Otto Lopez’s blast helps Marlins dispatch Rays

Otto Lopez belted a three-run homer in just his second at-bat off the injured list and Cal Quantrill pitched an immaculate inning as the host Miami Marlins defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 on Sunday afternoon.
Miami took two of three games in this in-state-rivalry series. It’s the first time since 2018 that Miami has won a series against Tampa Bay.
Quantrill (3-4) earned the win, pitching his “immaculate inning” in the fourth – nine pitches, nine strikes, three strikeouts. He got four swinging strikes, three called strikes and two foul balls. He threw five cutters, two fastballs, one sinker and one curve.
Overall, Quantrill struck out six and allowed two hits, two walks and one run in five innings.
The Marlins got one scoreless inning of relief each from Ronny Henriquez, Jesus Tinoco, Calvin Faucher and Anthony Bender.
Also for the Marlins, Liam Hicks drilled a two-run homer, and Eric Wagaman went 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored.
Rays starter Shane Baz (3-3) lasted six innings, allowing nine hits, three walks and five runs. He struck out two.
Prior to the game, the Marlins activated Lopez (ankle) and placed shortstop Xavier Edwards (back) on the injured list.
Miami nearly scored in the second inning. Wagaman hit a ground-rule double and tried to score from second on a line-drive single by Hicks. But Rays right fielder Josh Lowe threw a no-hop strike to catcher Ben Rortvedt, who applied the tag.
Tampa Bay opened the scoring in the third. Taylor Walls walked, stole second, advanced on Rortvedt’s single and scored on Yandy Diaz’s fielder’s-choice grounder.
Later in the third, the Rays loaded the bases but couldn’t get any more runs as Quantrill got Brandon Lowe on a shallow flyout and Junior Caminero on a double-play grounder.
Miami took the lead 3-1 in the fourth as Matt Mervis doubled, Wagaman singled, and Lopez smacked his drive 401 feet to left-center.
The Marlins made it 5-1 in the sixth on Hicks’ 370-foot homer. That was preceded by Wagaman’s walk.