Yandy Díaz hit a tying two-run homer in the fifth inning and his double in the eighth led to the eventual winning run as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Miami Marlins 3-2 on Sunday.
Díaz homered off Miami reliever Valente Bellozo in the fifth, tying the game at 2. He doubled off Bellozo (1-3) with one out in the eighth and was replaced by pinch runner José Caballero, who stole third and scored on a Brandon Lowe’s sacrifice fly off Calvin Faucher to make it 3-2.
Tampa Bay’s Drew Rasmussen had his MLB-leading streak of 23 scoreless innings halted in the first. Xavier Edwards had a leadoff single and advanced two bases on a groundout by Jesús Sánchez when the Rays failed to cover third base. Otto Lopez had a streak-ending RBI single for a 1-0 lead.
Ronny Henriquez and Cade Gibson pitched a scoreless inningss following two shutout innings by Miami opener Anthony Veneziano. Bellozo walked Taylor Walls in the fifth before giving up Díaz’s ninth home run that tied it at 2.
Marlins rookie Heriberto Hernandez got the start at DH a day after he drove in the winning run with a pinch hit in the 10th inning of Miami’s 11-10 victory. He singled the first three times up. He led off the fifth with a hit off Rasmussen, took second on a two-out wild pitch and scored on a base hit by Sánchez for a 2-0 lead.
Rasmussen allowed two runs on six hits in six innings. He had won four straight starts and hadn’t surrendered a run since losing to the Brewers on May 11. Edwin Uceta (5-1) struck out three in two perfect innings for the win.
The Rays and the Marlins (24-39) split six games this season after Tampa Bay (35-30) had won the season series six straight years.
Key moment
Caballero’s steal of third base in the eighth was his 21st of the season — tying him for the lead in the American League.
Key stat
The Rays lead the majors with 90 steals, while the Marlins have allowed the most with 96.
Up next
The Rays will start RHP Shane Baz (5-3, 4.96) Monday in the first of three games in Boston. The Red Sox will start RHP Brayan Bello (2-1, 3.91).
The Marlins and Pirates have not announced starters for the first of three games in Pittsburgh beginning Monday.
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