Rays 3, Marlins 7: Too Little Too Late

Coming off of a close win against Miami on Friday, Blake Snell looked to keep the Rays rolling. The Marlins countered with Sandy Alcantara.

Blake Snell looked strong early in the game. Through three innings Snell didn’t allow a run and mixed in three strikeouts, getting whiffs on all four of his pitches.

On the other side Alcantara was similarly strong early on. Alcantara picked up six strikeouts of his own through three innings, looking very strong with the fastball.

The fourth inning wouldn’t be as easy for Snell and the Rays. Jesus Aguilar led the inning off with a walk, and Brian Anderson drove a double to right-center field. With two men in scoring position, Snell was able to get Lewis Brinson to swing through a 1-2 fastball, but Michael Perez was unable to catch the ball and Aguilar came in to score on the passed ball. Harold Ramirez followed that up with a single to center field, allowing Brian Anderson to come home. Corey Dickerson would then take a middle of the plate fastball over the center field wall for a two-run home run. Within four pitches the Marlins were able to push four runs across home plate. Snell would recover and get through the inning, but the Marlins held a 4-0 lead.

In the fifth inning the Marlins pushed across another run. Lewis Brinson grounded one to Lowe and a high throw over Choi’s head let Jesus Aguilar come home to give Miami a 5-0 lead. Michael Perez drove in a run in the bottom half of the inning with a double, but the Rays failed to push for anymore and trailed 5-1 through five innings.

Snell would be finished with his five innings of work. Despite the eight strikeouts the Marlins managed six hits and put up five runs (four earned) on Snell, along with some shaky defensive work.

In the sixth inning, the Rays got a lead off double from Ji-Man Choi but Alcantara was able to quell any thoughts of a comeback by retiring the ensuing three hitters.

Aaron Slegers, who relieved Blake Snell in the sixth inning, let up two runs in the seventh inning on a two-run single from Matt Joyce. In the bottom of the seventh, Randy Arozorena managed a single but was quickly erased on a double play.

In the eighth inning new Rays lefty reliever Cody Reed left the game with an apparent injury after facing two batters. Hopefully he doesn’t have to add his name to the growing list of Rays pitchers lost to arm injuries.

The Rays made it interesting in the ninth. Against reliever Brandon Leibrandt, Renfroe and Tsutsugo managed two out walks and Arozorena reached on an infield single. Michael Perez, who seems to be involved in every clutch hit for the Rays this season, brought two runs home with a single and forced the Marlins to call upon closer Brandon Kintzler. Despite the comeback effort, Kintzler got Wendle to groundout to end the game.

With the 7-3 loss, the Rays fell to 27-13. It snaps a modest two-game win streak but the Rays still hold onto first place over the Yankees in the AL East and the best record in the AL over the Oakland Athletics. Tyler Glasnow will take the mound tomorrow against rookie Trevor Rogers in the rubber match of the series before the Rays head out to Washington D.C. next week.