TAMPA (Interstat) — Drew Rasmussen pitched five and one-third innings of two-run ball and Taylor Walls drove in three runs with a triple as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Miami Marlins 6-3 Sunday afternoon at George Steinbrenner Field before 16,788 fans in a game that took 2:53.

The Rays improved to 30-15, while the Marlins dropped to 21-26. Rasmussen earned his fourth win against one loss, and Bryan Baker recorded his 12th save with a scoreless ninth inning. Eury Perez took the loss, falling to 2-6 after allowing five runs on five hits over five innings.

Miami struck first in the third inning. After Owen Caissie singled and Xavier Edwards singled him home, Otto Lopez added an RBI single to give the Marlins a 2-0 lead. But the Rays responded in the bottom half of the fourth, turning the game on a decisive rally.

Yandy Diaz led off the fourth with a walk against Perez. After Richie Palacios popped out, Jonny DeLuca doubled, and Cedric Mullins walked to load the bases. Nick Fortes grounded into a fielder’s choice that cut down Diaz at the plate, but, with the bases still loaded, Walls stepped to the plate.

Walls tripled to deep center field, clearing the bases and giving Tampa Bay a 4-2 lead. The triple was his second of the season and proved to be the biggest swing of the afternoon. Chandler Simpson struck out to end the inning, but the damage was done.

Miami had answered in the top of the third after a quiet first two innings. With two outs in the top of the first, Otto Lopez was hit by a pitch but was stranded. In the third, Caissie singled and scored on Edwards’ line-drive single to center. A groundout moved Edwards to third, and Lopez singled him home. Kyle Stowers struck out to strand Lopez.

After the Rays took the lead, they added insurance in the fifth. Junior Caminero walked to start the inning, but Jonathan Aranda lined into a double play. Diaz then crushed his seventh home run of the season to center field, extending the lead to 5-2. Palacios struck out to end the inning.

The Rays tacked on another run in the sixth. DeLuca singled, Mullins singled, and Fortes flied out. Walls walked to load the bases, and Simpson grounded into a forceout at home for the second out. Caminero then walked, forcing in Mullins to make it 6-2. Aranda grounded out to end the inning.

Miami attempted a comeback in the eighth. After Liam Hicks struck out, Lopez doubled and scored on a single by Stowers. Connor Norby doubled to put runners at second and third, and Jakob Marsee walked to load the bases. But Leo Jimenez struck out and Heriberto Hernandez lined out to shortstop, ending the threat.

Baker closed the game with a perfect ninth inning, allowing only a single to Joe Mack before retiring the side.

Rasmussen worked through five and one-third innings, scattering seven hits while striking out two and allowing two earned runs. Kevin Kelly pitched one and two-thirds hitless innings with a strikeout, and Ian Seymour recorded two outs with a strikeout. For Miami, John King tossed a scoreless inning in relief.

The Marlins had baserunners early but struggled to convert. They grounded into two double plays, including one in the fifth inning that wiped out a scoring opportunity after Edwards and Hicks reached base. In the sixth, another double play ended a threat after Norby reached on a fielder’s choice and Marsee singled.

Tampa Bay’s offense produced seven hits, with Caminero homering for the 12th time this season, Diaz homering, and DeLuca doubling. Walls’ triple was the key blow. Otto Lopez led Miami with two hits and an RBI.

The game was the rubber match of a three-game series. Miami had won the opener 10-5 on Saturday, while Tampa Bay took the first game 7-2 on Friday.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a 7-3 final score in favor of the Rays, and Interstat’s ELO system gave Tampa Bay a 59.40 percent probability of winning. The Rays were installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5, and the total of nine runs went under the over-under line of 7.5.