Marlins bet on Cosart in middle tilt with Rays

(SportsNetwork.com) - With Major League Baseball's probe of him in the rearview mirror, Jarred Cosart gets a chance to turn the page when he makes his 2015 debut on the mound for the Miami Marlins Saturday afternoon against the Tampa Bay Rays.

It was only eight days ago when MLB ruled that Cosart did not bet on baseball. Instead, he was fined or violating rules that prohibit illegal gambling.

"I have never, nor would I ever, bet on the great game of baseball," he said in a statement last Friday. "Major League Baseball conducted a thorough investigation, and I cooperated fully with them and their investigators throughout that process. I'm sorry for any distractions this may have caused the Marlins, my teammates, coaches, and our incredible fans. I'm glad to bring closure to this situation before Opening Day and I look forward to a great season."

Cosart allegedly exchanged multiple direct messages with a gambling expert via his Twitter account a few weeks ago. He then deleted his account after screen shots of the conversation hit the internet.

The 24-year-old right-hander went 4-4 with a 2.39 ERA in 10 starts with the Marlins after begin acquired from Houston before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

Cosart has dominated the Rays in his three career starts as evidenced by a 3-0 mark and a 1.17 ERA.

Chris Archer, who counters on the mound for the Rays, made the opening day start and took the 6-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. The right-hander allowed four runs -- three earned -- with five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

Archer, who is 0-4 in six career interleague starts, has faced Miami once. He lost 1-0 on a bases-loaded walk by Christian Yelich in the fifth inning of the June 3, 2014 contest.

The Marlins eked out their first win of the season Friday as Yelich hit an RBI single in the 10th inning to pull out a 10-9 victory.

The Marlins' bullpen squandered an 8-1 lead by coughing up seven runs in the seventh inning, three stemming from bases-loaded walks. Miami's offense, which scored just three runs in a season-opening sweep at the hands of the Braves, bailed them out.

Yelich and Giancarlo Stanton both knocked in three runs, Michael Morse drove in two, and Dee Gordon finished with three hits and four runs scored, including the game-winner.

David DeJesus hit a pinch-hit, three-run triple to highlight Tampa Bay's seventh inning, but the Rays nevertheless fell to 1-3 on the young season. Kevin Kiermaier homered and drove in a pair of runs in defeat.

"It was an incredible effort," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "I couldn't have been more proud of our guys."

Marlins manager Mike Redmond curiously pulled a cruising Dan Haren to start the seventh, and the Miami bullpen simply imploded.

The Marlins swept all four meetings from the Rays last season.