Slide continues as Poteet pounded

Harold Ramírez homered in a five-run first inning, Colin Poche struck out Jesús Aguilar to strand the bases loaded in the ninth and the The Rays held on for a 5-4 victory over the Marlins on Wednesday night before another small crowd at Tropicana Field.

Drew Rasmussen (5-1) won his fifth straight decision over six starts, giving up three runs and six hits in five innings with seven strikeouts. It was the first time in six starts he gave up more than one run.

Down by five runs early, Miami closed with three runs in the fourth.

“The bullpen kept us in the game,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “That’s one thing I liked about this game because it was one of those games that can get away from you.”

Brian Anderson singled leading off the ninth, and throwing errors by third baseman Taylor Wells and shortstop Wander Franco gifted Miami an unearned run. Garrett Cooper’s two-out walk loaded the bases, and Poche struck out Aguilar on a 94.9 mph pitch for his third big league save, his first since Sept. 23, 2019.

Miami has lost five of its last six, is 6-16 following a 12-8 start and has fallen to a season-worst six games under .500.

The game drew a crowd announced at 7,520, the Rays’ fourth straight home game with less than 10,000 and 12th this season.

Cody Poteet (0-1), in his second start, gave up five runs, four hits and three walks in three innings.

Franco hit an RBI double in the first for his third hit in 41 at-bats and scored on Randy Arozarena’s two-run double.

“Hopefully much more to come,” said Franco, who has been slowed by minor injuries. “I’m just looking for pitches I can hit and making sure I hit those pitches.”.

Ramírez followed with his second home run this season.

Jorge Soler led off the fifth with his ninth home run, the first of four straight hits off Rasmussen that included Jacob Stallings two-run double.

Soler hit a long drive to left in the eighth off J.P. Feyereisen that initially was called a home run by third base umpire Dan Iassogna, then was changed to a foul after umpires huddled in a call upheld by a video review.

Mattingly said the initial call should have remained in place, leaving the Rays to call for a review.

“I watched it on replay and I can’t tell whether it was fair or foul,” Mattingly said. “The problem is that one guy calls it fair, and they overturn it, and now the replay has to overturn that.”

It would have been the first earned run of the season off Feyereisen, who struck out all three batters he faced in his 18th relief appearance.

“Anytime you get three strikeouts, it’s a good inning,” Feyereisen said, “but I would rather have a nice relaxing 12-pitch inning than work for more punchouts.”

Tampa Bay’s Manuel Margot, activated after spending 10 days on the injured list with a strained right hamstring, extended his hitting streak to 12 games with an infield single in the fourth. Right-hander Dusten Knight was optioned to Triple-A Durham. Trainers’s room: Marlins: RHP Anthony Bender went on the 15-day IL with back stiffness . ... The contract of INF Willians Astudillo was selected from Triple-A Jacksonville ... 2B Jazz Chisholm missed a second straight game due to a sore left hamstring.

Up next: LHP Trevor Rogers (2-5, 5.20) is to pitch Friday night against RHP Ian Anderson (3-3, 4.07) in the opener of a three-game series at Atlanta.

CHRIS O’MEARA/AP The Marlins’ Jorge Soler, right, is congratulated by third base coach Al Pedrique after his solo home run during the fourth inning against the Rays on Wednesday.