It was an inning to remember for Cesar Puello. Now Marlins hope it continues
It has been somewhat of a struggle for Cesar Puello since he joined the Miami Marlins, at least offensively.
But in the eighth inning of Wednesday’s series-clinching win over the Chicago White Sox, Puello displayed the type of all-around talent that led the Marlins to acquire him from the Los Angeles Angels on June 19 for cash considerations.
Puello, a 28-year-old from the Dominican Republic, began the eighth inning by crushing a two-run home run 432 feet into left field to break the scoreless tie. It marked his first home run and second extra-base hit for the Marlins, and snapped an 0-for-14 slump.
“I never stop working. I’ve been working hard,” said Puello, who entered Friday’s home game against the Arizona Diamondbacks with a .176 batting average to go with one home run and five RBI in 68 at-bats since joining the Marlins. “I was focused on that at-bat. ... I made a good swing on the ball.
“I told myself I had been a little overaggressive. I told myself to relax and just be patient and get your pitch. When you see it, be patient and aggressive at the same time.”
And that swing evidently felt good because Puello made an emphatic bat flip before rounding the bases.
“I just made it a little bit fun for the team,” Puello said when asked about his bat toss. “That way, I keep my team going.”
Puello wasn’t done, though, as he made two big plays in center field to help preserve the Marlins’ 2-0 lead. It began with a diving catch to start the bottom half of the eighth and continued with a run-saving catch at the wall to end the inning.
“Honestly, it starts with that first catch and Cesar coming in,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “... And then Cesar’s catch at the wall. When the ball us hit, you know, at this ballpark, the ball jumps. Luckily there was a little cool weather that I think kept the ball in the ballpark. It was a great play.”
It’s that type of outfield play the Marlins have been seeking from Puello, who has 12 years of professional baseball experience but has played in fewer than 60 career MLB games. Entering Friday, he had started 13 games in center field and seven games in right field for the Marlins, and has looked like he could be the needed stopgap in center as they maneuver through the second half of the season.
It’s Puello’s hitting the Marlins have been waiting on to come around.
Puello was a career .290 hitter in the minors, with 75 home runs and 411 RBI over 872 games. In a small sample size at the MLB level, he hit .307 (23 for 75) with three home runs, three doubles, 15 RBI and 12 runs scored before joining the Marlins.
“I’ve seen Cesar do that a little bit, so it was good to see him get that hit — a big hit,” Mattingly said of Puello’s home run Wednesday. “Hopefully he relaxes a little bit and just kind of shows us what he can do.”
