TAMPA -- Friday afternoon brought thick-as-soup humidity, feels-like temperatures pushing 100 degrees and the natural pining for the air-conditioned comforts of home. Naturally, tempers ran high.
The Marlins, generating their own emotional heat after a fifth straight loss, were still steaming about a third-inning call that helped swing momentum in a 4-3 defeat against the Rays at Steinbrenner Field.
Trailing 1-0, Dane Myers led off the third with a double. Then, Xavier Edwards laid down a beautiful bunt. And as Rays pitcher Zack Littell scrambled to field it, Myers flew around third base. After a shaky Littell throw and a collision at first base that had the ball flying loose, Myers scored easily.
But home-plate umpire Chad Fairchild ruled runner’s interference and called Edwards out for straying from the baseline. Myers was sent back to second base. Meanwhile, Edwards said he was not running in the grass as Fairchild ruled. Edwards claimed that Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda actually had interfered with his right to the bag.
“My foot mark is right next to the baseline,’’ Edwards said. “My left foot is next to the baseline. My right foot is at the base. [Littell] made a poor throw. Instead of scoring with the top of our lineup coming up, we lose a run. It’s pretty frustrating. It’s a big turning point in the game. I have no explanation for that call.’’
After chirping in the dugout, Edwards was ejected by Fairchild. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough immediately sprung from the dugout in protest … and McCullough was also ejected.
“It always becomes controversial when you’re running the line,’’ McCullough said. “I didn’t see it that way [as Fairchild ruled], and [Edwards] was upset about it as well. That led to what ended up happening.’’
For the Marlins (23-38), it was another case of coming close. Their last eight defeats were by one or two runs.
“Each game is kind of its own [scenario],’’ McCullough said. “But I think we need to play a full game. You need to pitch, play defense and be opportunistic on the bases. When you get some opportunities, you’ve got to cash in.’’
“The margins are small,’’ Edwards said. “It’s the little things that are killing us -- 100 percent. They make a mistake that you should be able to capitalize on, and it gets turned into something else. It’s so frustrating.’’
The Marlins wasted a respectable starting pitching performance from Edward Cabrera (2-2), who allowed three runs (one earned) over four innings, along with home runs from catcher Agustín Ramírez and shortstop Otto Lopez.
Ramírez (3-for-4), a former Yankees farmhand who was part of the 2024 deal for Jazz Chisholm Jr., delighted in hitting a homer in his former Class-A ballpark. Ramírez has three homers and a .375 batting average in his last nine road games.
“It was very exciting,’’ said Ramírez, who has eight homers in 38 Major League games this season. “I know this ballpark well. It was a good moment. I continue to gain confidence and make good adjustments.’’
“The impact of that bat speed [from Ramírez] comes as advertised,’’ McCullough said. “And then the at-bat quality, man. I think he’s someone who walks at a good rate, controls the strike zone, slugs it and really hits it extremely hard.’’
Lopez’s two-run homer in the eighth made it 4-3, then the Marlins had runners on first and second with two outs. Heriberto Hernandez hit a tricky bouncer to second baseman Curtis Mead, who tried to run for a force play at second, thought better of it, then fired to first, getting Hernandez by a step.
Once again, the Marlins were close to a breakthrough, only to reach another one-run breaking point.
“Our guys are playing hard, doing their best,’’ Cabrera said. “The temperature today was something truly difficult. But you can’t think about it and add more stuff inside your head. We’ve got to keep playing hard, and it’s going to come.’’