His first major-league home run helped spark the Miami Marlins’ rally against the Cubs
Jon Berti made his way around the bases at Wrigley Field in the sixth inning Monday night, soaking in the moment of his first career MLB home run. As he made his way to the dugout, where his Miami Marlins teammates were waiting to celebrate in what was now a tie score against the Chicago Cubs, he heard a roar of applause from the opposing crowd.
The ball he had just hit 403 feet into the center-field seats made its way back into the outfield grass.
In that moment, Berti knew he was getting back a much-cherished memento of his professional baseball career.
“I had the thought before that if I hit it here, it’s probably a good thing because they throw it back,” Berti, the Marlins’ 5-10, 195-pound utility player and longtime minor-league journeyman, said after the game, a 6-5 come-from-behind victory over the Cubs. “I didn’t realize they did it until I heard the crowd go crazy a little bit.”
The home run was a milestone for the 29-year-old who spent the first eight years of his professional career in the minor leagues except for four games at the end of last season with the Toronto Blue Jays once rosters expanded.
But it’s his speed, his ability to make contact and his instincts on the basepaths that made the Marlins want to give him an extended look this season after claiming him on waivers in the offseason.
Berti was a nonroster invite to spring training and started the year in Triple A New Orleans before being called up on April 20. After going hitless with two walks and four strikeouts in his first five games with the Marlins, Berti has now recorded at least one hit in six of his past seven starts and sports a .242 batting average.
“Bert’s been good,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “I thought his at-bats were good early when he wasn’t getting hits and now he’s starting to throw a few out there. He’s a guy that gives you quality at-bats.”
As for what he plans to do with the home run ball?
“[It’s going] on the mantle,” Berti said. “It’s a special one, right along with my first career hit.”
Pinch-hit success
While the Marlins’ offense as a whole is among MLB’s worst in a slew of categories, there is one spot where they have excelled: Pinch-hitting.
The Marlins have an MLB-best .291 batting average in pinch-hit situations, going 16 for 55 with two doubles, three home runs, seven walks and eight RBI.
Prado staying hot
Martin Prado recorded his sixth multi-hit game of the season — and third in his past five starts — before the end of the third inning on Tuesday. Prado had the Malrins first hit of the game with a one-out single in the first and then came back with an RBI double in the third to score Curtis Granderson, who reached base on a fielding error.
South Florida alums homer off Marlins
For the second consecutive night, a South Florida native on the Chicago Cubs’ roster hit a home run off Marlins pitching.
On Monday, it was Anthony Rizzo, a Stoneman Douglas alumnus who went deep off Sandy Alcantara in the first inning for his 200th career home run.
On Tuesday, it was Hialeah Gardens native and Mater Academy alum Albert Almora Jr., who took a full-count fastball from Caleb Smith 398 feet to center field for his second home run of the season.
This story was originally published May 7, 2019 at 1:05 PM.
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