SEATTLE � Ryan Yarbrough's first game in Seattle was a pretty impressive one.
And nearly a historic one.
Yarbrough came one out short of throwing the Rays first complete game in more than three years in what ended up a 1-0 sweep-clinching win over the Mariners.
The Rays had not thrown a complete game since Matt Andriese did so on May 14, 2016, with their MLB record streak now at 571 games. Yarbrough became only the second starter work into the ninth in that span, as Alex Cobb did so on July 21, 2017, against Texas.
Yarbrough got the first two outs in the ninth and was at 99 pitches for the day when manager Kevin Cash pulled him to bring in Emilio Pagan, who retired pinch-hitter Omar Narvaez on a ground out to end it.
Yarbrough started his career with the Mariners, drafted and signed in 2014 and made it to Double-A before being traded to the Rays in January 2017, and said Saturday he was excited by the chance to pitch for the first time against the Mariners and in Seattle.
Eric Sogard's fourth inning homer provided the only run the Rays needed.
The win improved the Rays record to 69-50 and completed a sweep of the Mariners, their first in Seattle since 2010 and third all time. Given that they came into the series having lost straight in Seattle over three years, it was a good weekend visit.
The Rays took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Sogard, the only lefty in their lineup, homered off Seattle lefty Wade LeBlanc. Manager Kevin Cash batted Sogard, acquired last month from Toronto, third to sure he would get an at-bat against Mariners right-handed opener Sam Tuivailala, but it paid off his second time up instead.
That was the 13th homer of the season for Sogard, who had hit only 11 homers total over his first eight big-league seasons.
The Rays played some impressive defense again. Mike Zunino threw out speedy Dee Gordon trying to steal second. Willy Adames made a good pickup and strong throw on a grounder by ex-Ray Mallex Smith, who was originally called safe and then the call was overturned. Guillermo Heredia made a running catch at the centerfield wall to save extra bases.
Yarbrough said Saturday he was excited to finally get to face the Mariners, that he was eager to pitch in front of some former teammates and coaches still with Seattle, and to get to take the mound at T-Mobile Park.
"It's cool coming back here to Seattle," he said. "It's a team you especially want to throw against ... that you get a little excited for."
Yarbrough made clear then he had no regrets about being traded by the Mariners in January 2017 with Mallex Smith and minor-leaguer Carlos Vargas to the Rays for Drew Smyly.
"Honestly I feel like being traded here was the best thing that could have happened to me," Yarbrough said. "Obviously being able to have Kyle Snyder (as his pitching coach) for those couple years. And I wasn't throwing my cutter until I got over here, which obviously has been one of the bigger weapons for me so far in my career.
"With how they approach development here, especially on the pitching side, it was probably the best thing for me to come here. And I couldn't be more excited to be here."
The Rays left after the game for San Diego, where they haven't played since 2004. The interleague series against the Padres opens Monday night at Petco Park.
