The Tampa Bay Rays (43-42) defeated the Miami Marlins (35-52) 9-6 in one of the wildest contests in team history on Tuesday night in Miami.
This game started well enough for the Rays - after Wilson Ramos hit a two-run home run in the top half of the first inning, the Rays added two more in the top of the second with RBIs from Adeiny Hecheverria and Mallex Smith. However, the Marlins got some answers from some unlikely sources to answer. In the bottom of the second inning, Marlins pitcher Trevor Richards singled in two runs to cut into the Rays lead. The Marlins got two more RBIs in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie the game 4-4.
The game would remain deadlocked from that point on, in spite of both teams having plenty of opportunities. All told the Rays had 20 hits, while the Marlins had 15 hits of their own. None of it mattered as the night wore on until the top of the sixteenth inning. Jake Bauers doubled in the tie-breaking runs, and from their the Rays tried to open it up. Reliever Vidal Nuno singled in another run (on his second hit of the game), but was injured on the play and will likely miss time as a result. Daniel Robertson added another run on a double and the Rays led 9-4 looking to close it out in sixteen innings.
The Marlins would not go lightly - the Rays sent backup catcher Jesus Sucre in to pitch, and try and save a Rays bullpen if possible. Sucre faced four batters, allowing the first three to reach and was pulled after Bryan Holaday hit a sacrifice fly to make it 9-5. Jose Alvarado came into the game to close it out, and it appeared JT Realmuto grounded into a double play to end the game. On review, the play at first base was overturned and a runner scored, making it 9-6. Then Alvardo got Cameron Maybin out to groundout to end the game, and pick up one of the craziest wins in recent memory.
In addition to picking up two hits and an RBI batting, Vidal Nuno (3-0, 1.50) picked up the win, in spite of the fact he is expected to miss time going forward due to the injury he suffered running to first base in the 16th inning. Jose Alvarado picked up his third save - Brett Graves got the loss for Miami, pitching four innings in relief but running out of gas in the sixteenth inning of a game that saw 17 pitchers work for both squads.
The two teams won't have much time to rest, as they return to action on Wednesday afternoon to wrap up the series. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 PM and you can hear the game beginning with Steve Carney and the Inside Pitch at noon on 620 WDAE and 95.3 FM throughout Tampa Bay.