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The Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays were both downed at home in their season opening games on Monday.
The Marlins lost 2-1 to the Atlanta Braves, and the Rays lost 6-2 to the Baltimore Orioles.
The Marlins can credit their disappointing loss to sloppy play and tough breaks. They made the third out of an inning on the bases twice.
In the third inning, infielder Dee Gordon made the third out trying to steal second. Outfielder Giancarlo Stanton took a gamble and was thrown out in the fourth inning trying to advance to third.
And those are just a few of the Marlins mishaps from Monday.
“Yeah,it’s just one game, but when you lose games mentally rather than by your play, it’s different,” Stanton said. “So that’s how we lost today.”
The Rays were outplayed and out-slugged by the Orioles, with starting pitcher Chris Archer giving up some crucial hits.
Alejandro De Aza connected on a 2-2 pitch from Archer with one out in the fifth for a two-run homer. Steve Pearce added a solo home run in the sixth to give the Orioles a 4-0 lead.
Not the opening start Archer had in mind in terms of the outcome, but it’s one he still felt good about.
“In the big leagues, sometimes good pitches get hit, sometimes bad pitches don’t get hit,” Archer said. “Stuff wise, and execution wise, it’s the best I felt since the beginning of spring training.”
A rematch will offer both teams a second shot at their first win tonight in Game 2.
Both teams are changing starters at pitcher.
Nathan Karns will make his sixth Major League start and third with the Rays. At 27, Karns is the oldest member of the Rays’ season-opening rotation.
Mat Latos, makes his Marlins debut in Game 2. Latos is coming off a 5-5 (3.25 ERA) season with the Reds in 2014.
Both games are set to start at 7:10 PM.
To hear more, click below:
Stanton on the Disappointing Loss
Marlins Manager Mike Redmond on Missed Opportunities
Rays OF Kevin Kiermaier’s Confidence Going Forward
