Derek Dietrich and Fish win a nail-biter in Tampa Bay

Dan Straily: 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K

Nathan Eovaldi: 6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, O BB, 8 K

The Marlins won a close game last night against the Tampa Bay Rays. Derek Dietrich helped carry the offense with an impressive two home run night, racking up four RBI’s in the process.

The starting pitching for both teams got the job done last night. Dan Straily went a strong seven innings, with the only trouble being in the first. The Ray’s bats were missing most of Straily’s pitches, and his control was pretty solid. Tonights effort lowered Straily’s earned run average down to 4.02 on the year.

Nathan Eovaldi on the other side of the mound was equally as impressive. While he gave up more hits, he also struck out more batters. What was not so impressive was both bullpens, this is where most of the runs started to occur. The Marlins bullpen gave up a combined three runs, while the Rays pen gave up five earned runs.

The bright spot of the game was Dietrich’s performance. His three hit night, combined with two home runs, really gave the Fish their energy tonight. Dietrich continues to quietly have a career year, raising his average up to .293 with 13 home runs on the season. The trade deadline is fast approaching, and Dietrich is making a strong case to other teams that are in the hunt for a spot.

The Fish did get two runs that did not have anything to do with Dietrich. J.T. Realmuto did his thing again, but with a fun new twist on it. Brian Anderson was on base when Realmuto got a “little league” home run. Realmuto blasted a shot to right field and after two catching errors the ball ended up out of play. Realmuto would end up making it to third and since the ball went out of play he was sent home. The Marlins were given an opportunity to win and they did not squander it.

The Fish in usual fashion made sure to give the fans something to worry about. The ninth inning was not an easy one for the Fish, especially since they gave up four runs. This made the score 6-5 Miami. Adam Conely would end up having to be called in to get the final out of the game. Nothing comes easy with the Fish but a win is a win.

Courtesy of Fangraphs

Kingfish: Derek Dietrich (.468WPA).

Flounder: Hoby Milner (-.403).

Play of the game: Derek Dietrich’s two home runs.

Attendance: 13,248.

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Matchup Summary:

Game number 99 for the Marlins will start off the second half of the season for the Fish. They will be going up against the Rays in a three game series. The Fish started off the season on the wrong foot, but they have been able to pick themselves up a bit. The young players have come together, and the team as a whole have been hitting a whole lot better.

The Marlins will be sending out their best and brightest pitcher out tonight....well not really. Dan Straily will be on the mound for the Fish, but on the bright side he has been stringing together some good starts. He will look to continue this quality and turn around his rough season.

The Rays have Nathan Eovaldi on the mound tonight. The last time he faced the Fish he gave up two runs over six innings. The Fish will need to continue their great run of hitting. The second half of the season is a great time to begin again and with 64 games left, let’s all hope to finish above .500!

Game Thread Question: Will the Fish have a better second half of the season?