Field Level Media
May 15, 2019
Anthony Bemboom, a 29-year-old rookie catcher, earned his first major league hit and RBI on the same play, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 1-0 win over the host Miami Marlins on Wednesday night.
Bemboom drove a run-scoring double to right field in the second inning, and the Rays used seven pitchers to keep the Marlins off the scoreboard. Reliever Jalen Beeks (3-0) earned the win, pitching three innings. Diego Castillo worked the ninth for his fifth save.
The Rays swept the two-game series against their in-state rival.
Miami has lost seven games in a row and scored just eight runs during that stretch. The Marlins have not scored since the third inning Saturday -- a drought of 24 consecutive innings.
Marlins shortstop Miguel Rojas left the game before the start of the fifth inning due to back spasms.
Jon Berti, a 29-year-old career minor-leaguer who made his debut in the majors for just four games last season, replaced Rojas at short. Berti then threw out Yandy Diaz, who over-ran third base in the sixth. In the seventh, Berti threw out Austin Meadows at the plate.
Jose Urena (1-6) took the hard-luck loss despite picking up a quality start for the fifth time in his past six outings. He allowed six hits, one walk and one run in six innings. He has lasted at least six innings in six straight starts.
The Marlins also got solid relief pitching, especially from Adam Conley, who struck out the side in the eighth.
Tampa Bay opened -- and closed -- the scoring in the second. Willy Adames drew a walk and scored when Bemboom, in just his fourth career at-bat, pulled a double that one-hopped the wall in right-center.
Miami threatened in the fifth. Brian Anderson drew a two-out walk and raced to third when Neil Walker poked an opposite-field single to right. But Starlin Castro grounded out to Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe, who made a diving catch on a hard grounder up the middle, got up and threw to first for the final out of the inning.
The Marlins came close again in the sixth. Garrett Cooper drew a leadoff walk and took third when Jorge Alfaro snapped an 0-for-20 drought with a line-drive double to left-center. However, reliever Emilio Pagan struck out Berti, got Rosell Herrera on a pop-out and fanned pinch hitter Martin Prado.
In the eighth, Alfaro hit his second double of the game -- and of his season -- but was stranded at third when Berti popped out.
--Field Level Media