Kirby allows 1 run in 6 innings, Raleigh hits 3-run homer, and Mariners beat Rays 5-2 to avoid sweep

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — George Kirby allowed one run in six innings, Cal Raleigh hit a three-run homer and the AL West-leading Seattle Mariners avoided a three-game sweep by beating the Tampa Bay Rays 5-2 on Wednesday.

Seattle went 3-6 on a trip to Cleveland, Miami and Tampa Bay and at 19-25 is the only division leader with a losing road record.

Seattle closer Andrés Muñoz, who blew his second save in 15 chances on Monday, loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth on two walks and a hit by pitch with the Mariners ahead 5-1. Richie Palacios hit into a run-scoring forceout off Trent Thornton, who got his first big league save when Amed Rosario grounded into a game-ending double play.

Kirby (7-5) scattered four hits and struck out seven, his sixth consecutive start giving up two runs or fewer.

Raleigh put Seattle up 3-1 with his 14th homer, a sixth-inning drive off Shawn Armstrong (2-2). The reliever walked the struggling Julio Rodríguez, who had three hits in his previous 32 at-bats, before Raleigh connected on a 422-foot drive to right.

J.P. Crawford made it 5-1 on a two-run single in the seventh.

Yandy Díaz extended his career-best hitting streak to 19 games with a first-inning single, tying the Rays' record set by Jason Bartlett in 2009.

Tampa Bay reached the midway point at 40-41 after losing for just the third time in 10 games. The Rays were 54-27 at the same point last season en route to an AL wild-card berth.

Díaz also had a third-inning RBI infield single.

Kirby fielded Díaz’s chopper between the mound and the first-base line, but was unsuccessful in beating him to the bag with first baseman Ty France moving toward second on the play. José Caballero, who had doubled, scored from second base.

Rays starter Ryan Pepiot gave one run and one hit over 5 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts and two walks.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: OF Luke Raley was a late scratch.

Rays: Rosario (facial lacerations) played for the first time since getting hit by a pitch on Saturday and went 0 for 4. … 2B Brandon Lowe (broken right pinky toe) was out of the lineup for the fourth straight game.

UP NEXT

Mariners: RHP Logan Gilbert (5-4, 2.71 ERA) will start Friday night against Minnesota.

Rays: RHP Zach Eflin (3-5, 2.40 ERA) will face Washington on Friday night.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

umpire Brian Knight (91) and Tampa Bay Rays catcher Alex Jackson, center look on as Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh hits a three-run home run to right field during the sixth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

Umpire Sean Barber (29) watches as Seattle Mariners second baseman Ryan Bliss, center, waits for the throw from catcher Mitch Garver before tagging out Tampa Bay Rays shortstop José Caballero, right, trying to steal second base, during the fifth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

Tampa Bay Rays reliever Shawn Armstrong (64) walks back to the mound after giving up a three-run home run to Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh, right, during the sixth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

Seattle Mariners third baseman Josh Rojas (4) and Julio Rodríguez (44) congratulate Cal Raleigh after scoring on Raleigh's three-run home run off Tampa Bay Rays reliever Shawn Armstrong during the sixth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

Tampa Bay Rays' Josh Lowe, right, congratulates José Caballero after he scored on Yandy Diaz' single during the thitrd inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop José Caballero watches his double to left field off Seattle Mariners starter George Kirby during the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford gestures toward the Martiners' dugout after reaching second base with a double off Tampa Bay Rays starter Ryan Pepiot during the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop José Caballero, right, dives to score ahead of the throw to Seattle Mariners catcher Mitch Garver (18) during the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

Tampa Bay Rays starter Ryan Pepiot pitches against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

Seattle Mariners starter George Kirby pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — An attacker with a crossbow wounded a Serbian police officer guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade on Saturday, Serbia’s Interior Ministry said. The officer responded by fatally shooting the assailant.

Both Serbian and Israeli officials said initial indications pointed to terrorism as a motive.

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said in a statement that the attacker fired a bolt at the officer, hitting him in the neck. He said the officer then "used a weapon in self-defense to shoot the attacker, who died as a result of his injuries.”

The policeman was conscious when he was transported to Belgrade's main emergency hospital and underwent an operation to remove the bolt from his neck. Hospital officials said he was stable after surgery.

A spokesman with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “today there was an attempted terrorist attack in the vicinity of the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade.” The spokesman said the embassy is closed and no employee of the embassy was injured.

Dacic told reporters that an investigation was ongoing, but “there are now all indications that the motives relate to terrorism. Because there is no other motive why someone would attack a gendarme outside the Israeli Embassy.”

Dacic identified the attacker as a 25-year-old Serb who converted to Islam. Police are investigating his possible network and ties with foreign terrorist groups after another person was arrested near the scene of the shooting. he added.

“There are indications that those are individuals already known to the security services … the Wahhabi movement,” said Dacic, referring to the hard-line Islamist movement. “But this still has not been confirmed.”

Authorities raised the security alert in Belgrade, including for foreign embassies and government buildings but also public places such as shopping malls and other busy areas.

Israel's embassy is located not far from the U.S. Embassy in an upscale Belgrade district. It is guarded by an elite police unit with officers armed with automatic weapons.

Serbia has maintained close relations with Israel during the war in Gaza.

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Associated Press writer Jovana Gec contributedto this report.

Police officers on a street close to the Israeli embassy in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, June 29, 2024. An attacker with a crossbow wounded a Serbian police officer guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade. Serbia’s interior ministry says the officer responded by fatally shooting the assailant. (AP Photo/Marko Drobnjakovic)

Police officers work at a crime scene close to the Israeli embassy in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, June 29, 2024. An attacker with a crossbow wounded a Serbian police officer guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade. Serbia’s interior ministry says the officer responded by fatally shooting the assailant. (AP Photo/Marko Drobnjakovic)

Police officers work at a crime scene close to the Israeli embassy in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, June 29, 2024. An attacker with a crossbow wounded a Serbian police officer guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade. Serbia’s interior ministry says the officer responded by fatally shooting the assailant. (AP Photo/Marko Drobnjakovic)

Police officers work at a crime scene close to the Israeli embassy in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, June 29, 2024. An attacker with a crossbow wounded a Serbian police officer guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade. Serbia’s interior ministry says the officer responded by fatally shooting the assailant. (AP Photo/Marko Drobnjakovic)

Police officers block off traffic at an intersection close to the Israeli embassy in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, June 29, 2024. An attacker with a crossbow wounded a Serbian police officer guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade. Serbia’s interior ministry says the officer responded by fatally shooting the assailant. (AP Photo/Marko Drobnjakovic)