Liam Hicks ripped a two-run single and Javier Sanoja added a three-run double to highlight an eight-run 10th inning that fueled the Miami Marlins to a 10-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The Marlins loaded the bases in the 10th against Hunter Bigge (1-1) before Hicks’ single to right. Otto Lopez followed with a sacrifice fly, Connor Norby added an RBI single and Sanoja cleared the bases before coming home on Esteury Ruiz’s run-scoring single.
The late offensive eruption made a winner of former Rays closer Pete Fairbanks (1-2), who saw former Marlin Nick Fortes rip an RBI single off the glove of third baseman Sanoja with two outs in the ninth. Fairbanks spent six-plus seasons with Tampa Bay before signing with Miami in the offseason.
Lake Bachar yielded a two-run double to Junior Caminero and an RBI single to Jonathan Aranda in the 10th before closing out the game.
Bigge was charged with eight runs (seven earned) on six hits and two walks in one inning.
Miami’s Jakob Marsee collected his third hit, a single, with two outs in the ninth and the score 1-1. Marsee didn’t stay on first base long as he hustled around the bases when Sanoja deposited a first-pitch changeup from Bryan Baker off the wall in left-center field.
Heriberto Hernandez belted a pinch-hit solo homer in the seventh inning for the Marlins, who banged out 15 hits to overcome four errors.
Chandler Simpson had an RBI single in the third inning for the AL East-leading Rays, who saw their 11-game home winning streak come to an end. The setback was just their fourth in 21 games overall.
Tampa Bay’s Richie Palacios celebrated his 29th birthday by collecting two hits and reeling in a basket catch to strand a runner on third base in the top of the sixth. Palacios, however, was picked off third by Miami catcher Joe Mack to end the bottom of the sixth.
