The Rays are in Miami to open their annual Citrus Series against the Marlins. Drew Rasmussen is on the bump against Marlins starter Ryan Gusto.
Junior Caminero got things going in the top of the first with a one-out double to right, and Jonathan Aranda drew a walk to put two runners on for Yandy Diaz. Diaz grounded out, but moved both runners into scoring position for Richie Palacios to try and bring them home.
Richie delivered, scoring both runners on a line drive to right. Marlins right fielder Owen Cassie misplayed the ball, and Palacios slid into third with a two-RBI triple. Two pitches later, Palacios scored on a Ryan Vilade single to right field, making it 3-0 Rays. Cedric Mullins grounded out to end the inning.
Rasmussen took the mound in the bottom of the first, and set the Marlins down quickly, needing only five pitches to move this game into the second.
The Rays weren’t able to replicate their first inning, but Ras kept the Marlins quiet in the second, and did so again in the bottom of the third, striking out four between those two frames. Tyler Phillips entered for the Marlins in the top of the third to relieve Ryan Gusto. Chandler Simpson was replaced in the third with a discomfort in his left thumb, with Victor Mesa Jr. replacing him in right field.
Fast forwarding to the top of the fifth, Junior added to his double total on the night, hitting another one to left field this time. Jonathan Aranda stepped up next, reaching for a slider and poking it into center field to bring Caminero home, extending the lead to 4-0 and tallying his 44th RBI on the season.
Yandy followed the Aranda hit with a single, deflecting off Tyler Phillips’ foot. He was checked out by the team’s training staff, but stayed in the game and ultimately worked his way out of the jam in the top of the fifth.
Ras worked another 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fifth, recording his seventh strikeout in the process. Cedric Mullins led off the bottom of the sixth, with Phillips staying in for another inning on the mound for Miami. Mullins swung at the fourth pitch he saw, an 87mph splitter, and he sent it 397 feet over the right field wall, extending the lead to 5-0.
Rasmussen pitched another shutdown inning in the bottom of the sixth, recording his eighth strikeout of the game in the process.
Junior led off the top of the seventh and draw a walk for his fourth time reaching base on the night. Yandy hit a one-out single to move Junior up to second, and with two outs in the inning, Ryan Vilade hit a single to bring Caminero home, extending the lead to 6-0 and putting two runners on for Cedric Mullins. Mullins reached on a catchers interference, and with the bases loaded, Nick Fortes stepped up to face new pitcher William Kempner.
Kempner was able to get the Marlins out of the jam, so the lead stayed at six for Rasmussen to manage. Ras needed 13 pitches to continue the one-hitter and set down the heart of the Miami lineup.
Cam Booser was brought in to pitch the bottom of the eighth, ending Ras’ 87 pitch, one-hit night. Ras struck out nine with no walks, lowering his ERA to an even 3.00, on the season.
Booser’s eighth inning was nearly perfect, recording three strikeouts but walking Jakob Marsee in the process. Yandy Diaz led off the top of the ninth with a single off Tyler Zuber, and Richie Palacios followed that up with a walk, but neither runner made it home after the next three hitters were set down by Zuber.
Cole Sulser entered for the bottom of the ninth, and did exactly what he needed to do — recording a strikeout of Kyle Stowers to end it.
Behind a monster outing from Drew Rasmussen, the Rays and their six-run performance shut out the Marlins to open the Citrus Series. Shane McClanahan will take the mound tomorrow in Miami against a Marlins starter to be determined, first pitch scheduled for 4:10pm.
