Isaac Paredes doubled twice and drove in three runs as the visiting Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Miami Marlins 5-3 on Wednesday night.
Since 2019, the Rays are 23-3 against the Marlins, including a two-game mini-sweep in this week’s series.
Tampa Bay starter Zach Eflin, who had been out due to back inflammation, pitched for the first time since May 18, allowing two runs on three hits. He struck out three without walking a batter. As a precaution, Eflin was lifted after four innings even though he retired the last 10 batters he faced.
Rays left fielder Randy Arozarena went 1-for-2 with two walks. In this series, he reached base eight times in nine plate appearances.
Richard Lovelady (2-4) tossed a scoreless sixth inning to earn the win. Miami starter Braxton Garrett (2-1) took the loss after he gave up five runs on six hits and a walk in 2 2/3 innings.
Tampa Bay never trailed, scoring three runs in the first inning.
Arozarena started the rally with a one-out walk and took third when right fielder Jesus Sanchez couldn’t corral the bounce on Brandon Lowe’s single. Paredes followed with a two-run double down the left-field line. Josh Lowe capped the rally with an RBI double.
Sanchez made up for his error with a two-out RBI double in the bottom of the first. Otto Lopez followed with an RBI single.
The Rays stretched their lead to 5-2 in the third. Arozarena doubled and scored on Lowe’s single. Paredes then followed with his second RBI double of the night.
With Shawn Armstrong in for Eflin in the fifth, the Marlins closed their deficit to 5-3. Vidal Brujan singled, advanced on a hit-by-pitch and a fly out and scored on Josh Bell’s single.
Bryan De La Cruz, who leads Miami with 10 homers, nearly hit a two-run shot in the eighth that would’ve tied the score 5-5. Instead, his 398-foot drive was caught on the warning track by center fielder Jose Siri.
— Field Level Media