The Seattle Mariners on Sunday completed a four-game sweep of the reigning-AL champion Tampa Bay Rays, and they did so via walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning. Shed Long, take it away:
Walk-off grand slam? Yes, that merits a look at the player-centric color television footage:
#Walkoff slam for the sweep! pic.twitter.com/nsiYNTzdMm
— MLB (@MLB) June 20, 2021
That's a 6-2 Mariners win in 10 innings (box score), and that's Long's first homer of the season. The win pushes the M's to two games above .500 for the first time since May 8. That's also Seattle's first walk-off grand slam in almost 15 years:
Shed Long with the first walk-off grand slam by a Mariners hitter since Richie Sexson on Aug. 8, 2006
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) June 20, 2021
That one was ALSO against the Rays (then-Devil Rays) in the 10th inning!
Starting lineups from that one ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/KHf7hMtXMD
On the other side of thing, the Rays in the course of this four-game sweep in Seattle suffered three walk-off losses. Here's a look at all of them:
The Mariners Walked it off 3 TIMES in this Series vs the Rays, here are all 3 put together in Order pic.twitter.com/8QO6Jd9fJX
— MLB Walk Offs & Game Winning Plays (@MLBWalk_Offs) June 20, 2021
Tampa Bay also led in all four games of the series. Overall, the Rays have lost six in a row and slipped to second place behind the Red Sox in the AL East. As well, the Yankees seem to be gradually finding their expected level, so compression in the AL East standings may be forthcoming. The Rays on balance have still been one of the best teams in baseball this season -- they had the best record in baseball prior to that aforementioned six-game losing streak -- but it's been a tough run of late, especially on Sunday.
