TAMPA, Fla. (Interstat) — The Miami Marlins erupted for eight runs in the 10th inning Saturday afternoon and beat the Tampa Bay Rays 10-5 at George Steinbrenner Field before 19,673. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the third when Chandler Simpson’s single scored Taylor Walls to give Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead. Both starting pitchers dominated: Sandy Alcantara struck out six over six innings of seven-hit ball for Miami, and Nick Martinez matched him with five hits and four strikeouts in six shutout frames. Miami tied it in the ninth on Javier Sanoja’s RBI double, but the Rays answered with a run in the bottom half to take a 2-1 lead. The Marlins then broke the game open in the 10th, sending 12 batters to the plate. Liam Hicks highlighted the surge with a two-run single, and Sanoja added a three-run double. Heriberto Hernández homered earlier. The Rays scored three in the bottom of the 10th, but Pete Fairbanks closed it out for the win. He is 1-2. Hunter Bigge took the loss, falling to 1-1. Miami improved to 21-25; Tampa Bay dropped to 29-15. The game lasted 3:08.

TAMPA, FL (Interstat) — The Miami Marlins erupted for eight runs in the 10th inning Saturday afternoon to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays 10-5 at George Steinbrenner Field, snapping a two-game losing streak in a game that turned on a series of clutch hits and defensive miscues. The Marlins, who entered the game with a 20-25 record, improved to 21-25. The Rays, who had won four of their previous five games, dropped to 29-15. The game drew 19,673 fans and lasted 3 hours, 8 minutes. Miami’s offense, which had managed only two runs through the first nine innings, exploded in the extra frame against Rays reliever Hunter Bigge. The rally began when Esteury Ruiz, who had entered as a pinch runner in the top of the 10th, advanced to third on a single by Joe Mack. Xavier Edwards walked to load the bases, and Liam Hicks followed with a sharp single to right field, driving in Ruiz and Mack to give Miami a 4-2 lead. Otto Lopez then lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Edwards and moving Hicks to second. Kyle Stowers singled to left, putting runners at the corners, and Connor Norby singled to left, scoring Hicks and sending Stowers to second. After Jakob Marsee walked to load the bases, Javier Sanoja delivered the decisive blow — a double to left field that cleared the bases, scoring Stowers, Norby and Marsee to make it 9-2. Ruiz then singled to left, driving in Sanoja, but was thrown out trying to advance to second. The eighth-run inning was the largest single-inning output of the season for Miami, which had scored only one run through the first eight innings and had been held to two runs or fewer in four of its previous five games. Bigge, who took the loss, was charged with eight runs on seven hits in one inning of work. Miami’s pitching staff, led by starter Sandy Alcantara, kept the Rays at bay for most of the night. Alcantara threw six scoreless innings, allowing seven hits and striking out six. He left with the game tied 0-0 after the top of the sixth. Pete Fairbanks, who earned the win, pitched a scoreless ninth inning, striking out two, and then worked the 10th as well. The Rays mounted a comeback in the bottom of the 10th against Miami reliever Lake Bachar. Taylor Walls and Chandler Simpson each scored on a double by Junior Caminero, and Jonathan Aranda followed with a double to plate Caminero, cutting the deficit to 10-5. But Bachar retired Yandy Díaz on a groundout, got Richie Palacios to line out, and after a walk to Cedric Mullins, Jonny DeLuca flied out to center to end the game. The game was a pitcher’s duel through six innings. Miami starter Sandy Alcantara and Rays starter Nick Martinez traded zeros. Martinez allowed only two hits over five innings, striking out five and walking one. Alcantara was equally sharp, but the Rays broke through in the third inning against him on an error. Taylor Walls reached on a bunt single and advanced to second on a throwing error by second baseman Xavier Edwards. Chandler Simpson then singled to left to drive in Walls, giving Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead. Miami tied it in the seventh when Heriberto Hernández, batting as a pinch hitter, homered to left-center field off Rays reliever Mason Montgomery. It was Hernández’s first home run of the season. The Marlins took the lead in the ninth. With two outs, Jakob Marsee singled, and Sanoja doubled to center to bring him home, making it 2-1. But the Rays answered in the bottom of the ninth. With two outs and a runner on third, Nick Fortes singled to left, scoring Cedric Mullins to tie the game 2-2 and force extra innings. Miami’s offense was led by Sanoja, who went 2-for-5 with four RBIs and two doubles. Hicks was 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Marsee went 3-for-4 with a triple and a walk, scoring twice. For the Rays, Caminero drove in three runs with two doubles, and Aranda added two RBIs. The Marlins finished with 15 hits, while the Rays had 10. Miami improved to 6-5 in its last 11 games and will face the Rays again Sunday in the series finale. The Rays, who had won the opener of this series 7-2 on Friday, now hold a 29-15 record and remain atop the American League East. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Tampa Bay 7, Miami 3. Interstat’s ELO system gave the Rays a 60.50 percent probability to win. Tampa Bay had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 15 went under the over/under line of 7.5.

TAMPA, Fla. (Interstat) — The Tampa Bay Rays host the Miami Marlins on Saturday evening at George Steinbrenner Field, with first pitch set under clear skies and a game-time temperature of 87 degrees. Tampa Bay (29-14) enters with the best record in the American League and a 7-2 victory over Miami on Friday. The Rays have won four of their last five and are 8-2 in their past 10 games. Miami (20-25) has dropped six of eight and sits fourth in the NL East. Right-hander Nick Martinez (4-1) will start for the Marlins. He has posted a 3.10 ERA over seven starts this season. The Rays had not announced a starter as of Saturday morning, but right-hander Jesse Scholtens is a player to watch. Scholtens worked five innings in Friday’s win, allowing one earned run on five hits with four strikeouts. In his past three outings, he has a 2.45 ERA across 12 2/3 innings. Miami center fielder Jakob Marsee is another key name. Marsee went 3 for 4 with a home run and an RBI in Friday’s loss. Over his past 10 games, he is batting .250 with two homers and six RBIs. The Rays’ lineup has been productive throughout May. Tampa Bay has scored seven or more runs in three of its last four home games. The Marlins’ offense has struggled, plating three runs or fewer in seven of their past nine contests. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-3 Rays victory. The ELO system gives Tampa Bay a 60.5 percent win probability. The Rays are listed as a -1.5 run favorite, with an over/under of 7.5. The two teams close their series Sunday. Miami then returns home for six games against Atlanta and the New York Mets. Tampa Bay hosts Baltimore on Monday before traveling to New York to face the Yankees next weekend. AP Preview: Saturday’s matchup presents a contrast between a contending Rays club and a Marlins team trying to stay afloat. Martinez will need to quiet a Tampa Bay lineup that has feasted on Miami pitching early in the series.