 gave up three hits and struck out five while throwing 82 pitches before he was pulled for a pinch hitter in the top of the seventh inning.''My sinker was playing pretty well tonight,'' Morton said. ''They were pretty aggressive around the zone. They didn't chase a whole lot, but they were aggressive maybe on pitches that weren't hitters' pitches.'' Garcia had a solo homer and two RBI singles for the Rays in the opener of the two-game series against their cross-state interleague rivals. The sparse crowd of 6,306 also featured a contingent of Rays' fans, whose ''Let's Go Rays'' chants increased as Tampa Bay scored its third run on Kevin Kiermaier's bases loaded walk in the eighth.Garcia finished the scoring with an infield single with the bases loaded in the ninth.''A healthy Avi Garcia can beat you in many ways,'' Rays manager Kevin Cash said. ''Last year, he was battling injuries. But now he is 100% healthy. He hits the infield single to break the game a little bit more right there.'' Garcia got the Rays on the scoreboard with a leadoff home run in the second. His shot measured at 471 feet landed on the corridor above the center-field wall for his seventh of the season.''I didn't expect to hit the ball like that,'' Garcia said. ''I've been feeling great since BP. I knew I hit it good. I knew right away it was out - but not that far.'' Garcia doubled the Rays' lead as he greeted Marlins reliever Nick Anderson with a single that scored Tommy Pham. Anderson inherited two runners from Miami starter Caleb Smith, who didn't last past the sixth inning for the first time since his opening start on April 1.Smith (3-1) allowed two runs and four hits, while striking out eight and walking two in 5 1/3 innings. The Marlins lost their sixth straight and ninth in the last 10.''We just have to keep grinding and eventually things are going to go our way,'' Smith said.Relievers Emilio Pagan, Diego Castillo and Chaz Roe pitched the final three innings for Tampa Bay.Miami was shut out for the eighth time and threatened only in the third after John Berti reached on a two-out infield single and advanced to third on Brian Anderson's single. Morton struck out Neil Walker to end the inning.''We don't have that one or two guys somewhat in the middle of the order kind of banging for you,'' Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. ''I know guys are getting after it but they're not measuring to what you'd like.'' INCREASING THE PITCH COUNT:Daniel Robertson struck out twice and walked once in his three plate appearances against Smith but made the Marlins starter expend his pitch count. Smith threw 26 pitches against Robertson, including a 13-pitch at bat in the fourth. Robertson was the last hitter Smith faced in the sixth as he worked a nine-pitch at bat before reaching on the first of his two walks.''They had good at bats,'' Smith said. ''They fouled pitches off and got me out of the game.'' TRAINER'S ROOMTampa Bay: Sidelined since opening day, INF Matt Duffy (left hamstring tightness) went 1 for 6 in three recent rehab assignments and is scheduled to play five innings Wednesday at Single-A Charlotte.Miami: RHP Drew Steckenrider (right elbow inflammation) will visit physician James Andrews for a second opinion on his injury. Steckenrider, who split time between setup reliever and closer for the Marlins last season, was placed on the 60-day injured list last week.UP NEXTThe Rays will go with Ryne Stanek (0-1, 2.57) as their opener in the series finale Wednesday. Stanek has started 10 games in 2019 but has not pitched more than two innings. Jose Urena (1-5, 4.82) will start for the Marlins---More MLB coverage: www.apnews.com/MLB and www.twitter.com/-Sports)
Surprise pitchers' duel on tap in Miami When the Tampa Bay Rays and the host Miami Marlins meet for the first time this year on Tuesday night, the pitching matchup will feature two of the most underrated starters in the majors.Marlins left-hander Caleb Smith, a late bloomer at age 27, is in his second full major league season and has been dominant so far -- 3-0 with a 2.11 ERA and 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings.He didn't go to a big-name university (Sam Houston State), and he wasn't a top draft pick (14th round). But in his past five starts, Smith has a 1.42 ERA with 41 strikeouts and nine walks in 31 2/3 innings.In fact, he struck out a career-high 11 batters in his most recent start, allowing two runs in 6 2/3 innings before settling for a no-decision against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday."It was good to see Caleb pitch like that," Marlins manager Don Mattingly told the media. "He had been having trouble in cold weather." Smith was scheduled to start on Sunday, but Miami's game at the New York Mets was postponed due to heavy rain. Tuesday's game will mark the first time this season that Smith pitches on six days of rest.Tampa Bay will counter Miami with right-hander Charlie Morton, a 35-year-old who is an even later bloomer than Smith.In his first nine years in the majors -- all of them in the National League -- Morton sported a 46-71 record. However, since coming to the American League in 2017, Morton has been a revelation with a 32-10 record. He won a World Series title with the Houston Astros in 2017 and made his first All-Star team in 2018.Morton is also 3-0 with a 2.64 ERA this season. He is striking out 11.4 batters per nine innings, just short of Smith's stat line.He has made 12 career starts against the Marlins, going 6-4 with a 4.09 ERA. However, he has yet to face the Marlins since he arrived in the American League.Starting pitchers aside, the Rays -- who are contenders in the American League East -- and the last-place Marlins (National League East) are very different. The standings show that quite clearly.Despite the lack of wins, the Rays have gotten production from some sources. Perhaps no source has been greater than third baseman Yandy Diaz. The 27-year-old leads the Rays in homers with nine in 135 at-bats. In his previous two major league seasons, Diaz had a total of just one homer over 265 at-bats."It's me getting to the ball faster," Diaz told The Tampa Bay Times when asked about his new approach this year. "That has created more power." Perhaps Tampa Bay's best hitter is Austin Meadows, who has been used eight times as the designated hitter. With the DH not in play in an NL stadium, Meadows will likely play a corner outfield spot in order to keep his bat in the lineup. Though he does not have enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title, Meadows is hitting a team-high .360 with eight homers and a Rays-best 1.148 OPS. The average and OPS would be good enough to lead the AL with enough plate appearances.The Marlins, meanwhile, are lacking in pop, scoring just 2.3 runs per game in May -- last in the NL. Four of Miami's starters -- catcher Jorge Alfaro, second baseman Starlin Castro, shortstop Miguel Rojas and third baseman/right fielder Brian Anderson -- have combined to smack just one extra-base hit in May.--Field Level Media
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