ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ Marcell Ozuna's long fly ball, one of the longest Tropicana Field has ever seen, wasn't the biggest blow from the Miami Marlins' offense Wednesday, nor the hardest hit. But it was the prettiest.
The offensive onslaught that ended in a 10-6 Marlins win over the Tampa Bay Rays began with a home run that Ozuna hit about as perfectly as an individual can hit one. A 1-0 changeup over the heart of the plate sent so far, so hard, so fast to left field that all MLBAM's Statcast tracking system could do was project how long it would've gone had it not hit a banner hanging some 75 feet above the field.
The approximate unimpeded distance: 468 feet. The banner, a pennant commemorating the Rays' 2011 American League wild card playoff berth, wavered upon impact. The ball fell back to earth _ or, at least, the Rays' artificial turf _ as the Marlins dugout reacted in amazement and Ozuna jogged around the bases.
The Marlins' ensuing series of offensive blows, as they took control with eight total runs in the sixth and seventh innings, weren't nearly as powerful. They opted for a combination jabs punctuated by the occasional monster hook.
The sixth started off with seven consecutive hits and five runs, the last hit and last two runs scoring on Giancarlo Stanton's line-drive double to center. At 113 mph, that was the only ball hit harder than Ozuna's Stanton-esque homer (112 mph). The rocket came on a breaking ball low and away, an offering Stanton loves to swing at but doesn't always connect on.
The seventh started followed a similar opening: Miguel Rojas (4 for 5) and Adeiny Hechavarria (3 for 4) setting the table at the bottom of the order, and the top of it driving them in. This time it was a triple from leadoff man J.T. Realmuto _ plugged in at No. 1 with Dee Gordon resting _ to right. Martin Prado's sacrifice fly scored Realmuto.
More meaningful than the details of the outburst was its mere existence. Over the past week-plus, as the Marlins lost six of seven games (while scoring two or fewer runs in five of those games), they totaled two multi-run innings. On Wednesday, they had three.
Adam Conley battled the Rays and himself for 51/3 innings, allowing four runs. He walked three, struck out five and allowed five hits. After Tampa Bay scored thrice in the second, Conley settled in to retire 11 of 12 batters before walking back-to-back Rays to end his night.
