New Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Adrian Houser wasted no time in making himself a target in the Emerald City ahead of his team’s three-game weekend series against the Seattle Mariners.
And as soon as the M’s offense had a chance, they wasted no time taking aim at Houser.
Seattle Mariners 6, Tampa Bay Rays 3: Recap | Box score
During pregame workouts at T-Mobile Park on Friday, Houser was spotted on the field wearing something Seattle sports fans always take offense to: an Oklahoma City Thunder jersey.
The timing could be seen as Houser trying to pour salt in the wound for Seattle SuperSonics faithful because in June, the franchise that left the city in 2008 to become the OKC Thunder won the NBA Finals for the first time since the move.
Karma found Houser in the form of the Mariners’ bats – and maybe his own nerves – pretty much immediately in Sunday’s series finale between the Rays and Mariners, which Houser started on the mound for Tampa Bay.
First, after a challenge by the Mariners, it was ruled Houser hit leadoff man Randy Arozarena on the arm. Already not a great start for our guy Adrian.
Next up was MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh, who did what you might have expected: he homered for the 45th time this season, giving the M’s a 2-0 lead before Houser even recorded an out.
NUMBER 45 FOR BIG DUMPER! #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/pxi1QqePvT
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 10, 2025
And it would be a while yet before Houser found that elusive out No. 1, too.
Julio Rodríguez singled and Josh Naylor walked, really putting the pressure on Houser – who clearly felt it, because he balked, giving the M’s two runners in scoring position. Eugenio Suárez then cashed in with a two-run single.
✌️ more in the first! #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/sWJi3q3NlL
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 10, 2025
Four runs in, a runner on, and still no outs.
Houser finally found his footing for a second, striking out Jorge Polanco and picking off Suárez while he tried to take second. But it was still three more batters before he found the safety of the visiting dugout as Mitch Garver and J.P. Crawford each drew walks while Dominic Canzone singled in between them.
Arozarena finally grounded out to end the threat.
When all was said and done in the first, the Rays’ biggest Shai Gilgeous-Alexander fan needed 45 pitches to get his first three outs on Sunday, surrendering four runs on four hits, three walks and a hit batter while letting the M’s bat around.
It may have been 17 years ago that the Sonics were ripped out of Seattle and plopped in Oklahoma City, but the city’s fans have never forgot. And there’s no doubt that the Mariners’ offense made a lot of Sonics fans smile with their first inning Sunday.
To Houser’s credit, he settled down for the rest of his outing, keeping the Mariners off the board for the next four innings before Rays manager Kevin Cash went to the bullpen. Houser, who came to the Rays in a trade deadline deal from the Chicago White Sox on July 31, in fact threw just 49 pitches from the second through the fifth innings, only four more than he threw in the first alone.
Still, he still took the loss after his disastrous first inning as the red-hot Mariners won 6-3 to sweep the Rays, push their winning streak to seven games, and move into the American League’s top wild card spot and within a half-game of the Houston Astros for the AL West lead.
Houser’s Rays, meanwhile, have won just five of their last 20 games to fall to 5 1/2 games out of a playoff spot.
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