Beat goes on for Rays, who have another quiet day in loss to Marlins
MIAMI - The struggling Tampa Bay Rays went down quietly again Sunday in a 4-1 defeat by the Miami Marlins.
This marked the 10th loss in 13 games for the once-surging Rays, the eighth time in that stretch they scored three of fewer runs and the fourth with one or none.
The Rays dropped to 37-25 and, coming off a three-game sweep at home by the Detroit Tigers, lost back-to-back series for the first time since late April. (It also was the first time the 31-35 Marlins, who were coming off a sweep of the Washington Nationals, won two straight series since the first week of the season.)
Griffin Jax gave the Rays a much-improved start from his last outing in delivering five shutout innings. He allowed three singles, walked two and struck out four, throwing 37 of 62 pitches for strikes.
Sunday's outing was the best of the eight he has made during his in-season transition from reliever to starter that started May 2.
His previous start, on Monday versus Detroit, was a rough one, as he gave up six runs on seven hits (including three homers) and lasted only four innings.
Jax left with a chance for his first win as a starter, but reliever Garrett Cleavinger quickly gave up the lead.
Liam Hicks drew a five-pitch walk with one out, then Otto Lopez, who came into the game leading the majors with 84 hits, laced a run-scoring triple to right-center. Kyle Stowers followed with a sac fly to left, giving the Marlins a 2-1 lead.
They doubled it to 4-1 on a sloppy play by the Rays in the seventh.
The Marlins had runners on third and second with one out after two walks by Steven Matz and a double steal. Joe Mack hit a slow grounder that shortstop Taylor Walls fielded and threw home, but catcher Hunter Feduccia somehow missed the ball, and both runs scored.
The Rays were limited through the first seven innings by the strong efforts of Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara, who scattered five hits and a walk while striking out seven.
They got on the board in the third when Yandy Diaz, extending his on-base streak to 21 games, rapped a two-out RBI single in the third. Walls was on second after a fielder's choice grounder, in which he forced out Feduccia, and then stole second.
Their only other real opportunity came in the fifth when Ryan Vilade singled with one out and Walls was hit by a pitch with two, but Diaz grounded out.
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