Tampa, FL – Christopher Morel hit two homers and Taylor Walls, Danny Jansen, and Brandon Lowe also homered but the impressive offensive showing wasn’t enough as the Tampa Bay Rays fell 11-10 to the Miami Marlins in 10-innings on Saturday afternoon.
Cade Gibson (1-3, 1.06 ERA) worked the final two innings to earn the win for the Marlins who improve to 24-38. Garrett Cleavinger (0-2, 2.59 ERA) takes the loss for the Rays who fall to 34-30.
Rays starter Taj Bradley had hoped to have a better outing than he had against the Marlins in Miami on May 16th. In that game he allowed five earned runs in four innings. Unfortunately for Bradley and the Rays he wasn’t crisp and the Marlins offense made him pay. He was staked to a 4-0 lead in the second inning only to allow the Marlins to put up a fur spot of their own in the top of the third. The big blow was a 3-run homer off the bat of former Rays outfielder Jesus Sanchez.
Bradley worked four innings allowing seven earned runs on six hits while striking out two and walking two. Mason Montgomery came in and allowed three earned runs on fie hits in one inning of work
The Rays trailed 10-6 entering the bottom of the sixth inning, but once again, the bottom of the order took over. Christopher Morel homered to cut the lead 10-7. It was Morels second home run on the afternoon and along with a double finished the game 3-for-3. Danny Jansen followed with double and scored on a 2-run homer by Taylor Walls to cut the Marlins lead to 10-9. The trio of Morel, Jansen, and Walls finished the game 8-for-11 with 7 runs scored and 9 driven in including four homers.
Brandon Lowe homered to lead of the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the game at 10-10. The Rays relief crew of Eric Orze, Keven Kelly Manuel Rodriguez, and Pete Fairbanks held the Marlins offense in check for four innings.
Garrett Cleavinger allowed pinch hitter and former Rays prospect Heriberto Hernandez to single the go ahead run in the tenth.
Cade Gibson worked the final two innings for the win and can thank second baseman Xavier Edwards for the save. With Kameron Misner being placed at second to open the inning, Edwards made a stop of Jake Mangum‘s grounder that seemed destined for right field that would have tied the game. Misner advanced to third on the play. The Marlin pulled the infield in and Jose Caballero hit a grounder up the middle that hopped up to Edwards who was forced to make an acrobatic throw to the plate that was accurate and on-time to erase Misner. He struckout Josh Lowe to end the game.
Up Next:
The Rays and Marlins finish their season series on Sunday afternoon at 12:10 p.m. Drew Rasmussen (5-4, 2.14 ERA) will take the mound for the Rays. The Marlins starter is to be announced.
