Rivera a walk-off specialist

Barraclough blows save, but utility infielder wins game in 10th

MIAMI — Kyle Barraclough allowed only one hit and no runs in June, which earned the Marlins closer Reliever of the Month honors on Monday.

The first hitter he faced in July, Daniel Robertson, stroked a clean single to left to open the ninth inning against the Rays. Three batters later, C.J. Cron lined a double into the left-field corner with two outs to drive in the tying run.

It was the first blown save for Barraclough since taking over the Marlins’ closer role. It also ended Barraclough’s streak of 12 2⁄3 scoreless innings over 13 appearances.

The Marlins got him off the hook when Yadiel Rivera hit an infield single off Ryne Stanek to drive in Brian Anderson in the 10th inning for a 3-2 victory in the opener of the Interleague series.

It was utility infielder Rivera’s second walk-off hit of the season.

Anderson led off the bottom of the 10th with a walk and J.T. Realmuto sent him to third with a single to center.

The Marlins were one out away from victory with a slim lead coming on J.T. Realmuto’s solo homer in the fifth inning off Rays starter Nathan Eovaldi, a former Marlin.

Both starting pitchers were very familiar with the opposing uniforms. But most of those wearing them were relative strangers to Marlins left-hander WeiYin Chen and Eovaldi.

Chen was making his 22nd start against the Rays, by far the most against any opponent. Only center fielder Kevin Kiermaier had as many as 13 at-bats against Chen before Monday.

A different Rays team than Chen knew from his four seasons in the AL East with Baltimore, but they held no mystery to the Taiwanese lefty.

Chen allowed only an unearned run and three hits over six innings in one of his most effective and efficient outings in 13 starts this season.

Eovaldi pitched for the Marlins from 2012-14, but none of the current cast played for Miami then. He’d only faced Realmuto in one at-bat before.

On the day Realmuto cracked the top 5 in All-Star voting for National League catchers, he introduced himself to Eovaldi by smacking a 409-foot homer off the orange wall in left to break a 1-1 deadlock.

The two runs were all Eovaldi gave up in six innings, along with eight hits.

Eovaldi was much more effective than in his only previous appearance against his former team, when gave up eight runs and nine hits in two-thirds of an inning at Marlins Park in 2015 while pitching for the Yankees.

Eovaldi still has a blazing fastball despite twice having Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, most recently in 2016. He came into Monday with a fastball averaging 96.9 mph and a top end of 99.2, according to Statcast.

But it was an 86-mph splitter that Realmuto hit out on a 1-2 count.

Miguel Rojas got the Marlins on the board in the second with a two-out double to the corner in left, bringing Starlin Castro home from first.