Garrett Cooper stroked a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning, and the host Miami Marlins went on to a 12-7 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night.
Cooper went 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs. Starling Marte went 4-for-5 with a triple and three runs scored, and Jesus Aguilar, Chad Wallach and Jon Berti drove in two runs each as Miami salvaged one win in the three-game series.
The Marlins pounded 14 hits and scored in seven of their eight innings. Reliever Richard Bleier (1-0) earned the win with one scoreless inning.
Mike Zunino hit a two-run homer for Tampa Bay, and Yandy Diaz went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. But Austin Meadows — who homered in each of the first two games — made a crucial error and struggled on more than one fly ball in right field.
Neither starting pitcher earned a decision.
Rays starter Rich Hill allowed five hits, two walks and four runs in four innings. He struck out four.
Marlins starter Elieser Hernandez lasted just 2 1/3 innings before leaving due to right biceps inflammation. He allowed two hits and two runs and struck out three.
Miami took a 1-0 lead in the first. Miguel Rojas drew a 10-pitch walk and advanced to second on Marte’s single. After a double steal, Rojas scored on Aguilar’s sacrifice fly.
Tampa Bay took a 2-1 lead in the second as Zunino slugged a two-out, two-run homer on a 3-2 fastball.
Miami tied the score in the bottom of the second on Wallach’s RBI single.
The Marlins went ahead 3-2 in the third as Cooper, on an 0-2 count, golfed a low-and-inside slow curve over the fence in left.
Miami stretched its lead to 4-2 in the fourth. Jazz Chisholm walked, stole second and third and scored on Wallach’s sacrifice fly. The speedy Chisholm made three head-first dives in his trip around the bases.
Tampa Bay surged ahead 6-4 in the fifth, getting RBI singles from Manuel Margot and Joey Wendle and Diaz’s two-run double.
Miami tied the score 6-6 in the bottom of the fifth. After Marte’s single with one out, Aguilar’s RBI double turned Meadows around in right. Aguilar then scored when Cooper sent Meadows racing back. The ball popped out of Meadows’ glove for an error, and Aguilar scored to make it 6-6.
The Marlins went back to right field for both of their run-scoring singles in the seventh. Cooper’s hit plated the first run, and Berti drove in two more for a 9-6 lead.
Tampa Bay cut its deficit to 9-7 in the eighth when first baseman Aguilar dropped Berti’s two-out throw, allowing Wendle to score.
In the bottom of the eighth, Miami added Adam Duvall’s pinch-hit homer and Marte’s RBI triple.
–Field Level Media