Tyler Glasnow and three relievers combined to throw a three-hit shutout, and Austin Meadows‘ solo homer was all the offense either team would see, as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Miami Marlins 1-0 on Opening Day Thursday at loanDepot Park.
Glasnow worked the first six innings, allowing just a first-inning infield single to Jesus Aguilar before retiring the final 16 batters he would face in a row. He finished with six strikeouts, and threw 76 pitches on the evening.
“He had it all going on,” manager Kevin Cash said after the game. “He looked like an Opening Day starter. He looked like an ace. Fortunately, we’re going to get to see him pitch a lot more.”
Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara was equally as strong against Tampa Bay’s hitters. He gave up two hits and walked a pair, but also struck out seven as he kept the Rays off the scoreboard in six innings of work. The biggest threat he had was in the first, as he gave up a two-out single to Randy Arozarena, walked Brandon Lowe, and hit Yandy Diaz with a pitch before striking out Kevin Kiermaier to strand the bases loaded.
Dylan Floro continued the game of chicken in the seventh, with Ryan Thompson following suit in the bottom half of the inning, and Yimi Garcia was able to get the first two outs of the eighth on flyouts by pinch-hitter Manuel Margot and Yoshi Tsutsugo, but Meadows got a 95 MPH fastball in the center of the plate and sent it into the seats in right-center for his first homer of the year.
“He picked us up in a big way,” Cash said. “he got himself in a 2-0 count, got a fastball, and didn’t miss it.”
Pete Fairbanks worked a scoreless eighth, and Diego Castillo‘s 1-2-3 ninth inning earned him his first save of 2021.
Up Next
Tampa Bay Rays (1-0) at Miami Marlins (0-1), 7:10 pm.
Rays starter: LHP Ryan Yarbrough (1-4, 3.56 ERA in 2020)
Marlins starter: RHP Pablo Lopez (6-4, 3.61 ERA in 2020)
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
