Rays Alex Cobb Gets Win Over Mariners in Return

Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Alex Cobb turned in five strong innings to record his first win in two months 7-1 over the Seattle Mariners. Cobb returned for the first time since taking a line drive off a the bat of Kansas City Royals first-baseman Eric Hosmer.

Cobb (7-2) ended his night by striking out Nick Franklin on a full-count pitch with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth. He received a standing ovation as he walked off the field.

“Everybody goes through troubles,” Cobb said in a prestart interview session with reporters on Wednesday. “If you let it wear you down and affect the way you think and affect the way you live, then it beat you. You got to beat the situation, and go out there and just be happy to be a back.”

Cobb got the run support he need in the bottom of the fifth inning of a 1-1 game when Wil Myers hit a two -run double and Evan Longoria followed with his 23rd home run of the season to score two more runs and the Rays took a 5-1 lead.

Myers finished the night with four RBI and now has 37 RBI in his first 47 major league games. The Rays are now two games behind the Boston Red Sox after Boston lost 2-1 to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Tampa Bay will start a series with the Blue Jays at Tropicana Field on Friday with with Roberto Hernandez taking the mound for the Rays and R. A.Dickey starting for Toronto.