Tampa Bay 2, Miami 0
When: 4:10 PM ET, Saturday, April 11, 2015
Where: Marlins Park, Miami, Florida
Temperature:
Indoors
Umpires:
Home -
Gerry Davis, 1B -
Phil Cuzzi, 2B -
Tony Randazzo, 3B -
Will Little
Attendance:
17830
By The Sports Xchange
MIAMI -- Less than 24 hours after engaging in a 19-run slugfest, the Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins engaged in an old-fashioned pitchers' duel Saturday.
The Rays won it 2-0 when right-hander Chris Archer held the Marlins to one hit in seven innings and third baseman Evan Longoria and infielder Tim Beckham drove home the only runs of the game on a two-out RBI double and pinch-home run, respectively.
"Obviously, a big win today," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Any time you play a game like we did last night as happy as we were the way we battled back, it's still a blow. To bounce back shows a lot about the guys -- and a heckuva pitching matchup."
Marlins right-hander Jarred Cosart matched Archer pitch for pitch through five innings but stumbled just a bit in the sixth. After getting the first two outs, he gave up a triple to right center to shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and a double to third baseman Evan Longoria in nearly the same spot for the first run of the game.
The second came an inning later when Rays rookie infielder Tim Beckham, pinch-hitting for first baseman Allan Dykstra hit a long home run to left off Marlins reliever Mike Dunn. It was his first homer of his career and his first hit of the season.
"It felt good," he said. "I saw a lot of pitches and got one I could drive and got good results."
Archer, who was coming off a 6-5 loss to Baltimore in his first start, had his way with the Marlins. He allowed only a double to outfielder Christian Yelich in the fourth inning and walked only one while striking out five.
The Marlins, who had pounded out 13 hits in Friday night's 10-9 victory over the Rays, didn't get a runner to third base and managed only one other hit -- outfielder Marel Ozuna's single with one out in the eighth off Rays reliever Kevin Jepsen.
"We just didn't have an answer for their pitcher," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "He pitched good. He pretty much mowed through our lineup."
Archer threw only 84 pitches, 57 of which were strikes.
"Every time I go out I'm trying to throw a no-hitter," he said. "I'm trying to execute every pitch I throw to the point where they don't get a hit. Tonight was as close to that as I've ever been."
The Marlins did manage to make things interesting in the bottom of the ninth when Yelich drew a two-out walk to bring up right field Giancarlo Stanton for the potential tying run. But Stanton struck out on a 2-2 pitch to end a frustrating day that saw him go hitless at four at-bats with four strikeouts.
"I just didn't do what I should have," Stanton said.
Both starters were perfect through the first three innings.
Making his first start of the season, Cosart gave up a double to center fielder Kevin Kiermaier to lead off the Rays' fourth.
Cosart walked the next hitter he faced, right fielder Steven Souza Jr., on four pitches, but got out of the jam by getting Cabrera to hit into a double play and Longoria on a fly to right.
After giving up the double to Yelich, Archer got out of his one bad inning by striking out Stanton and getting first baseman Michael Morse on a grounder to second.
NOTES: Sunday's game will wrap up the first of two three-game series between the Rays and Marlins, and the rematch in St. Petersburg isn't coming for a while. They don't meet again until Sept. 29, a gap of 169 days. ... Saturday's Rays starter, RHP Chris Archer, spent the day after his Opening Day loss to Baltimore visiting patients at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, where he was joined by OF Steve Souza Jr., signing autographs and posing for pictures. ... Called up from Triple-A Durham earlier in the day, OF Mike Mahtook made his major league debut for the Rays, lining out to second as a pinch-hitter in the third inning of Friday's 10-9 loss to the Marlins. ... Rays RHP Matt Andriese also made his first major leag
Top Game Performances
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Hits |
HR |
TB |
Avg |
LOB |
K |
RBI |
BB |
SB |
Errors |
Tampa Bay
|
6 |
1 |
13 |
.188 |
10 |
5 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
Miami
|
2 |
0 |
3 |
.071 |
5 |
8 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |