Miami Third Basman Connor Norbi believes that Marlins’ crime is beginning to heat up.
The principle will be tested on Saturday afternoon as Miami hosts Tampa Bay rays in the middle game of a weekend series.
In the series opener on Friday, Marlins drilled rays 9–4. This was the second time this month that Marlins scored nine runs in the game, tied to his third best clan of the season.
“We know that the crime is going to click,” Norbi said that Miami extended her minor winning line into two matches. “We have played many close games. We have to grind the victory. We have some people who are ourselves … We think we are reaching there.”
Norbi has recorded at least one hit in nine out of its last 10 matches. On Friday, serving as Marlins’ nominated hitter, he moved to 2 -for -5 with three runs doubles.
“He has a Naik to be hit with the runners in the scoring position,” Miami’s manager Clayton McCulla said about Norbi. “He is definitely not afraid of those moments. He enjoys those moments.”
Norbi is hitting .324 (12 -for -37) in its last 10 matches. For the season, however, he is hitting only .264 with .729 opes due to a slow start for the year.
Norbi said about a conversation with her coaches, “The big thing we talked about is swinging on better pitches.” “My chase is down. I still expand the area from time to time – so everyone does.
“When I chase me down, I am great. When I follow, I am not good.”
On the injury front, Marlins played without Xavier Edwards (back tightness) on Friday. Xavier Sanoja replaced Edwards at the Shortstop, and Jesus Sanchez batted in Edwards’ customary leadoff spots. The pair scored three runs with three runs, one RBI and two walks.
Sandy Alakantara (2-5, 8.10 ERA) will begin on Saturday for Miami. Six career begins against Tampa Bay, with a right-handed person with 3.44 ERA.
Marlins is still hoping that Alkantara can re -achieve its Sai Young Award form from 2022. However, he missed last year after Tommy John surgery, and he has not seen fast in 2025.
Tampa Bay will counter the right-handed Drew Rasmusen (1-4, 3.38). In four career games against Marlins-two begin-1-0 with 2.57 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 14 innings.
Rasmusen pounds the area with a high-octane fastball (95–100 mph).
In the previous season, at a point, the idea was that Rasmusen would be close to Tampa Bay. In 2024, he had a 2.83 ERA, which included one in 16 appearances, including 12 in 12 reliefs. However, when he was returning from a elbow injury, he cost him very high in 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Despite Friday’s loss, rays are 9-3 in their last 12 road games.
In the so-called citrus series against Miami, Tampa Bay is 24–4 since the start of the 2019 season.
Overall, after winning four of their last six matches, the rays ended a thick night on Friday. Those pitching staff were particularly unstable, walking on seven batsmen.
Tampa Bay Manager Kevin Cash said, “It was just behind) was just falling behind and was not able to reset the count.” “This is very uncontrolled. We usually do such a good job of living in the zone and staying in the zone. It is one thing to leave hits. But the free pass was in fact, in fact, the result of the game.”
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