Once again, Rays dominated by Mariners

Evan Longoria had three hits in the Rays loss./TRAVIS PENDERGRASS

Sunday, 2 a.m.

The Tampa Bay Rays have gone to the other corner of America to lose their way.

The Rays were overwhelmed for the second consecutive night by the Seattle Mariners, losing 9-2 to fall back to .500 on the season.

Tampa Bay came into the series on a hot streak, moving two games above .500 with another series win. But the Mariners'

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Alex Cobb was lit up by the Mariners./Steven Muncie

lineup, especially the bottom of the order, has worked the Rays over. In two games, the Mariners have scored 21 runs on 27 hits and five walks.

"Back-to-back nights, they've just beat us,"said Rays' manager Kevin Cash. "Alex battled but he wasn't locating like he has in the past, and Seattle burned him multiple times on mislocated pitches.

"Our rotation, we leaned on them pretty hard for a month. We're seeing some guys who could be gassed a little bit. When you're gassed, it's not that you're pitching bad. You're just not as crisp, not commanding the baseball as well as we're capable of. Off-days are going to help that."

Morrison homered to add the Rays' final run./STEVEN MUNCIE

Batters No. 6-9 have driven in 20 of the team's runs in two games. First baseman Danny Valencia is seven-for-seven, scoring six runs and driving in six others. Catcher Mike Zunino, formerly of Florida, drove in seven runs on Saturday night, including a grand slam in the fifth.

The Mariners roughed up pitcher Alex Cobb for nine runs on 14 hits in five innings.

The Rays scored in the first on a solo homer by Corey Dickerson and in the ninth on a solo homer by Logan Morrison. It was Morrison's 100th career homer.

Dickerson got the Rays off to a good start with a leadoff homer. /CARMEN MANDATO

Evan Longoria had half of the team's six hits, going three-for-three.

Tampa Bay has now held the lead in 50 of its 58 games.

The Rays try to salvage a game from the series today, when they send Erasmo Ramirez to the mound to face Ariel Miranda.