Miami Marlins vs Tampa Bay Rays Match Player Stats On Sep 04, 2020

Michael Perez's three-run double highlighted a four-run fourth inning as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Miami Marlins 5-4 on Friday night in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Yoshi Tsutsugo was 2-for-2 with a solo homer, two runs and two walks, and Joey Wendle added two hits, a walk and a stolen base for first-place Tampa Bay (27-12), which has won 21 of its last 25 games overall.

Starter Josh Fleming (3-0) stayed perfect in his third career start, but the left-hander yielded four runs on seven hits in five innings and was helped by a stellar performance from the bullpen.

Rays relievers Ryan Thompson, Pete Fairbanks, Diego Castillo and Nick Anderson fired four scoreless innings, allowing only one hit.

Corey Dickerson and Jesus Aguilar swatted home runs, and Jon Berti doubled in two runs for the Marlins (16-17).

Miami starter Pablo Lopez (3-3) lasted just four innings, but a 38-pitch fourth was his downfall. He gave up five runs on five hits, and his two walks both came in the fourth inning, and both of them scored.

Lopez allowed a high-chop single to Wendle in the first - breaking the third baseman's 0-for-17 skid - before Tsutsugo made it 1-0 in the second by launching his sixth homer to center, and just the second home run allowed by the right-hander this season.

A pair of former Rays went deep in the third and fourth frames to put the visitors ahead.

Dickerson matched Tsutsugo leading off the third, slicing a slider down the left field line and over the short wall's 315-foot mark for his fifth homer. Aguilar sent a towering shot beyond where Dickerson's landed for his fifth as well in the fourth as Miami grabbed a 2-1 advantage.

Tampa Bay loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, and Lopez forced a soft lineout by Manuel Margot before barely missing on a full count to walk Kevin Kiermaier and force in Wendle. The miss proved costly as ninth-place hitter Perez made it 5-2 by lining a three-run double to left-center.

Berti stroked a two-out, two-run double to center that bounced just off the glove of three-time Gold Glove winner Kiermaier, who nearly made a sensational catch.

In his first game off the injured list, Anderson pitched around a leadoff walk and fielding error by shortstop Willy Adames in the ninth for his fourth save in four chances.

--Field Level Media