Jonathan Aranda drove in two runs and scored the go-ahead run to lead the Tampa Bay Rays to a 4–3 victory over the Miami Marlins on Friday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field, as the Rays extended their winning streak to four games.
Aranda, continuing his hot streak at the Rays’ temporary home, where he’s now hitting .379, opened the scoring in the first inning with a run-scoring single — one of only two hits the Rays managed with runners in scoring position in 14 opportunities. He added a second RBI on a groundout in the third, helping Tampa Bay build a 3–0 lead.
The 26-year-old infielder came up big again in the seventh with a single and scored the eventual winning run on consecutive base hits by Jake Mangum and Matt Thaiss.
Right-hander Zack Littell (6–5) kept the Marlins at bay through six solid innings, allowing just one run on six hits. The lone blemish was a solo homer by Agustin Ramirez in the fourth inning. Littell’s start continued a remarkable team trend — the Rays have now won eight straight games started by him, tying Shane McClanahan’s 2023 run for the fourth-longest such streak in franchise history. Littell is 6–0 over that span.
The Marlins mounted a late rally when Otto Lopez launched a two-run homer in the eighth off reliever Edwin Uceta, trimming the Rays’ lead to 4–3. But closer Pete Fairbanks slammed the door in the ninth to secure his 12th save in front of 8,448 fans.
A controversial moment in the top of the seventh proved pivotal. With a runner on third and one out, Marlins second baseman Xavier Edwards attempted a bunt single. He beat the throw to first, but first-base umpire Ben May ruled Edwards out for interference, saying he ran through Aranda’s glove despite the ball being dropped. The call — which wiped out what would’ve been the tying run — was non-reviewable. Both Edwards and Marlins manager Clayton McCullough were ejected after a heated argument, marking the first career ejections for each.
Edward Cabrera (2–2) took the loss, allowing three runs over five innings for Miami, which has now dropped five in a row and sits at 23–38.
The Rays’ eight-game winning streak in Littell starts ties for the fourth-longest such run in team history. The Rays (34–29) look to stay hot Saturday as they continue their series against the slumping Marlins (23–38).
