The Marlins may have the worst record in baseball, but they certainly proved difficult to beat tonight. The Rays did emerge victorious, but Marlins pitchers managed to hold their offense to a meek whimper.
The Rays had a first inning threat against the Marlins José Ureña. Ji -Man Choi reached on a hard ground ball that slipped through the infield, and Brandon Lowe finally got a hit after several games of utter futility. Yandy Diaz hit a patented hard grounder deep to third but was thrown out to end the inning.
Ryne Stanek opened for the Rays, and he started a little inauspiciously by walking Curtis Granderson (it was interesting to see how the defense was positioned against Granderson — shift to the right with a four man outfield).