Meadows’ homer in 8th lifts Rays over Marlins 1-0

MIAMI – Austin Meadows’ home run with two outs in the eighth inning was all the Tampa Bay Rays needed, as the reigning AL champions started their season with a 1-0 win over the Miami Marlins.

Meadows — who hit 33 homers for the Rays two years ago, then only four in 36 games last season — connected off reliever Yimi Garcia on a drive that cleared the 387-foot sign in left-center with ease.

Jesus Aguilar had two of Miami’s three hits.

The starting pitchers, Sandy Alcantara for the Marlins and Tyler Glasnow for Tampa Bay, both threw six shutout innings.