The Miami Marlins broke through against a longtime rival with a 9-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night at loanDepot park, powered by key contributions from Eric Wagaman and Connor Norby.
Wagaman had three hits and two RBIs, while Norby delivered a game-changing three-run double as the Marlins secured just their sixth win over the Rays since 2019, cutting into Tampa Bay’s long-standing dominance in the all-time series.
The Rays, who entered the night with a 24-5 record against Miami since 2019 and a commanding 81-61 advantage overall, were unable to overcome a shaky outing from starter Taj Bradley (3-3). The right-hander lasted just four innings, allowing five runs, including Norby’s two-out, bases-clearing double in the fourth that gave Miami a 5-1 cushion.
Wagaman got the scoring started early with a sacrifice fly in the first inning and later tacked on an RBI single in a four-run sixth after the Rays had rallied to close the gap. Tampa Bay trimmed the deficit to 5-4 in the fifth with RBI hits from José Caballero, Chandler Simpson, and Josh Lowe.
Max Meyer (3-4) picked up the win for Miami, pitching five innings and giving up four earned runs. The bullpen trio of Ronny Henriquez, Lake Bachar, and Tyler Phillips combined for four scoreless innings to secure the victory.
Rays reliever Mason Montgomery struggled mightily in the sixth, walking the first two batters before allowing a single to Kyle Stowers that made it 6-4. Montgomery failed to record more than one out and was charged with three runs. Connor Seabold gave up an RBI single to Wagaman, a sacrifice fly to Ronny Simon, and an infield RBI hit to Javier Sanoja, stretching Miami’s lead to 9-4.
Tampa Bay’s Yandy Díaz returned to the lineup after missing the Blue Jays series due to a passport issue. He contributed an RBI single in the third inning to briefly tie the game at 1-1.
The Rays will look to bounce back Saturday with right-hander Drew Rasmussen (1-4, 3.38 ERA) taking the mound. He’ll face Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara (2-5, 8.10 ERA), who is searching for consistency after a rough start to his season.
With Friday’s win, the Marlins not only slowed a longstanding losing trend against their in-state rivals but also showed promising flashes from a young lineup finding its rhythm.
