MIAMI _ Monday marked the start of the major league season's next phase, a transition signaled by more than just the flip of the calendar. Behind home plate, in fading red, white and blue paint, sits the Opening Week logo, a remnant of last month's festivities. Feet away is a new message: (hashtag)VoteMarlins, in honor of the start of All-Star Game voting this week.
The Marlins opened this month the same way they did the first one: with a loss. Miami lost to the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-2, at Marlins Park in the opener of the teams' four-game home-and-home Citrus Series.
The winning run scored in the seventh on a play that Marlins manager Don Mattingly challenged. With the bases loaded and one out, Steve Souza Jr. sent a grounder to third baseman Martin Prado, who fired to Dee Gordon at second for an out. Gordon hung onto the ball _ instead of throwing to first to attempt to complete a double play _ and absorbed Kevin Kiermaier's slide.
Kiermaier reached second, popped up and collided with Gordon on the back half of the base. Derek Norris scored on the play. Mattingly, via his challenge, contended that Kiermaier slid in violation of rule 6.01(j): "If a runner does not engage in a 'bona fide slide,' and initiates (or attempts to make) contact with the fielder for the purpose of breaking up a double play, he should be called out for interference."
A review of 2 minutes, 59 seconds determined Kiermaier's slide was legal. Norris's run counted. The Rays took the lead, then won.
That marked Brad Ziegler's worst outing as a Marlin. He walked three _ including one after the Kiermaier play to re-load the bases _ and allowed one hit, yielding to Junichi Tazawa after recording only two outs. Ziegler's ERA nearly doubled to 1.35.
Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen was strong. He allowed two runs in six innings, mostly scattering four hits and two walks. He reached a season high in strikeouts with his second out in the fifth inning and finished his night with seven.
After a long top of the fourth, in which Chen threw 24 pitches and the Rays scored twice, he settled in for a perfect fifth, throwing eight pitches and striking out a pair. He also worked around a one-out walk in the sixth, finishing his night by inducing a fly out from Tim Beckham to center fielder Christian Yelich.
In the fourth, it was Beckham who burned Chen, doubling to right-center to score Corey Dickerson and Rickie Weeks Jr.
This outing was a significant one for Chen in that it was both good and happened with J.T. Realmuto behind the plate. In Chen's first three starts of the year _ two sharp ones, including seven no-hit innings, and one dud _ manager Don Mattingly paired him with backup catcher A.J. Ellis, an arrangement that looked like a potential developing personal-catcher situation but one Ellis said was a coincidence. Chen praised Ellis regularly during that span.
Last week, Chen worked with Realmuto for the first time this season and lasted only five innings, allowing four runs. This time, more success.
The Marlins scored their runs early. Christian Yelich's sacrifice fly to left in the first brought home Dee Gordon, who walked, stole second and advancing to third on a throwing error.
In the fourth, Marcell Ozuna homered to left.
