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Jarred Cosart had a no-hitter going through three innings, but the fourth and fifth innings weren't so kind as he ended up getting punted from the game early. His counterpart Drew Smyly pitched well and the Rays ended up coming away with a 6-4 victory.
In the third inning, J.P. Arencibia hit a sharp come-backer to Cosart that had the Marlins bench up on their feet, thinking Cosart had been struck by a pitch yet again, but Cosart got his glove on it, knocking it down and making the out.
In the top of the fourth Justin Bour ripped one that bounced off of the yellow railing in right centerfield, coming back toward centerfielder Kevin Kiermaier, Bour barely missing a homerun. As it is he ended up at 2nd base, and Marcell Ozuna obliged him by knocking a clean single into left centerfield, Bour lumbering home for the 1-0 Fish lead.
Bottom of the fourth, John Jaso broke up Cosart's modest no-hitter with a single against the shift into right field. Steven Souza followed up with a sharp single and there were two on with no outs. A wild pitch sent the runners to 2nd and 3rd, then Evan Longoria walked to load them up for Grady Sizemore. Cosart came up with a clutch K of Sizemore, but then Asdrubal Cabrera was able to lift one deep enough to center to tie the ball game and move the runners up. Cosart escaped the inning by getting James Loney to tap one out to Dee Gordon at 2nd, forcing out Longoria.
The next inning saw the Rays get to Cosart again, Nick Franklin powering one out to centerfield giving Tampa Bay the 2-1 edge. A short time later with the bases juiced again for Sizemore the veteran delivered, clearing the bases with a double to left and forcing Cosart from the game with the Rays up by four, 5-1. Cosart ended with a poor line of four and two third's innings pitched, five earned runs off of five hits and four walks, striking out four. He looked great up until his no-hitter was broken up and never recovered after that. Brad Hand took over for Cosart and pitched an ensuing inning's worth of effective relief.
Brandon Gomes relieved Smyly after six innings of solid work. He did walk three but gave up just the one run on three hits, striking out eight. Gomes gave up hard contact right away, Derek Dietrich pounded one to center but Kiermaier came up with a great catch to rob him of extra bases. Realmuto would not be denied, though, and snuck a double past Kiermaier in the following at bat. Pinch-hitting Ichiro sent one high into right field, not enough to get out but certainly far enough to get Realmuto to third. Miguel Rojas would follow up with a single up the middle, bringing the score to 5-2 and ending Gomes' evening. Jake McGee came and and got Gordon to fly out to end the threat.
José Ureña had come in at the end of the sixth, striking out pinch-hitter Mikie Mahtook, but subsequently gave up an RBI single in the seventh that pushed the Rays lead to 6-2. Chris Narveson then entered the game and procured a double-play. He would go on to pitch a scoreless eighth.
With Enny Romero pitching for the Rays in the eighth, Christian Yelich hit a long fly ball that the busy Keiermaier couldn't come up with, resulting in a double. Martin Prado then singled, making it first and third. Bour grounded into a double play but Yelich scored, 6-3 Rays. Ozuna walked but Dietrich then stuck out to end the inning.
The Marlins got to closer Brad Boxberger in the ninth for another run, Gordon driving in Miguel Rojas from 1st to bring it to 6-4, but Boxberger shut it down from there.
José Fernández vs. Jake Odorizzi in the final game of the series tomorrow night, 7:10 EST.
Source: FanGraphs
Attendance: 9,431
Hero of the Game: John Jaso (+.185)
Goat of the Game: Jarred Cosart (-.334)
Play of the Game: Grady Sizemore clears the bases in the 5th inning (+.199)