Miami, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – David DeJesus clubbed a three-run homer,
Nathan Karns tossed seven solid innings and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Miami
Marlins 8-5 Sunday in the rubber match of a three-game interleague series.
Rene Rivera went 3-for-4 with two RBI and Tim Beckham also knocked in two runs
for the Rays, who improved to 7-3 all-time at Marlins Park.
Karns (1-1) gave up two runs — one earned — on two hits, struck out six and
walked two.
Michael Morse hit a two-run double in the eighth to pull the Marlins within
7-4, but Donovan Solano flied out to right field to end the inning with
runners on the corners.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia launched a solo home run in the ninth for Miami, while
Dee Gordon finished 3-for-5 with an RBI.
Henderson Alvarez (0-2) allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings.
In an unfortunate coincidence for the Marlins, third baseman Don Kelly and
catcher Jeff Mathis both left the game after fracturing the fourth finger on
their right hands. Kelly was injured fielding a ground ball in the third
inning, while Mathis was struck by a foul tip in the eighth.
Asdrubal Cabrera singled home DeJesus in the first inning to give Tampa Bay an
early lead. DeJesus had reached on a base hit and advanced to second on a
fielding error by right fielder Giancarlo Stanton.
Alvarez wiggled out of a second-and-third, no-out jam in the fourth, but
couldn’t escape the fifth unscathed after the Marlins tied it on a sacrifice
fly by Ichiro Suzuki.
Rivera led off with a single and wound up on third following a wild pitch from
Alvarez and a Karns sacrifice bunt. After Kevin Kiermaier worked a walk,
DeJesus drove an 0-2 pitch over the wall in right field.
Miami got a run back in the bottom of the fifth as pinch-hitter Jeff Baker
drew a two-out walk and Gordon followed with triple to the right-center field
gap.
The Rays, however, scored two runs in the sixth against reliever Brad Hand to
go up 6-2. Beckham plated Desmond Jennings with a pinch-hit triple and scored
on Rivera’s double that deflected of the glove of left fielder Christian
Yelich.
Rivera was credited with another RBI double in the eighth when Suzuki couldn’t
come up with the catch on a diving attempt.
Game Notes
Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria tied Ben Zobrist’s club record for
doubles with 229 … Outfielder Marcell Ozuna was scratched from Miami’s
lineup because he arrived late on Sunday. Suzuki got the start in center
field.
