single game in the series was decided by a single run. This has seemed to be the theme for the Mariners over the last couple of years, but it was nice to see them kick the series off with a comeback win.

They'll look to keep it going against the Rays as they wrap up their homestand before going on their longest road trip of the season, a 10-game stretch in Los Angeles, Oakland, and St. Louis. While the Rays are sitting at .500, they've actually gotten quite lucky this season with a Pythagorean W/L of 59-71. Meanwhile, the Mariners sit at 67-64 for their Pythagorean, just a game above their actual record.

The Mariners look to wrap up the homestand on a high note against the Rays

I bring that up because the Rays have leaned into that a bit, at least as much as the Rays do. They seem like a team that is dangerous no matter what part of their rebuild or season they are in. Well, it's never really a rebuild as much as it is a retool. They've played .500 ball all season and have been incredibly consistent, never going more or less than 5 games away from .500.

They're 6-4 in their last 10, so maybe the Mariners can do what the Astros did a few weeks ago and sweep the Rays. Wouldn't that be nice? It all starts with Ryan Pepiot on the mound, who has posted a 3.65 ERA to date for the Rays. He goes against Bryce Miller, and the game will be televised on FS1 for those interested in watching.

Game 2 showcases Logan Gilbert vs former reliever Jeffrey Springs. He doesn't have a ton of starts this season, and in his two road starts has actually struggled, going just a total of 8.1 innings while giving up 7 runs. Meanwhile, this will be Gilbert's fifth start against the Rays. They've done well against him with a 4.22 ERA, and a big part of that has been the 10 walks across 21.1 innings.

The finals, which will actually be an afternoon game on Wednesday, sees Luis Castillo going up against... TBD. The Rays haven't said who they are throwing that game, so we likely won't know for sure until that day.

I think the biggest storyline here, and it's one that I have yet to mention, is Randy Arozarena going up against the only MLB team he has known prior to his trade to the Mariners at this year's deadline. While he has had his up-and-downs since coming to the Mariners, it would be fantastic to see a hot stretch from him against the only team he had known.

With time running out, every game matters. If the Mariners can wrap up their homestand with another series win, they'll be able to hit the road in high spirits as September comes knocking.