Young offensive mainstays carry Marlins to win over Rays
A trio of Miami's 2024 trade deadline acquisitions continued to impress in the Marlins' 9-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night at loanDepot park.
When the Marlins executed a flurry of trades ahead of last year's July 30 trade deadline, the goal was to replenish a depleted farm system and establish a foundation for long-term success. Less than a year later, that vision is already starting to take shape. Several of those acquisitions have quickly emerged as cornerstone offensive pieces—something the organization has lacked since its ownership transition in 2017.
Catcher Agustin Ramirez (acquired in the Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade), third baseman Connor Norby, and outfielder Kyle Stowers (both acquired in the Trevor Rogers deal) have quickly become important members of Miami's everyday lineup. All three played key roles on Friday night, hitting in the 2-3-4 spots in the batting order and combining to go 4-for-12 with two walks, five RBIs, and three runs scored.
'The quality of at-bats was terrific,' said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough postgame. 'Seven walks as a team against a really good club like Tampa is always a good sign.'
With the game tied 1–1 and two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Ramirez stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and worked a gritty eight-pitch walk to push across the go-ahead run. It was a mature plate appearance by the 23-year-old against Rays starter Taj Bradley.
'That was a real at-bat,' McCullough noted. 'He got behind early but showed great discipline laying off some tough pitches in a big spot.' Additionally, earlier in the game, Ramirez added his 15th extra-base hit in just his 21st Major League game.
Immediately after, Norby delivered the game's biggest blow—a bases-clearing double off the wall that gave Miami a 5–1 lead.
'We continue to learn in those situations,' Norby said after the game. 'I hadn't been great in those two-out spots, so that swing was obviously huge for me and the team.'
The Rays responded with three runs in the top of the fifth against Miami's young right-hander Max Meyer, who continues to scuffle after a stellar start to the season. His final line on Friday: 5 innings pitched, 4 hits, 3 earned runs, no walks and seven strikeouts.
Later in the game, Stowers added to the offensive output with a key RBI single that extended the Marlins' lead and helped seal the win.
'I've said it so many times, it's going to happen a lot faster than people realize,' Norby emphasized. 'We've been in a lot of tight games and we haven't even played great. That's something to be really excited about. Once it starts clicking, those games turn into wins. We've got a really good group in here that plays hard for one another.'
With the win, the Marlins improved to 17-26 on the season. Right-hander Max Meyer earned his third victory, while former Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara is slated to take the mound for Miami in Saturday afternoon's 4:10 p.m. matchup.
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