Late strategy falls short for contending Miami

Game 35 of the Marlins’ season was played with playoff-like urgency, with manager Don Mattingly pulling out all the stops, especially in the late innings.

But after Miami grabbed a brief lead in the top of the 10th, the Rays scored twice in their half of the inning and walked off the Marlins, 5-4, on Brandon Lowe’s sacrifice fly to center field.

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Brandon Kintzler had successfully saved his first nine chances of the season before allowing two runs in the Citrus Series finale with the Rays.

“I think in general, you want to win in nine [innings] anyway,” Mattingly said. “You want to take your chances to win it right there. You're probably at a little bit of a disadvantage as the road team, with the guy on second. Even if you score, they can still bunt. They can still have options on you.”

The loss was a tough one for the Marlins (17-18), who dropped two of three in the series and will head into Atlanta to begin a three-game set with the National League East-leading Braves 4 1/2 games back. They’re also 1 1/2 games behind the second-place Phillies, who lost to the Mets on Sunday.

The setback comes on a day rookie left-hander Trevor Rogers, making his third big league start, put together his best performance, striking out 10 while giving up three solo homers in six innings.

“It's the same game,” said Rogers, who reached as high as Double-A last year. “I keep trying to tell myself that. Different venue, but it's the same game. Just go out there and compete and locate well. Mix pitches.”

Rookie shortstop Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled for his first big league hit in the seventh inning and in the eighth, he made a terrific diving catch to rob Nate Lowe of a hit. The expected batting average on the ball off the bat was .870.

Starling Marte added a two-run homer in the first inning.

With 25 games to go and so much at stake, the Marlins are playing with a heightened purpose. Mattingly has noted the club will play the matchups to give itself the best chance in the home stretch of the season.

“As far as trying to keep guys fresh, it's a pennant race,” Mattingly said. “You're going to try to limit anything you can as far as, for us, early BP and extra work, and things like that. You just want them to keep all that energy for the games. We'll try to monitor that part. Our guys know where we're at, and every game is something we have to try to win.”

The moves Mattingly made in the ninth and 10th innings especially showed that this wasn’t just one game in what would've otherwise been a long season in another year.

In the ninth, Mattingly went into playoff baseball substitution mode, going with five position-player moves after Lewin Díaz, who played for the first time in four days, doubled off Diego Castillo in a 3-3 game in the top half of the inning. The rookie entered the game 1-for-17 and had been hitless in three at-bats Sunday.

Jon Berti pinch-ran for Díaz and Chisholm attempted to bunt, but he popped out to third in foul territory. Then Garrett Cooper pinch-hit for Eddy Alvarez and lifted a routine flyout to left. Miguel Rojas pinch-hit for catcher Chad Wallach and drew a walk. The Marlins’ threat ended when Corey Dickerson lifted a fly ball to right.

“Lewin puts the wheels in motion by hitting the double, and then we're going to run and try to score there,” Mattingly said. “You're trying to do anything you can to win it in nine. You don't want to make it a game that goes longer and longer.”

By the end of the inning, the Marlins’ lineup card was a mess. Lewis Brinson entered to play right field. Rojas, the regular shortstop, stayed in the game and played first base for the first time this season. Jorge Alfaro took over at catcher.

In the 10th inning, the Marlins gained the advantage after the Rays played the percentages and shifted for Matt Joyce. With two outs and Brinson on second, Tampa Bay vacated shortstop for the left-handed-hitting Joyce, who swapped a grounder through the hole for an RBI single off John Curtiss. Miami held a short-lived 4-3 lead.

Joyce’s go-ahead single came on a 2-2 slider. According to Statcast, the exit velocity on the grounder was 86.6 mph, and the ball had an expected batting average of .140.

“Matty knows that whole side is open,” Mattingly said. “You're still going to do what your guy has to do. The guy may not give you the pitch to do it with, but you do know if they back door you the breaking ball, all you've got to do is put it in play over there in that spot.”

In the bottom half, Ji-Man Choi delivered an RBI double off Kintzler, scoring placed runner Joey Wendle from second to tie the game at 4. Brett Phillips pinch-ran for Choi and Kevin Kiermaier walked, putting runners on the corners before Lowe’s sacrifice fly easily scored Phillips with one out.