Garza’s one-hitter topples Marlins as Rays sweep series

Matt Garza pitched the game of his career one night after his collegiate alma mater won the college world series as a huge underdog.

Garza pitched a one-hitter, only allowing a Hanley Ramirez lead off home run in the seventh inning, facing only one batter over the minimum to lead the visiting Tampa Bay Rays to a 6-1 win over the Florida Marlins and complete a three-game sweep in the Citrus Series.

The Rays jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning off Marlins’ starter Mark Hendrickson as B.J. Upton scored on a Scott Riggans sacrifice fly.

Tampa bay added two more runs in the fourth inning when Evan Longoria connected on his 14th home run of the season and Akinori Iwamura singled in Riggans to make it 3-0.

Riggans doubled in the fifth inning scoring Upton and Longoria to make it 5-0 Rays and that would close the book on Hendrickson (7-6), who pitched 4.2 innings, five hits, five earned runs, while walking five and striking out three.

Doug Waechter relieved Hendrickson and pitched 4.1 inning of relief allowing just one earned run.

Ramirez provied the lone highlight for the Marlins, who have now dropped four in a row, with his 17th home run of the season to open the seventh inning.

The Marlins will look to bounce back as they open a three-game series with NL West leading Arizona on Friday night at Dolphin Stadium. Ricky Nolasco is scheduled to take the mound against Micah Owings.