Tampa Bay Rays vs Miami Marlins
Welcome to Marlins Way, where we find Lone Depot Park, Inner League Baseball on MLB The Show. It’s the Tampa Bay Rays taking on the Miami Marlins. I don’t think you even [Music] pure savagy for anyone that battles me. Actually, I’m harder than a rock or stone. So when it’s game time, y’all can never knock my zone. I stay ready to get ready. I got to get ready. I don’t think you hear me. Even though I said a penny, I stay ready. I ain’t got to get ready. All right, Singy, let’s talk about the man on the mound. He has been lights out lately. You’re not kidding, Boo. I mean, look at these stats. He’s got hitters guessing on every pitch. I’m excited to see if he can maintain his dominance in this one. Hey. Hey. My [Music] All [Applause] right, we’ll be back to get this one started after this. [Music] Just about set to go now. And towing the slab in this one, Yuri Perez. How about a report on him, Chris? Well, he’s putting together a really nice season on the mound. Erra in the low threes. Very respectable when you consider guys are looking to do damage. They’re not trying to just walk and hit singles. They’re trying to hit homers and draw walks and score runs. So, when you have a guy that can limit the other team from scoring more than a few runs, that’s really tough to beat game in and game out. the one. Nice curve ball for a strike. Pretty rare location right there. Right down the middle. This guy paints the edges. I’m not sure if you’re going to see that pitch again as a hitter. [Applause] swings and misses. Struck him out. That’s tough. You see it well. I mean, that was clearly up and out of the strike zone, but that’s one of the hardest things. But when you see a pitch out of the hand at eye level, that discipline to remember, I can’t hit that pitch. If I can see it really well at eye level, I can’t catch up to that pitch when a pitcher’s got this kind of velocity. So, digging in, Richie Palasios. just missed. One out. Base is empty. Cut on and miss. 96 with that fast ball. This guy’s got such a good sinker. As a hitter, you’ve got to look up in the zone. If you look down, you’re going to be chasing stuff in the dirt. So a foul ball makes it one and two. That’s inside. Now it’s three and two. That one is absolutely belted. It bangs against the giant cement pole and right gone. That’s a home run. Just like that, they move in front. It’s one- nothing. Chris, we knew this moment was coming for him soon. Yep. And it finally came. We knew it was only a matter of time before he’s going to connect with one just like that. Just too good of a hitter at the plate. Well, you can see he was out front just a little bit. Maybe didn’t recognize the change up earlier, but he got the bat head to it, hooked it down the line, and was able to keep it fair for a long home run. Really impressive. There’s a swing and a drive going back onto the track and he makes the catch. Now a look at Kevin Cash’s lineup for the Tampa Bay Rays. One guy swinging a hot bat recently, Jonathan Aranda. Boo. This is one of those guys you want at the plate in those big gamedefining moments. I mean, he’s such a consistent hitter. You got to love watching him in those situations. And hopefully we’ll get a chance to see that in this one. So, next to the plate for Tampa Bay, Junior Camro. Good power. Not great in the OBP department. He swings and misses at the first pitch. Oh, and one. Two out. Base is empty. [Applause] Camo tries to hold up. Appeal to first. No swing. He held up. Daryl Parker with the call there. And the righthander deals ball that’s out. [Applause] That one misses. And that’s ball three. Misses downstairs. And that’s ball four. I don’t think he really wanted to pitch to him right there anyhow. And now it’s Brandon Laauo gets the outside corner with that one. One’s the count. [Applause] and one and two. Excellent arm action on that two strike change up. Just missed. Man, he wanted that call. Camo off of first with two away. [Applause] swing and a ball ripped right field and that one back and that one is gone. A two-run shot. It’s their second home run of the inning. It’s 3 nothing. Looks like this guy was looking out over the plate, but he was ready to turn on the inside. Fast ball. So direct to the pitch. Absolutely blasted out of this ballpark. Yandi Diaz now definitely scuffling at the dish lately under the Mendoza line so far this month up the middle into the outfield base hit. So a two out knock keeps the inning alive. Didn’t take long to get a result for that at bat. Really nice job staying up the middle with his approach. He didn’t try to do too much with the pitch. Just shot it through the infield. Two outs, runner at first. Josh Low next to hit for the Rays. He’s been on fire at the dish lately. Batting over 300 so far this month. Foul ball. Lots of pitches thrown in this first inning. It’s kind of that nightmare scenario for starting pitching. But you know what? It’s still early enough. He can settle in. He can get some length if he just cleans up his mechanics a little bit. swing and a base hit that holds the runner at second base. The center fielder, Cameron Meisner, first and second, two outs. And here’s the rookie center fielder, Cameron Meisner. First off, offering and it just misses. Well, he’s just given up three straight hits and now behind in this count to this hitter. Might be a good time for somebody to call a timeout. Maybe the pitching coach go out there and talk to him just a little bit. Next offering is in for a strike. First and second, two down here in game one of this three game set. On the ground out to short. Got him on the offbalance throw. They limit the damage here, but two round tripers in this inning. The long ball was working. It’s now three nothing. You’re dialed into the show. [Music] Back here with my pal Singi. And today on the hill, Shane Bos. Well, no doubt about it. He’s going to have to put together some consistently good performances in order to bring that erra down. Now, he’s got good stuff. He’s just got to be able to have confidence, trust it, and really go after hitters, not nibble. Trust that his stuff can have late life in miss barrels of bats. We go to the bottom of the first. Now it’s the right fielder, Kyle Stard. and that’s in there for a strike. And now it’s even. offering misses down and away. And a foul ball. That’s off the inside corner. And now it’s three and two. and he swings and lifts one to deep center field. Gone. Home run number 10 on the year. It’s 3-1. [Applause] Oh, that one got in the jetream on a line drive. We saw the numbers on the backs of the jerseys of the outfielders, which is usually bad news. And all of a sudden, they’re back in this ball game. And now for the Marlins, Augustine Ramirez. There’s the strike. Oh, and one with the big bats coming up and a home run already surrendered, he’s really going to have to execute against these next couple of batters. [Applause] 0 and2 now. Good job to fight that one off [Music] [Applause] and a foul ball. He stays alive. Some real good life going through the zone on that one. One ball, two strikes. That misses and the count’s even at two. Really good take, especially with two strikes. [Applause] And now it’s filled up. Still just the second batter of the inning. And on the mound, he’s already thrown 13 pitches. They’ve got him working hard out there. [Applause] Foul. We’ll see another payoff pitch. I wouldn’t throw him another breaking ball. Try to go again with a fast ball. Slightly elevated. He just having a hard time catching up. Draws the walk there. That’s a great at bat. He saw a lot of pitches and earned a walk. Well, that’s a nice job of grinding out that at bat. saw a lot of pitches and ends up drawing the walk. Very gritty. So up next, Connor Norby and that one upstairs. Ball one. [Applause] Fouled off down the right side. [Music] [Applause] And that is in for a strike at the count. One and two. Got him. Swinging for the strike out. Chase the fast ball up the ladder for strike three. Typically that high fast ball if it’s close to the top of the strike zone a hitter if he’s prepared for it can get to it. But that one just had that little jump at the end which indicates there’s a good spin rate on it and it didn’t decrease in velocity as that hitter’s internal clock would expect it to and that’s why you see the swing and miss. Xavier Edwards gets a chance to hit here. This one in the air. Camo on the move, makes the catch and there’s two down. Take a look at the lineup. A guy who’s been huge for them over the last month plus. Augustine Ramirez and he’s leading them in runs batted in this season, which tells me this guy is able to slow things down when it seems like there’s a little bit of pressure. And he’s looking at as an opportunity to do damage. You know, a lot of guys, they see runners on base and they get big. They feel like all this pressure, I’ve got to get these runs in, but somehow he seems to settle into these situations. So, watch out when he comes to the plate. Graham Paulie in the box here lets that one go for a ball. That misses the zone. Now 2 and 0. Oh, he’s really working him away this bat. Sometimes take a little bit off velocity. Try to get a roll over something on the ground. stay away from that big hole on the right side of the infield. And another ball. [Music] So now two on and two outs. Two walks in the first has to be some cause for concern. I mean, you’re talking about a guy you want to pitch deep into the ball game. It’s not going to help with the pitch count right there. They can’t afford to hand out free bases at this rate. And here is Griffin Kon left field. And that is that. But not before they answer back with a solo home run. It’s now a 3-1 ball game. It’s Major League Baseball and it’s on the show. Oh, never going to go. [Applause] Second inning, set to go. Here’s the catcher, Nick Forez. For 28 years old, and he’s been on a good run at the plate, hitting over 300 in his last 10 games. Swaying in a miss. That’s strike one. Singing he wasn’t very sharp in the first. Got hit around a little bit. Just wasn’t able to locate particularly well. A lot of stuff at the fat part of the plate. Yeah, Boo. He wasn’t fooling anyone. It’s a tough place to be cuz it’s not always obvious what adjustments need to be made. Sometimes it’s location. Sometimes it’s being too predictable. Sometimes you’re tipping your pitches. He’s going to need to figure it out quickly though. The two ground ball to the right side. Boots it. Still manages a throw and it’s in time. It wasn’t the smoothest play you’ll see today, but they still get the out. Now Jose Caviierro struck out swinging his first time. Up and in. One and0. All one. No strikes. Right through there for a strike. One and one. [Music] One down. Base is empty. So a foul ball makes it one and two. hacks and misses. It’s a strike out. He’s really good hitting the baseball the other way. So, credit the pitcher for having him out in front of that pitch. Clearly, he had him fooled. I try to say when I’m writing it, I find myself instead of the path of enlightenment real. want the youth to get used to someone speaking truth. Two outs, space is empty. Now up for Tampa Bay. Richie Palasios inside. Ball one. That one the other way. Jump throw. Safe at first and an infield single keeps the inning going. The effort was there with the jump throw. You got to love it. But it just wasn’t in time. Still a really impressive play just to get to that ball and make it close at first and not every shorts stop could even make that play. Man at first. Jonathan next to hit for the Rays. He’s 0 for one [Music] and ball one. And another ball. Miami. That one’s spoiled. And the count now two and one. Slashed foul down the right side. That’ll hook off into the seats. Ground ball right side and that’s just foul. [Music] Next pitch is outside. 3-2. Two out. Runner on first. Lot of movement in the infield. Hitter’s got to stay focused on the pitch and ball four to a board. Not what he wanted to do right there, Boo. That keeps this inning alive. Puts a runner into scoring position and a chance for this offense to add on to their lead. And now Junior Camro, the walk and a run scored his first time. And there’s a ball. Miami. Two on, two outs. Outside low, two and 0. Good spot for the hitter. Definitely has the advantage in this count with runners on. Look for him to be aggressive on this next pitch. just missed. Brandon Laau would be next if they can extend the inning. And he’s homered already, so I’m sure he’d love a chance to do some more damage here. And that’ll load the bases. Oh, you know this guy wants to swing it, but he’s showing some good patience in this one. It’s the second time he’s taken ball four. La at the plate. He’s already homerred here in this one. There’s the strike. There it was. A high velocity fastball in the zone. And I think a little frustration from walking the previous hitter. He’s got good stuff. Pitch inside the zone and trust it. Next offering is in for a strike. Perhaps not quite ready to hit. First two pitches by him for a couple of strikes. Now back is against the wall. Going to have to figure something out and figure it out quickly. Going to count one and two. Good slider down and in can be so hard to get on plane with. You’re better off taking that pitch. [Applause] Base is loaded. Two down here in the top of the second. [Applause] Swag and a miss and he got him and he’s registered three Ks in this one. Well, this guy competes hard. We see the emotion there. I love it. Great job of getting out of the jam. You can call me Garing David. [Music] Back here in Lone Depot Park, ready to go for the last half of the inning. And at the plate for Miami, Otto Lopez. Lopez went deep in his most recent game. Love how vocal the umpire is today. No doubt in the hitter’s mind, catcher’s mind, and even the pitcher’s mind as to the conviction in the call in the air right field. Pretty well struck that one back. pulls it in on the warning track. [Applause] And now here is Victor Mesa Jr. not getting the results he’s wanted at the plate recently. Just one hit in his last five games. First pitch just misses. That one ripped right center field. Pops over the wall and that’s an automatic double. Well, there’s something really nice about getting yourself an automatic double like that. You get to stroll into second base without having to worry about a throw or getting your uniform dirty. And now you’re just looking for the next guy to kind of do the same thing. Maybe put one in the gap so you can jog home as well. And now Adrien Del Castillo [Applause] man at second. Swinging a miss at a slider. That one to first and he takes it himself for the out. Back to the top of the Miami order. Now a chance for Kyle Starders. He’s already homerred in this game. And that’s in there for strike one. [Applause] [Applause] Next offering is fouled back. Ruer at third. Two away. keeps the atbat going with a foul ball. That was a nice bid right there to try to tie up this ball game. Just couldn’t keep it from bending. Foul. He looked locked in on that swing. Pitcher better be careful with him right now. Got him swinging. One hit, one left. We play two full raise three and the Marlins won. So loud, put my words down. Find out why my people are crying out. Reach out with hip hop skateboard. If you want to just bounce and bounce and move if you want to just move and move. So allow back here at the ballpark coming off a series where they were redotate. And a look at the numbers. I’m never stop being a good wager. I get respect from observers. No public enemy. I’m the wife Mary dad in my community. I burn oil on the skillies. My favorite brand Rio Tokyo. Paris back to work on the outside corner and that is strike one. Well, these Rays showing great discipline at the plate and patience definitely seems to be the name of their game in this one. They’ve worked three walks already so that proves they’re not anxious up there. They’re sticking to their game plan and it’s working. You know, I was watching his rounds during batting practice today. So impressed with his ability to let the ball travel, go back up the middle and the other way. Sometimes when you step in the box during the game, you get a little anxious and you get away from that. But so far, I’ve seen him stay consistent with his pregame preparation. Low at the plate for the second time as he takes ball one. Well, Chris, through the early stages, he hasn’t been very efficient in terms of the pitch count. He’s going to need to get some quick outs if he’s going to get deeper into this game. That one a little bit high and now two and0. It is interesting though when you consider the way the game is run now. Doesn’t even matter that much if your starter doesn’t go that deep because teams are really aggressively building their bullpens. Diaz gets his lead at first with nobody out. And ball four, two aboard. Not the start to this inning he was hoping for on the mound. Now he’s going to have to really dial it up against the bottom part of this lineup to get out of this jam. Cameron Meisner digs in now trying to get the Rays on the board in the dirt. Can’t find it here. That’s six straight balls. not showing great command so far in this at bat. Two count. He’s got to execute here or this could get ugly. Gets under and pops it up. Corous. One away. And here’s the catcher, Nick Forez, 0 for one. He grounded out to first his last time. That one fouled off. Just miss could use a ground ball here. Something in the infield. Runner at first base. Get two. Get out of this. Swinging a miss. He was late. Strike two. Man, he was really tardy on that fast ball. Great job of setting him up by throwing the curve ball. Add some velocity to it on the next pitch. Can’t catch up. in the air. Foul off first has room and he makes the catch. So, two down now and here is Jose Cabierro for two in this one. The shorts stop takes the ball. First and second, two down. We’re here in the top half of inning number three. And that’s downed away. Struggled a little bit in this one. Couple of strikeouts earlier, but doing a much better job in this at bat to get ahead and find a good hitter count at 2 and 0. Line drive, base hit. Rounds third headed for the plate. The throw in. Well, here we are. Third time through the order. And this is where we see the OPS jump up. Manager might have to go to the bullpen a little bit sooner than he anticipated. So, two outs with runners on the corners. Richie Palasios next to hit for the Rays. clips the corner. 0 and one. 0 and one. [Applause] Swings through the fast ball up in the zone. He’s been great in this one. Eye hand coordination just failed him a little bit right there. Not close with that one. And that is ball one. Two aboard, two outs. [Applause] Ground ball left side and it goes just foul. [Music] Two outs. Knocks that one away. And we’ll do it again. Fly ball to right. Sters has this one sized up. And that is that. So, one run in the inning on this base hit. It’s now 4-1. [Music] Back here in Miami as we go to the last of the third. And here’s the first baseman, Augustine Ramirez. [Music] Let’s go Miami. Highfly ball down the left field line and it bangs off the foul pole. Home run. That one felt good. And then cut into the lead. It’s 4-2. He just sent a jolt of electricity into this stadium with that swing. [Applause] Well, this thing was hooking down the line the entire way. He knew it was going to be close and bang, right off the left field hole. That was a pretty swing and he found a way to keep his hands inside just enough to keep it fair. And the batter now Conor Norton and the first pitch misses for ball one. Nobody on, nobody out with a run in here in the last half of the third on the ground right side. La sends it to first. One away. That ground ball may have him back on track after the homer. Savior Edwards the next up for the Marlins. 0 for one so far. And first pitch fast ball is in for a strike. [Music] That’s down and in. One strike. So now one and two. [Applause] And that just misses. Two balls, two strikes. Got it. That K is his third of the game. Well, he froze him with a great fast ball right on the corner. It’s kind of like bowling when you think the ball’s going to get into the gutter and somehow just hangs onto that edge and knocks down a pin. Well, he got the outside corner of the plate and got that called third strike. [Music] And up next for Miami, Graham Paulie, he reached out to walk his first time. swing and a highf fly ball out towards right field and puts the squeeze on that one and that ends the inning. One for the Marlins on the solo shot. It’s now 42. New inning getting started. Stepping in Jonathan Aranda. Fast ball for a strike. Go and one. Well, he hasn’t quite settled in out there. Four runs in three innings. He’s going to have to have some quick one, two, three innings to pitch deep into this ball game. cuts and misses. It’s a strike out. Wow. Short work to send the pack in to start the inning. And no messing around either. All three pitches were in the strike zone. Attack mode all the way. And that’s pretty impressive given the pop he was dealing with at the plate. Camero now in the box. Comes up empty with a swing there. [Music] Swang and a miss. There’s that change up. Base is empty. One away. Top half of inning number four. Strike three. And that’s two in a row. Well, that’s the money maker right there. Two strikes, slider down and away from a same side thrower is the hitter. I mean, that’s just tough if you’re looking to protect with two strikes and very difficult to lay off. Lao stands in now and watches strike one. Hey, seven straight strikes to start the frame. He’s got a chance in an immaculate inning. [Music] Up the middle. Tosses to first. Rays retired in order. Nothing doing for Tampa as they can’t add to their 4-2 lead. [Music] Ready to go. Bottom four now. Here’s the Marlins DH. Griffin Conot [Music] just missed. You know, these Marlins do a great job, Boo, of just waiting for the right pitch to come their way. And I’m seeing very patient at bats out of them. They’re doing a good job of working the pitch, Kell. And they’ve been able to push a couple of runs across to score as well. fouled off. He was late. Laser could be troubled. Now he’ll turn for second. and he’s got a leadoff double. Well, a swing like that can help you come out of the struggle. We saw the numbers coming into the ball game, but all he’s trying to do at this point is help his team win. Runner in scoring position, no outs. Otto Lopez, the next up for the Marlins. That’s in there. And it’s 0 and one. [Music] Yeah, that’s fouled off. So, runner in scoring position. And now the tying run comes to the plate. We’re here in the bottom of the fourth. And that’s a little bit high. Now one and two. That’s a really good job of laying off the O2 high fast ball is going to make that pitcher really have to respect this hitter even though he’s behind in the count and he grounds one to the right side. He’ll do it himself. One out in the bottom of the fourth. That’s a good piece of hitting right there. It’s early, but you still want to move the runner up and give your team a chance to score. That’s exactly what happened. So, you better believe your teammates are happy with you after that at bat. [Music] [Applause] Conine takes his lead at third with one away. Ball one there. Ball one. [Applause] And a count one and two. The other way down the line and it’s foul. [Applause] [Applause] Next pitch is outside. Man, oh man. I don’t know how you take that pitch. That’s as close as it gets. Got him looking. That’s a strike out. Tremendous job of bringing that ball back over the plate. He gets just enough of it to get the call. And tell you what, as a hitter, it starts out of the zone. It looks really far away. And for it to catch the outside corner, you just have to tip your cap to the pitcher. Adrien Del Castillo will hit next. Outside corner, there’s a strike. in the air left field. Palasios drops into the glove and that is the third out of the inning. Marlins leave one. Still down by a count of four to2. [Music] We’re back and there’s a new arm on the mound to start the fifth. Thomas White. Pretty tight game, so they’re looking for quality pitches out of him right here. Got to do his best to keep the score right where it is. [Music] Now at the plate, Yandi Diaz. He’s two for two. [Music] Well, on paper, it’s favorable to have a fairly quick inning here with two of the three hitters he’s set to face batting from the left side, same side he throws from. [Music] So, a foul ball makes it one and two. [Music] And that one is lifted in the air. Paulie settles under this one. Hauls it in for the out. The rightiel. And now the right fielder Josh Low. First pitch and he just misses. Action in the pen down there. Number 61, the lefty looks to be getting himself ready. Crash also getting ready. One down, base is empty. Swing and a miss. and he was fooled. That pitch started in and ended up on the outside edge. Just changing planes and very difficult especially for a left-handed hitter to track. Swing and a miss and a count one and two. Just threw that fast ball by him elevated and if you’re not looking up in that location very difficult to catch up to especially with that velocity. Twins and misses. It’s a strike out. Slider got him for a strike three. Well, one of the things that hitters will do is they’ll look for that red dot on the baseball as is coming in to let them know what the pitch is. And if they see the red dot, it’s typically a slider. But when a guy’s got a really tight one with high spin rates, very difficult to determine. And that’s probably why we saw a swing and miss right there. Just a nasty pitch. Meer in the box with two gone and takes a look at a called strike. off the mark there. And that’s ball one. Two down, nobody on. And we’re in the top of the fifth. The 1-1 is fouled off. [Music] This one lifted in the air left field. Paulie makes the grab on the run. Nothing doing for the offense that time. Home half of the fifth coming up. It’s the Rays four and the Marlins two. [Music] Welcome back as we take a look at how today’s starting pitchers have fared so far. [Music] First offering misses badly for ball one. Sters measures 6’2 in 215 lbs. Usually in left, but today he’s starting in right field. Hey, I got one ball, one strike. [Applause] Late on that fast ball. Talk about tying a guy up. That was ugly. fouls it off. Still one and two swing and a miss. Got him to go up the ladder for the K. Pretty simple plan of attack on the mound right there, huh? Yeah. nothing but fast balls. They just kept putting down the number one and letting it fly. I like it. Yeah, me too. And I’d love to hit against that. But of course, when you’re in the box, you think he’s bound to change speeds on you at some point. You’re just kind of locked up. Sort of like reverse psychology. Augustine Ramirez, the next to hit off the mark there. And it’s one and0. Oh, I think the key, I mean, if he can get through one more inning, anything after that, a hitter or two is bonus. But they should be lined up good enough to get to the finish line. Next pitch is inside. And that’s ball two. Swinging a foul out of play. [Music] There’s the strike. The Rays leading by two. Last half of inning number five. [Music] Battling here as he fouls it away. Two-2 now. Swinging a ground ball. He steps on the bag and that quickly two away. Number one. [Music] And now for the Marlins. Conor Nory. 16 [Music] and that misses one and0. Hard grounder into the outfield for a knock. And that keeps the inning alive. And that knock bumps his hitting streak into double digits, Chris. He’s hitting 10 straight. Yeah. And on a nice trajectory. Average going up. OBP. Everything he’s doing at the plate right now just seems to be working. So man aboard. Xavier Edwards the next up for the Marlins. One, no strikes. Miami. There goes the runner. Strike in there. Throw. [Applause] Chris, his wheels were the difference maker on that play. Just got in there. Yeah, with Stadcast’s help, we see his top speed on this stolen base. And that’s a big number. I mean, man, he really made his athleticism work for him on that one. Man on second, two down. Foul ball there. And now it’s one and two. That one missing inside. [Applause] That’s out to center field. Dives for it. Got it. Makes the play. One of the most fun and exciting things you can do as an outfielder. You lay out, you make a diving catch, and you end the inning. That gets the team fired up in the dugout. Yeah. All right, we go to the top half of inning number six. And now the catcher comes up to him. Nick Forz White back to work. Misses inside. And that’s ball one. This one in the air. Del Castillo under this one. He’s got it. And a quick out number one. And stepping in for the Rays. Jos Cabierro. You talk about elite defensive players, especially in the middle of the diamond. And this guy is at the top of the list outside. And you played behind guys and they loved having your speed out there defensively. One of the things that we talk about is how much pitchers enjoy having those elite defenders behind him. Well, this has the potential to fire up the offense. Only one out and now a base runner on first. You got to stay out of a double play if you’re going to make something happen here. Next to hit, Richie Palasios. He had a big swing for these guys way back in the first inning. Yeah, Boo. He didn’t waste any time in this one. And the solo shot really got his team going and he’s looking for more right here. Bull. That’s out. [Music] Hit on the ground. Might be two to second. There’s one. And that’s two. Offense held in check there. We go to the bottom half of inning number six and the 567 slots do up. It’s the Rays four and the Marlins two. And we’re back. John Shabi with Chris Singleton in the booth. And leading off the bottom of the sixth, Graham Paulie. Never. And we all fall down. We all come around. And a breaking ball drops in for a strike. Bullpen movement for the Rays. Edwin Usetta, the young right-hander, up and throwing. Kelly getting cranked up as well. Oh, he doesn’t get the call at one and one. That’s a little bit low. [Applause] Strike two. Instead of letting the hitter get his arms extended, tied them up a little bit. Slightly up, slightly in. And a swing and a miss. So he picks up his sixth strike out of the ball game. Toughest pitch to hit. Fast ball on the outer black. Man, sometimes you just got to tip your cap. [Music] Griffin Con the next up for the Marlins. One for two. First pitch doesn’t find the zone. Yeah, that’s a little high. That’s in there. And it’s two and one. [Applause] swing and a ball lifted in the air. Shallow right field. Low makes the catch and there’s two away. Now batting a short stop and the batter will be the shortstop. Otto Lopez. We talk about guys with good speed and definitely he has it. But pushing the offense aside for just a second, Chris, it’s the defensive side that I think the speed factors in the most. That’s off the inside corner and that is ball one slider right there. Well, he gets to balls that get by most people at that position. Just really impressive because there’s certain times a ball comes off the bat, automatically that team that hit it thinks that they’ve got a base hit or they may have extra bases and he just takes it away out towards right center. That’s well struck. High bounce takes it over the fence for an automatic double. The automatic double kind of feels like enjoying cruise control in your car. Boo. You don’t need to keep the pedal down as you cruise into second base. Just no worries in the world. You know what? He put a really good swing on that one. Here comes the manager out of the dugout and he’ll make a move for the bullpen. Shane Bos won’t go any further. Two-run ball game as he heads for the dugout and we’ll be back with a new pitcher. up there. Garrick Clevenger gets the call from the pen. Still a lot of game left and this game could go either way. So, this is a big opportunity for him to get some important outs and try to help carry this lead into the later innings. Here’s the center fielder, Victor Mesa Jr. [Applause] That misses the zone. Ball one. Ball one. No strikes. With the tying run at the plate here in the bottom of the six. And the one miss is low. [Applause] And another ball. [Applause] Let’s see if he gives him anything to hit here. That clips the corner. Really good cutter that he’s able to front door and back door. That pitch is devastating. And fouled off. [Music] Two outs and one in scoring position. Out to short. Caviierro whips it across. Inning over. One left for Miami. They trail it here. Four to2. [Music] And welcome back to the ballpark. All set for the start of the inning. And now the first baseman, Jonathan Aranda. And that one clips the corner, man. I mean, nice job just presenting it to be better than it actually was. Comes up empty. That’s strike two. I think he was sitting off speed there. And that’s outside. Two straight. That one way outside. Two and two. Count is three and two foul ball left side. He’ll see another [Music] ripped on the ground to second. The throw to first. That’s the first out in the top of the seventh. And now Junior Camro struck out on just three pitches last time. Breaking ball in there for a strike. Base is empty, one away in the top half of inning number seven. Next offering is fouled back. One down. Base is empty. Goes down. Swinging for the strike out. Pulls the string on the change up. Brandon Loud getting ready to hit. [Music] in there for strike one. Well, he didn’t like those first two pitches. Now in an 02 hole. He’s going to have to battle. Hope he gets a mistake. Two down. Nobody on. And down on strikes he goes. And it’s a one, two, three inning. Rays held in check here, but they still lead this one four-2. [Applause] Set for the last half of the seventh. Here’s the catcher, Adrien Del Castillo. Castillo. And ball one. [Music] and a swing and a miss. It might be time to choke up a little bit, get that front foot down early, maybe even just spread out. He’s really late right now. Delivers a pitch in for a strike at 95. One ball, two strikes. spoils a two- strike pitch. And he’ll see another one back up the middle and it gets through and that’ll bring the tying run to the plate. Kyle Stard the next up for the Marlins [Applause] and the first pitch misses for ball one. Yeah, this team is definitely looking for a big swing of the bat right here. Try to close that gap, but you know, at the very least, if you could find a way to manufacture that run from first, it feels like it’s really important to getting back into this ball game. The tying run at the plate and that one is downstairs. Ball two. Way to lay off that pitch down. [Applause] Swings and pulls a foul to the right side. Tying run at the plate. That one drifts inside on this count. Runner not known for speed, but I think you got to put him in motion. Try to avoid a double play here. Boo. Augustine Ramirez in the on deck circle hoping to get a chance to make a big impact here. Check swing called strike. Full count now. Definitely got the hitter conscious of the pitch inside. Really think the outer half is open. caught him looking for the K. Well, he’s going to have some thinking to do when he leaves the ballpark after this one. That was his third strike out and this one looking obviously. So, he’s been a little overmatched. He’s got to find a way just to be more competitive up there at the plate. Here comes a skipper out of the dugout and he’s ready to make the move. Garrett Clevenger is done and as he heads for the dugout, we’ll take a quick break. New arm on the mound when we get back. [Music] Now on the bump, Edwin Usetta. Definitely a guy that pounds the strike zone, makes hitters earn their way on base, and rarely gets in trouble because of free passes. [Music] So digging in Augustine Ramirez just missed [Applause] and the one up and in. Look out. Straighten him up a little bit. And a foul ball makes the count two and one with the tying run at the plate here. The bottom of the seventh. Here’s the pitch. Run around the goal. Cut on and miss. throw a second tag and they got him. Very questionable steel attempt right there. You’re down by two runs. Tying runs at the plate. Your run is so important. You have to be smarter than that. They can’t be playing around in this situation. Trust the guy at the plate with one swing to tie it up. That right there could be very costly. Swing and a miss. Struck him out and it’s a three up, three down inning. Ain’t no compromise. Welcome back. And a new arm on the mound to start the eighth. Number 61. This southpaw’s been really good against left-handed hitters. At the plate now for the Rays is the DH Yandi Diaz. [Music] That one ripped but fouled. Pitch misses and it’s one and one. The 1-1 is fouled off. Drilled out towards left center field. That’s well struck back there and it’s gone. His seventh home run of the season. It’s 52. That’s their third home run of the game. They’re having a lot of fun at the plate in this one. They’ve got the long ball working for them on autopilot. That’s exactly the pitch he was looking for. Crushes it and hits it out of the ballpark. Now it’s the right fielder Josh Low. Drilled in the air high and deep right field way back there and it’s gone. That’ll fire up the dugout. Home run number five on the season and they add to the lead. It’s 6-2. That’s their fourth home run of the game. They can’t stop and they won’t stop hitting home runs in this one, Boo. They’re clearly feeding off of each other at the dish. Backto back jacks. And this club is fired up right now, Boog. I mean, this is the kind of thing where you really start to notice hitters in a lineup feeding off each other and the collective confidence just continues to grow. Meisner at the plate and takes high there. [Music] Swing and a miss. Strike one. Miamiy’s bullpen with some action. Eric Miller, the young lefty, looks to be getting himself ready. Swing and a miss. And that’s strike two. They really need to hang in there with that front side against this left-handed breaking ball. Hit on the ground to the right side. Sends it to first. First out in the top of the eighth. It’s a good recovery though after giving up the home run. Not allowing it to stay in the head, but going to work at the next hitter. And a tough one at that. Now the Marlins manager out of the dugout and he’ll make a move to the pen. Number 61 out of the game. We’ll be back in a minute with a new arm on the mound. A new arm into the game, the righty Matt Brash. And as relievers go, he’s not a big strikeout guy. Tries to force weak contact. So command and execution are huge for him. Make them understand. Mick Forez next to hit for the Rays. 0 for three in this one. [Applause] Crash in his fourth year, 26 years old, and he was born in Canada. [Applause] And that is out of play. Still only one out here in the inning [Applause] in the dirt. One and two to count and a swing and a miss. two away. Now, we see it more commonly in the sport these days, but man, a tripledigit fast blown right by someone is still pretty awesome to witness. I mean, you got to be geared up and ready to swing it when a guy like this comes out of the bullpen because that fast ball, it eats. And if you’re not ready, you’re going to be walking back to the dugout. Hard ground ball, base knock and that keeps the inning going. Well, clearly he was ready to hit right there. Just kept it simple. Played pepper with the middle of the infield and took it back where it came from and there was just no one there to knock it down. So, next to the plate for Tampa Bay, Richie Palasios right down to shoot and one. Cabierro leads off first with two down to the inning. Swaging a ball hit out towards left center field. Lunges for it but can’t make the catch. Lead runner to second with two gone and his hot hitting continues. They kept him in the yard that time but all he’s doing now is passing the baton and everything seems to get started around this guy. So up next, Jonathan Orlando. Swing to the first pitch. Look down to third and that’s going to be ruled to swing. [Applause] That smashed towards center. Mesa makes the grab and that’ll do it. But two round tripers in this inning. The long ball was working. It’s now 62. It’s Major League Baseball on the show. back now. New pitcher on the mound as we roll into the bottom of the eighth, Drew Rasmus. Well, walks have certainly been an issue for him this season, so we’ll see what kind of command he has. 345 do up for the home team. And at the plate for Miami, Connor Norby one for three. And there’s a strike. Good heater at 98. Tampa Bay’s bullpen with some action. Manuel Rodriguez up and throwing. Swinging a ground ball up the middle over to first. One gone to the bottom of the eighth. The batter Xavier Edwards the next up for the Marlins statement ludicrous like it’s word of mouth what I’m about lifted in the air right center field low sizing this one up puts it away for the out now Two down, base is empty. Graham Paulie the next up for the Marlins. Check swing. He went too far and it’s a strike. Oh, one’s the count. Swinging a foul back and that’s out of play. Two down, nobody on here. The bottom half of the eighth inning. Swing and a ground ball and that one gets through into center field. So, two down. Griffin Con the next up for the Marlins. [Applause] Inside corner for a strike. 0 and one. 0 and one. Paulie the runner at first with two gone. Miami. Next pitch downstairs and a count even one and one. and delivers outside. Swing and a miss. Chased it out of the zone. Well, and those hitters count sometimes can be a little too aggressive and a good pitcher will play off of that. He’s got to get a better pitch to hit. This one popped up. Foul ground first base side. Aranda makes the grab and that is that. So one hit is all they get. Ninth inning coming up. It’s the Rays six and the Marlins two. We’re back. It’s the top of the ninth and there’s a new pitcher on the mound. Ronnie Enriquez. And if you dig into his walk rate, his numbers are really impressive. He’s really filled up the strike zone this season. So these batters better be ready to swing the bats. Camo in the box now. No balls in a strike. Signs of activity in the pen for the Marlins. Eric Miller, the left-handed reliever, appears to be getting loose. [Applause] That one hammered center field going back and brings it in at the wall. Typically not easy to go deep to center field, but he almost did right there and got a little help from the wind, just not enough. Now here is Brandon Loud. and immediately pumps in a strike to the left-handed hitter. Looks like he’s sacrificed to pitch right down the middle for tracking and timing. Some good hitters will do that. [Applause] That one down the line. And that’s a fair ball. Makes the turn and heads for second. in safely. It’s a double and his second hit. Two hits for him in this one. Both for extra bases. Got to feel good about that. Wasn’t able to elevate that one, but he sure hit it hard enough to get through the infield. There’s not a whole lot of time for the defenders to react and try to make a play when it’s ripped like that. One out, runner at second. To the plate now for the Rays is the DH, Yandi Diaz. And there’s a foul ball. One out and a runner at second here in the top of the ninth. [Music] Next one misses and it’s a ball and a strike. They had a foul ball. [Applause] Foul ball. Still a one and two count. Runner at second here. One gone. And they’ll do it again. That’s ball. This one in the dirt. Tag save. He’s into third on the wild pitch. Well, that right there can be a tough read as a runner on second to see if the ball’s gotten away enough to move to third. You have to be sure you can make it because you’re already in scoring position. Well, he was sure there and now he’s only 90 ft away from scoring. One away with a runner at third. base hit and a run in to score. We don’t see this a whole lot anymore where hitters with two strikes are willing to shorten up, tighten up and try to hit the ball back up the middle other way. He was trying to hit that hole, I believe. Very good at bat with two strikes. Man at first with one gone. Now up for Tampa Bay, Josh Low. That one misses. Ball one. One man at first. One away. That one not close and it’s two and 0. He’s getting a little frustrated out there on the mound getting hit around a little bit. Let’s see if he can settle himself down. Two strike one. Two one strike. [Applause] Ground ball up the middle. That’s a base hit. They get it in quickly. So first and second now one out. Cameron Meisner and stepping in for the Rays. Cameron Meisner off the plate. And that’s ball one. Diaz on second. Low at first. One gone. splits the plate. That’s strike one. in the dirt. And that’s downstairs and outside. two on one out. He goes down looking. Clearly looking out over the plate on that outer third and that pitch finished right down the middle. Just a little bit in and he couldn’t pull the trigger. Next to hit, Nick Forez. First pitch misses. Two on, two outs. [Applause] That one fouled hard the other way. That’s in there. One and two. [Applause] way inside. Gets out of the way. [Music] Two on, two outs. Breaking ball in there. Got him looking. Good job at damage control right there. But they pick up one run on the RBI single. It’s 72. You’re watching Major League Baseball exclusively on the show. We’re back and on the mound is the closer Pete Fairbanks. And he’s been racking up strikeouts at a high rate this year. Typically at least one in innings, so he’ll be tough to get to. in the air left field down the line and there’s one down. Really nice job to get your first out of the ball game. Close [Applause] one. Doesn’t get the call. One and0. Right through there for a strike. and and that one is in the dirt and it’s two and one. One down, base is empty. Close one. Doesn’t get the call. And that’s ball three. [Applause] That’s ball four. Tried another fast ball but missed the spot. Oh, that’s a really good take right there. And that’s just mentally prepared knowing that if it’s not on a TE, you’re going to take that pitch because you still have one more strike to work with. Not easy to lay off, but he did an excellent job in that plate appearance. And first offering is fouled off [Music] [Applause] and that one popped to short. Cabierro pulls it down and he makes the catch. Two down. Now batting the right. So it’s their last chance in this one. And now the right fielder Kyle Stard. That clips a corner. 0 and one late swing. Foul to the left. [Applause] This could end it. Pitch misses and a count one and two. Mesa off of first with two away. Just missing there. And the count is even. Two and two. That turns out to be a really good take right there. But you don’t want to end this game with the bat on your shoulder. [Applause] Got him. And that’s the ball game. It’s always nice to grab the opener of a series. You come into a new ballpark and just sometimes things aren’t as comfortable as what you’ve been used to. The mound doesn’t look straight. The background isn’t what you like, but they didn’t let any of those things distract them. In fact, they look like they were playing a home game. Excellent job to set the tone for this series. 72 your final here today for Chris Singleton and our entire crew here at MLB The Show. Thanks for stopping by. I’m John Shami. Talk to you soon. [Music] I did. [Music] Hey, enough trash. That’s happy to be with my wheel. I got competition ain’t dope and break to your little [Music] jam. You can run but you can’t hide. You can’t go far. No matter where you go, there you are. We got to smash. We got to break. We got to Here we go. [Music] Steady as a ready for I’m pretty [Music] upset. your bottom.
