MIAMI– Isaac Paredes doubled twice and drove in three runs and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Miami Marlins 5-3 on Wednesday night to win their two-game series.
Brandon Lowe had two hits and an RBI for the Rays, who have won 23 of 26 against Miami since the start of 2019.
Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena walked twice and scored in his first three plate appearances, extending his streak at the plate to eight after reaching five times on Tuesday. The rope ended when Arozarena jumped into second to end the seventh.
“Randy’s hitting over the last three or four games has been really impressive,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “That might be the most encouraging thing, the way he sees the ball. He’s hitting some good shots and getting some balls down the line.”
The Marlins fell to NL worst, 21-41. They started June with four straight losses after going 14-13 in May.
Rays starter Zach Eflin returned from the injured list and worked four innings of two-run ball. Limited to one pitch count, Eflin allowed three hits and struck out three. The right-hander, who missed three weeks with lower back inflammation, finished his 55-pitch outing by retiring 10 consecutive times.
“I felt good, in the first round I felt like I was getting my feet wet again. But the longer I was there, the more comfortable I became,” Eflin said. “Hopefully more releases next time.”
Five relievers followed Eflin, including Richard Lovelady (2-4), who pitched a perfect sixth. Pete Fairbanks pitched the ninth for his eighth save.
Paredes hit a two-run double off Miami starter Braxton Garrett (2-1) and scored on Josh Lowe’s double to put Tampa Bay ahead 3-0 in the first.
“I’ve been recognizing the strike zone and that has helped me a lot,” said Paredes, who went 4-for-9 in the series. “It makes me feel more confident.”
Jesús Sánchez’s RBI double and Otto López’s single in the bottom half closed the gap on Miami.
The Rays ended Garrett’s game at third on Brandon Lowe’s run-scoring single and Paredes’ RBI double.
“You always want to wake up early and be ahead,” Brandon Lowe said. “I feel like we do it more for our pitchers than our hitters. Our guys will always have great at-bats. They will try their best. They will try their best.”
Josh Bell got the Marlins to 5-3 with an RBI single in the fifth.
Garrett gave up five runs and six hits in 2 2/3 innings. In the two-game set, the Rays scored 14 runs and had 15 hits in seven innings against Miami’s starters.
“He hasn’t thrown a lot of first-pitch strikes and that’s unlike him,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said of Garrett. “He generally commands all four quadrants and I feel like he was clueless about any shot.”
Oscar winner Will Smith and co-star Martin Lawrence, who are in Miami promoting the release of their film “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” made an appearance in the Marlins dugout before the game and posed for photos with The fans. With Smith’s encouragement, Lawrence also threw a ceremonial first pitch to Marlins outfielder Nick Gordon.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rays: LHP Colin Poche (middle back tightness) threw a scoreless inning during a rehab game with Triple-A Durham on Tuesday and is scheduled for another appearance on Thursday.
Marlins: INF Jake Burger had the night off. Burger has played in 24 consecutive games since returning from a three-week absence due to a sprained left intercostal muscle.
NEXT
Rays: RHP Aaron Civale (2-4, 5.37) will start the opener of a four-game home series against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday.
Marlins: LHP Ryan Weathers (3-5, 3.41) will start the opener of a three-game home series against Cleveland on Friday. RHP Ben Lively (5-2, 2.84) will start for the Guardians.
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