J.T. Realmuto had another big game before another small crowd, which probably did not help his cause much in the All-Star voting.
The Marlins catcher on Monday homered in the fifth and singled to spark a game-winning rally as Miami beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 in 10 innings.
Realmuto has 11 home runs and is batting .311, but ranks a distant fifth in National League All-Star fan voting.
Photo: Jasen Vinlove-USA Today
“He’s a great player,” manager Don Mattingly said before the game. “People just don’t know it yet.”
There were not many at Marlins Park to spread the word — the attendance was 6,004.
Brian Anderson walked against Ryne Stanek (1-2) to start the 10th and took third on Realmuto’s single. Yadiel Rivera followed with an RBI infield single.
Realmuto, hoping for his first All-Star appearance, said he has no hard feelings regarding the voting.
“We don’t have as many fans as other teams have,” he said. “That’s how the fan vote goes. All I can do is go out there and play, and let my numbers do the talking for me.”
The Rays lost for only the second time in 10 games and allowed more than two runs for the first time in seven games, ending a franchise-record streak.
Tampa Bay have lost 21 one-run games, the most in the majors.
Realmuto’s solo homer put Miami ahead 2-1.
C.J. Cron tied the game in the ninth with a two-out RBI double against closer Kyle Barraclough, who had not given up a run since May 8.
Miami had runners at the corners in the 10th with none out when Rivera pulled a one-hopper up the line.
Third baseman Matt Duffy backhanded the ball and double-clutched in foul territory before making a wild throw home, with the play ruled a hit.
“I tried to make a desperation play,” Duffy said. “I didn’t get a grip and tried to rush the transfer.”
Rivera, a reserve batting .198, entered the game in the ninth as a defensive replacement and came through with his second walk-off hit this season.
“We go home happy,” he said. “That’s the best part.”
Miami second baseman Starlin Castro tied a career high with four hits, but also committed an error that led to an unearned run.
Miguel Rojas had three hits, including a two-out RBI double in the second.
Miami’s Taiwanese pitcher Chen Wei-yin allowed one run in six innings and it was unearned, lowering his ERA to 5.55.
“Today was a tough one,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “We didn’t have our best approach against Chen for whatever reason, but you look past that and figure that we tied the game off a really good pitcher in Barraclough.”
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