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Back in a game for the first time in 20 months [url=http://www.saintscheapstore.com/willie-roaf-jersey-cheap]Willie Roaf Jersey[/url] , Ryan Tannehill had plenty of time to throw Thursday night.

"The protection was awesome," coach Adam Gase said. "He was back there peeling an orange."

An untouched Tannehill completed passes on the first four plays in his return from two serious injuries to his left knee, and the Miami Dolphins lost their exhibition opener to Tampa Bay 26-24.

Tannehill, seeing his first action since December 2016, led a 40-yard drive that ended with a missed field goal in his only series. He was off-target on his final two throws and finished 4 for 6 for 32 yards.

"We didn't end up with points, which is what you want to do," Tannehill said. "But I thought for our first time hitting the field, my first time hitting the field in a long time, it felt good to be back out there."

New Buccaneers kicker Chandler Catanzaro made a 26-yard field goal with 23 seconds left to cap a 67-yard drive and give them the win.

Tampa Bay's Jameis Winston played the second quarter against Miami's second team and led a group of reserves to 10 points on drives of 32 and 40 yards. He went 11 for 13 for 102 yards in four series.

"Man, it was just great to play against another team [url=http://www.buccaneerscheapstore.com/cameron-brate-jersey-cheap]Cameron Brate Jersey[/url] ," Winston said. He's suspended for the first three games of the regular season for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.

Ryan Fitzpatrick led the Bucs on a 57-yard, six-play touchdown drive on their first possession. It was capped by Peyton Barber's 4-yard run.

BACKUP BATTLE

Miami's David Fales, battling Brock Osweiler for the backup quarterback job, led the second-string offense to a field goal against the Buccaneers' first-team defense. Fales also directed a 75-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter, and he finished 8 of 11 for 115 yards.

Osweiler went 10 for 21 for 83 yards. Gase didn't give either reserve QB an edge in their competition.

"This is going to take all of training camp," Gase said. "It's going to take all preseason."

ROOKIE RUSHERS

Dolphins fourth-round draft pick Kalen Ballage rushed for 37 yards in 10 carries and caught three passes for 23 yards. He also lost a fumble.

Bucs second-round pick Ronald Jones was held to 9 yards in eight carries, but scored on a 2-yard run.

KICKING RESULTS

Catanzaro missed his first extra-point attempt and missed a 53-yard field goal try, but also made two field goals.

"It was great to see him have the chance to get the game-winner," coach Dirk Koetter said. "The good news is he got that missed extra point out of the way so we don't have to repeat that again. He mishit one, and I know he'll be his worst critic."

Rookie Jason Sanders [url=http://www.dolphinscheapstore.com/mike-hull-jersey-cheap]Mike Hull Jersey[/url] , battling rookie Greg Joseph for the Dolphins' kicking job, made field goals of 29 and 23 yards but missed a 53-yarder. Joseph made a 48-yarder.

NATIONAL ANTHEM

Dolphins receivers Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson and defensive end Robert Quinn protested during the anthem. Stills and Wilson kneeled behind teammates lined up standing along the sideline. Quinn stood and raised his right fist. There were no apparent protests by the Buccaneers.

Stills kneeled during the anthem during the 2016-17 seasons and has been vocal discussing social injustice issues that inspired the protest movement by NFL players.

INJURIES

Bucs: CB Vernon Hargreaves III left in the first quarter with a groin injury and didn't return. ... First-round draft pick DT Vita Vea didn't play. He has missed most of training camp with a calf injury.

Dolphins: Reserve LB Mike Hull left the field on a cart in the second quarter with a left knee injury.

UP NEXT

Buccaneers: Tampa Bay plays at Tennessee on Aug. 18.

Dolphins: Miami plays at Carolina on Aug. 17.

Blake Snell and the surging Tampa Bay Rays are having success against some of the major’s best teams.

Snell struck out 10, reliever Diego Castillo fanned Jose Altuve in a key spot and the Rays wrapped up an impressive homestand by beating the Houston Astros 3-2 Sunday.

The Rays went 8-1 at Tropicana Field, taking three of four from the World Series champion Astros, sweeping three from the New York Yankees and winning both games against Washington. Tampa Bay set a team record by allowing no more than two runs in its sixth straight game.

”Everybody’s doing their part,” Snell said.

Snell tied Hall of Famer Walter Johnson (1914) with his 11th consecutive home start allowing one or fewer earned runs for the longest stretch in the AL since 1913, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

”He’s pitched like an All-Star,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. ”We knew we had a chance to have a special series and really special homestand, and I think he capped it off.”

Matt Duffy hit a two-out, two-run single in the seventh inning that put the Rays ahead 2-1 and Mallex Smith homered in the eighth.

Evan Gattis homered twice for Houston. The Astros went 0 for 14 during the series with runners in scoring position.

”We didn’t do enough to win the game or win the series.” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said.

Snell (11-4) allowed one run and four hits in 7 1/3 innings. The lefty has given up five earned runs over 51 2/3 innings (0.87 ERA) at home this season.

Castillo replaced Snell with the bases loaded in the eighth with the Rays leading by a run. Castillo struck out Altuve in a 10-pitch at-bat and got a grounder from Yuli Gurriel to protect the lead.

Sergio Romo got his eighth save despite allowing Gattis’ homer in the ninth.

Charlie Morton (10-2) struck out 11 in 6 2/3 innings. The Astros led 1-0 when he left with runners at first and second [url=http://www.billscheapstore.com/zay-jones-jersey-cheap]Zay Jones Jersey[/url] , and Duffy greeted Chris Devenski with a bloop single down the right-field line. Joey Wendle scored from first base when right fielder Josh Reddick hesitated before throwing the ball back to the infield.

”I just kind of froze,” Reddick said. ”There’s no excuse for screwing that up. I’ve got to get the ball in, and even if I throw it home early, we’re still playing the ball game right now.”

Gattis, who had eight homers and 30 RBIs in June, put the Astros up 1-0 on his seventh-inning drive.

Jake Marisnick had a potential run-scoring extra-base hit tracked down in deep center by Smith with two outs in the fifth.

Smith’s homer was his first since last July 21, ending a 356 at-bat drought.

”I’m not worried about hitting home runs,” the speedy Smith said with a smile. ”I like to steal bases. Can’t steal bases when you hit homers.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: Gurriel returned after three days on the paternity list. . Reliever Joe Smith (right elbow soreness) could be back Tuesday.

Rays: CF Kevin Kiermaier was rested after making two diving catches Saturday. He dropped to 0 for 9, including eight strikeouts, against Morton by going down swinging as a pinch-hitter in the seventh.

SORE SPRINGER

Astros RF George Springer was out of the lineup for the second time in three days after tumbling into the stands chasing a foul ball Saturday. Hinch said Springer is ”beat up a little bit.” Springer [url=http://www.giantscheapstore.com/mark-bavaro-jersey-cheap]Mark Bavaro Jersey[/url] , mired in a 3-for-44 slide, was a pinch-runner in the ninth.

DEADLINE DEALS

The Rays could move veteran players like RHPs Nathan Eovaldi and Chris Archer, and C Wilson Ramos before the non-waiver trade deadline. Also attracting interest is Tampa Bay’s bullpen. ”I imagine our front office will do what they always do, and that’s look to do what’s best for the organization going forward,” Cash said.

The Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals are among the teams with scouts in attendance recently.

UP NEXT

Astros: LHP Dallas Keuchel (4-8) will go against Texas RHP Austin Bibens-Dirx (1-1) Tuesday night.

Rays: Eovaldi (2-3) faces Miami LHP Wei-Yin Chen (2-5) Monday night.

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