ST.PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash is excited with how left-hander Matt Moore is wrapping up the season.
Moore went seven solid innings, Asdrubal Cabrera hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth and the Rays beat the Miami Marlins 4-2 on Tuesday night.
Moore, coming back from elbow ligament replacement surgery last year, allowed one run and seven hits. He has given up three runs in 20 2-3 innings over his last three starts.
"It does feel good to roll out a few in a row," Moore said.
Moore hopes to start the season finale Sunday against Toronto, a decision Cash said will be made in the next couple days.
"A lot of bright spots to look forward to next year," Cash said.
Cabrera made it 4-2 with his one-out drive off Bryan Morris (5-4).
"The situation, 2-0 count, I tried to hit the ball hard," Cabrera said.
The Rays are 12-6 in interleague play this season.
Adam Conley gave up two runs and five hits over six innings for the Marlins, who had a five-game winning streak end. Miami dropped to 0-8 in road games against American League teams this season.
"Conley, another excellent start," Marlins manager Dan Jennings said. "Gave us a shot."
Miami pulled even at 2 in the eighth on Martin Prado’s run-scoring single off Alex Colome (7-5). Brad Boxberger pitched the ninth for his 39th save.
After rookie Mikie Mahtook hit a solo homer in the third inning, Kevin Kiermaier gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the fourth. Mahtook has four homers in 22 games, including 15 starts, since being recalled Sept. 1 from Triple-A Durham.
Christian Yelich put the Marlins up 1-0 with an RBI double in the first.
Prado, Miami’s third baseman, made a nifty catch to end the seventh, lunging over the short wall down the left-field line to grab Mahtook’s foul ball.
Rays second baseman Logan Forsythe left with a bruised right foot. He was hit by a pitch from Conley in the first inning.
X-rays were negative, and Forsythe is day to day.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: RF Giancarlo Stanton, sidelined since June 26 with a broken left wrist, has been shut down for the rest of the season. He is expected to be ready for spring training. … SS Adeiny Hechavarria (left hamstring) might return this week.
Rays: It hasn’t been announced if C Curt Casali (left hamstring) will play again this year.
NUMBER’S GAME
Miami 1B Justin Bour went 0 for 4 and had his streak of homering in three consecutive games end. … Rays 3B Evan Longoria was hitless in 14 at-bats before getting a fifth-inning single. … Marlins CF Marcell Osuna singled in the fourth and has at least one hit in all 11 career games against Tampa Bay. … Miami RF Ichiro Suzuki was hitless in four at-bats and remains one hit from tying Barry Bonds (2,935) for 34th place on the MLB list.
DEE-LIGHTFUL
Miami 2B Dee Gordon went 1 for 3 and is three hits from joining Juan Pierre (2003-04) and Hanley Ramirez (2007) as the only Marlins’ players to reach 200 hits in one season.
UP NEXT
Marlins: RHP Jarred Cosart (2-4), Wednesday night’s starter, is 3-1 with a 1.24 ERA in four starts against Tampa Bay.
Rays: LHP Drew Smyly (4-2) will make his ninth start Wednesday night since returning from a torn left labrum. He has alternated between outings of allowing four runs or more and scoreless starts over that stretch.