By The Tampa Bay Rays continued their winning ways this weekend as they beat their cross-state rivals, the Miami Marlins, winning two out of three and winning their seventh series in a row for the first time since 2013.
With the win, the Rays improved to 16-5 at Tropicana Field this season.
While the series was far from perfect, Tampa Bay once again stayed true to the formula that has kept them competitive throughout the early part of the season: timely hitting, strong bullpen work, aggressive baserunning, and enough starting pitching to hold down the Marlins offense.
On Friday night, it was the hitting of Cedric Mullins, who had four of the Rays’ eleven hits, including a home run, in the 7-2 win.
In fact, the bottom third of the lineup featuring Cedric Mullins, Hunter Fuduccia, and Taylor Walls all contributed offensively in the Rays’ win.
Collectively, the bottom third of the lineup delivered six hits and drove in four runs.
Ian Seymour opened the game before turning it over to Jesse Scholtens, who delivered one of his best performances of the season.
Scholtens pitched five innings, allowing one run with five strikeouts to earn his fourth win of the season.
Despite the debacle in the 10th inning of Saturday’s game, when they allowed Miami eight runs, the Rays’ pitching and hitting were on point throughout the weekend.
Nick Martinez started and pitched another gem Saturday, going six shutout innings with five strikeouts.
The Rays and Marlins were tied 2-2 in the tenth inning when Hunter Bigge relieved Bryan Baker.
It was Bigge’s worst outing of the season, giving up six runs on seven hits as Miami won 10-5 in ten innings.
Sunday afternoon in the series finale, Drew Rasmussen struggled, but was able to put in five and one-third innings, allowing two runs with two strikeouts in the Rays’ 6-2 win.
Pitching once again played a major role in the series victory. Tampa Bay’s starters gave the club opportunities to win in all three games, limiting major damage and keeping the Marlins from building momentum offensively.
Ian Seymour saved the day on Sunday. Seymour entered the game with the bases loaded and just one out. He struck out Miami third baseman Leo Jimenez, and then got outfielder Heriberto Hernandez to line out to short to end the threat and protect the Rays’ 6-2 lead.
Seymour’s pitching in the eighth inning helped the Rays win the series, which Seymour said is the goal. “The goal is to win every series, and if you do that, you’re going to be in a great position to play meaningful baseball,” Seymour said.
“It just seems like every day, we have each other’s backs. That gives you the freedom to go out there and be your best.”
The Rays now have a record of 86-64 against the Marlins.
-With the Baltimore Orioles up next for the Rays, Manager Kevin Cash will once again make some minor tweaks with the roster.
Outfielder Jake Fraley was placed on the DL, and Carson Williams was recalled from Durham.
Why call up an infielder when you are short an outfielder on the roster?
With the versatility of Richie Palacios and Ryan Vilade, who both can play the outfield and multiple infield positions, they will use Williams at second base and to spell Taylor Walls at short.
That leaves Palacios and Vilade as rotation pieces in the outfield.
The other factor in this decision is that both outfielders on the 40-man roster, Jacob Melton and Victor Mesa Jr., are also on the DL at Durham.
After being one of the top prospects in the Rays system, no one has seen their stock fall quicker than Williams.
When given the opportunity with the Rays, it has not gone well for Williams. Williams is hitting .164 in 122 at-bats with five career home runs.
-Shane McClanahan has a scoreless streak of 21 ⅔ innings, third-longest in the majors this season, and will start for the Rays Monday Night against the Orioles. He has not given up a run since April 19th.
-Cedric Mullins, who was in a terrible slump to start the season, is starting to climb out of the hole he was in. Mullins had seven hits in the three-game series with Miami over the weekend, and is hitting .310 over his last 13 games.
