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April 2 (UPI) -- Aces Tyler Glasnow and Sandy Alcantara each dominated in their starts, but it was Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Austin Meadows who provided the power, with a game-winning homer against the Miami Marlins on Opening Day. Meadows' mash spoiled a stellar showing for Alcantara in the 1-0 victory Thursday at loanDepot Park in Miami.
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"[Meadows] has a chance to be a very special hitter in the league and for our team," Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters Thursday in a Zoom video conference. "He picked us up in a big way.
"He got a 2-0 count, got a fastball and didn't miss it."
Alcantara ace allowed just two hits and had seven strikeouts in six shutout innings. Glasnow allowed just one hit and had six strikeouts in six innings.
The Rays and Marlins each recorded one hit apiece in the first inning. Glasnow and Alcantara then settled in and didn't allow another hit for the next two innings.
The Marlins then pulled Alcantara for relief pitcher Dylan Floro in the top of the seventh frame. Fellow relief pitcher Yimi Garcia then replaced Floro in the top of the eighth inning. Garcia began the frame by forcing flyouts from Manuel Margot and Yoshi Tsutsugo. Meadows then stepped into the box to face the right-handed reliever.
The Rays outfielder took two curveballs for consecutive balls. He then teed up a 95.1-mph Garcia fastball. Meadows sent the offering deep to right field for a 419-foot solo home run. The blast traveled 107.6 mph, according to Statcast.
Garcia struck out Randy Arozarena in the next at-bat, but the damage already was done. Jorge Alfaro singled for the Marlins in the bottom of the frame. Garrett Cooper then walked two at-bats later, but the Marlins stranded both runners on base.
The Marlins also allowed two hits in the top of the ninth inning, but relief pitcher Adam Cimber escaped the jam without allowing a run. Marlins slugger Jesus Aguilar then belted a long fly ball in the bottom of the final frame, but the 355-foot smack fell just short of the outfield wall for an out, as Miami couldn't complete a comeback.
Aguilar was the only player in the game with multiple hits. The Marlins first baseman went 2 for 4 in the loss. Meadows, Arozarena, Brandon Lowe, Kevin Kiermaier and Willy Adames each recorded hits for the Rays.
Ryan Thompson earned the win in relief of Glasnow. He allowed one hit and had a strikeout in a scoreless seventh inning performance.
The Rays face the Marlins in the second game of a three-game series at 7:10 p.m. EDT Friday in Miami. Left-handed pitcher Ryan Yarbrough is expected to start for the Rays. The Marlins plan to start right-handed pitcher Pablo Lopez.
