Margot-Ahead goes one better with game-saving catch

MIAMI -- Manuel Margot was granted the opportunity to be a hero in the 10th inning on Wednesday night. He took full advantage.

Margot singled in the go-ahead run in the top of the inning, then made a fantastic catch on a drive to deep center in the bottom half to help the Rays close out August in style with a 2-1 win over the Marlins at loanDepot park.

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“He comes back, makes two plays and is player of the game,” manager Kevin Cash joked.

Tampa Bay, which went an American League-best 18-9 in August, won both games in Miami. The Rays have won seven consecutive games against the Marlins dating back to early 2021.

The AL Wild Card leaders will have Thursday off before opening a huge series against the AL East-leading Yankees on Friday night at Tropicana Field.

“Where we’re at makes this next month really exciting,” said starter Drew Rasmussen, who pitched six strong innings and left with the score tied at 1.

“To come here and play well for two days, now we get an off-day to catch our breath.”

Tampa Bay has not been great in extra-inning games this season, its nine losses tied for second most in the Majors.

On Wednesday, however, the Rays were able to push a run across in the top of the 10th thanks to a seeing-eye single from Margot. They pulled out the win thanks to a clean bottom half of the frame from Jalen Beeks.

Beeks picked up his second save of the season by putting the Marlins down in order and keeping pinch-runner Jerar Encarnacion at third after Margot’s big grab at the wall.

“I feel like I have been in a lot of extra-inning games lately,” said Beeks, who got a text message from former teammate Joey Wendle after getting him to ground out to end the game. “It was nice to get back out there, have some success, and I had a lot of fun.”

For Margot, getting a chance to be the hero was on his mind as he watched the 10th unfold.

The Marlins’ Tommy Nance struck out the first two batters he faced with Yu Chang at second. Margot figured Miami would intentionally walk the red-hot Yandy Díaz (who went 3-for-3 with two walks) to get to him. He was right.

Margot went into the at-bat 0-for-4, and he had popped up a bunt attempt to first baseman Lewin Díaz with runners on first and second and no out in the eighth. He was ready to make his mark on the game.

“I was telling [Christian] Bethancourt that if we don’t get a hit, they’re going to walk Yandy,” Margot said through interpreter Manny Navarro. “I was ready, and I went up there looking for a ball to connect on. The best part of this game is if you fail in one at-bat, you may have the opportunity to have another at-bat. I stayed confident and got another one.

“If I would have played just the first eight innings, I wouldn’t have done anything. I was able to make a difference.”

Margot dropped a 2-2 pitch in front of right fielder Brian Anderson, allowing Chang to race home with the go-ahead run.

In the bottom of the 10th, Margot slid from right field to center, where he raced back on a long drive by Charles Leblanc, crashing into the wall.

Margot scrambled to his feet and got the ball in. Beeks did the rest.

“The catch was outstanding for a guy who wasn’t out there to begin with and just shifted over,” said Cash, whose team had been 2-6 in extra innings since July 2. “We’re so fortunate to have so many guys who can cover a lot of ground and make pretty spectacular plays.”

Harold Ramírez gave the Rays a 1-0 lead with a two-out double down the left-field line in the sixth. Until Margot’s hit in the 10th, that was the only run Tampa Bay pushed across.

“He is one of the best hitters on the team,” Díaz said of Margot through Navarro. “The confidence is going to be there any time he comes up with runners on base. [The catch] is the reason we won the game.”