Rays 13, Marlins 4: Ben Zobrist belted a pair of two-run homers and Elliot Johnson and Jose Molina drove in three runs apiece as visiting Tampa Bay cruised to its sixth consecutive victory over its Sunshine State rival.
Johnson had a two-run single and scored on pitcher Matt Moore's sacrifice during a five-run second inning for the Rays, who have won three straight.
Zobrist put the game out of reach in the third inning with a two-run homer off the upper deck in right field. He added another two-run shot in the fifth for good measure. Prior to the two blasts, Zobrist hadn't homered since May 14.
Staked to an offensive explosion, Moore (3-5) breezed into the sixth inning before Giancarlo Stanton ended an 0-for-27 streak with runners in scoring position by plating Jose Reyes with an RBI infield single.
Justin Ruggiano followed with a three-run homer for the Marlins, who have dropped five in a row.
Carlos Zambrano (4-4) matched a season high by yielding seven runs on five hits in 2 1/3 innings before exiting with lower back stiffness.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The scoreboard temporarily experienced technical difficulties, preventing those in attendance from watching highlights from Game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals. The Miami Heat beat the Boston Celtics and advanced to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals. ... Tampa Bay defeated the then-Florida Marlins in five straight games during the 2008-09 seasons.
Tampa Bay | Miami | |
Matt Moore | Player | Carlos Zambrano |
Win | W/L | Loss |
6.0 | IP | 2.1 |
9 | Strikeouts | 1 |
5 | Hits | 5 |
6.00 | ERA | 27.00 |
Tampa Bay | Miami | |
Elliot Johnson | Player | Justin Ruggiano |
4 | Hits | 2 |
3 | RBI | 3 |
0 | HR | 1 |
4 | TB | 6 |
.800 | Avg | .667 |