Rays 4, Marlins 1
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Third baseman Evan Longoria recorded a solo home run and an RBI double as the Tampa Bay Rays finished off a three-game sweep of the Miami Marlins, 4-1 on Thursday at Tropicana Field.
It was a wildly inefficient victory for Tampa Bay (78-81), which had 16 hits and stranded 11 runners in the first seven innings. The Rays got a strong start from Jake Odorizzi (9-9), who gave up four hits in seven innings, striking out seven.
The Rays had nine hits before the Marlins had their first, getting to Miami starter Jose Fernandez for a career-high 11 hits. For all that, Fernandez gave up two runs, with the Rays getting a cushion in the seventh when Evan Longoria hit an RBI double and scored on a single by catcher J.P. Arencibia for a 4-1 lead.
Tampa Bay closer Brad Boxberger pitched a perfect ninth for his 41st save, taking over the American League lead from Huston Street.
The Marlins (69-90), who had won five straight before coming to St. Petersburg, lost five of six to the Rays this season. Tampa Bay needs to win its three remaining games against Toronto to avoid a losing record, and are also working to avoid last place in the American League East.
It was a difficult homecoming for Fernandez, who graduated from Tampa's Alonso High School in 2011.
Odorizzi didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning when center fielder Marcell Ozuna singled and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by right fielder Ichiro Suzuki.
The Rays jumped ahead 1-0 in the first inning on Longoria's 21st home run of the season, but the next few innings were mostly wasted opportunities.
Tampa Bay made it 2-0 in the third on left fielder Grady Sizemore's RBI single but stranded eight runners in the first five innings.
After five innings, the Rays had 11 hits off Fernandez, whose previous high at that point in a game in 46 career starts was nine earlier this season.
NOTES: It has happened countless times in the World Series, but Thursday marked the first time in baseball history that a National League team and an American League team played a regular-season game in October. ... Rays OF Kevin Kiermaier, making a case for an AL Gold Glove, leads the majors with 38 runs saved, 17 more than the next-closest player, according to the Rays. He also leads major league center fielders with 14 assists ... Marlins 2B Dee Gordon is a fraction of a point from leading the NL in batting average and one steal behind Cincinnati's Billy Hamilton for the NL stolen base lead. If he could take both, he would be the first NL player to lead the league in each category since Jackie Robinson in 1949, per Elias Sports Bureau.