​ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Randy Arozarena delivered a pivotal three-run homer after Seattle starter Emerson Hancock departed with a hand injury in the second inning, helping the Mariners to an 8-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday and snapping a five-game skid. Hancock took a scorching 107.2 mph grounder off his pitching hand on his first pitch to Yandy Díaz, but he recovered quickly enough to throw Díaz out at first base. He remained in the game for another batter, retiring Jonathan Aranda on a fly to center before striking out Junior Caminero. Hancock exited after issuing a two-out walk to Victor Mesa Jr. in the second on his 19th pitch of the day.
José A. Ferrer came in and needed just one pitch to end the inning, then struck out two in a clean third. Four relievers followed, with Andrés Muñoz closing out the game in the ninth.
Seattle jumped ahead 3-0 against Ian Seymour in the second, as Victor Robles brought in a bases-loaded sacrifice fly and J.P. Crawford added a two-out, two-run double. Weston Wilson delivered a solo homer — his first with the Mariners and second of the season — with one out in the fourth. Seymour exited with two outs and two on, and Arozarena promptly greeted Cole Sulser with his 11th homer, pushing the lead to four runs at 7-0.
In the ninth, Buddy Kennedy and Crawford tallied back-to-back doubles off Craig Kimbrel with one out, finishing the scoring at 8-2.
The Rays got on the board in the eighth when Díaz singled leading off against Eduard Bazardo and Aranda followed with his 14th homer of the season. Seymour ended up allowing six runs over 3 1/3 innings, yielding six hits and issuing three walks; Sulser retired two in the middle portion but was charged with one run.
Tampa Bay (57-37) holds the best record in the American League heading into the All-Star break. Seattle (48-49) had dropped three straight to the Miami Marlins to begin a 1-5 road trip. In a pregame ceremony, Evan Longoria’s No. 3 Rays jersey was retired one day after his induction into the Rays’ Hall of Fame.
The Rays open a three-game road series with the Red Sox on Friday, while the Mariners welcome the Giants for a three-game set.