Marlins win doubleheader opener vs Orioles as pitching continues to dominate post-layoff
.JPG "Miami Marlins’ Brian Anderson, right, is greeted in the dugout after hitting a solo home run off Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Alex Cobb during the fourth inning in game one of a baseball double-header, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020, in Baltimore.")
Maybe there’s something to those makeshift hotel-room bullpen sessions Miami Marlins pitchers had to resort to over their week in quarantine in Philadelphia.
For the second consecutive day since an eight-day layoff from playing, Marlins pitching looked stout against the Baltimore Orioles.
Elieser Hernandez allowed just five baserunners and the bullpen shut down the Orioles down late to lift Miami to a 1-0 win in the first game of its Wednesday doubleheader and complete a sweep of the road portion of their four-game set at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Marlins (4-1) will serve as the home team for the second half of the doubleheader and for the series finale on Thursday.
For those keeping track, that’s 16 consecutive shutout innings since the Marlins returned to the field Tuesday after having their season paused last week to get control of a COVID-19 outbreak inside their traveling party that resulted in 18 players and two coaching staff members testing positive.
It also marks the the first time the Marlins posted shutouts in consecutive games May 18-19, 2019, when they held the Mets scoreless in back-to-back outings at Marlins Park.
Hernandez, who won the fifth spot in the Marlins’ starting rotation out of summer camp, held the Orioles scoreless for 4 1/3 innings and struck out five. He retired nine consecutive batters at one point and didn’t give up a hit until Chance Sisco’s one-out double in the fifth. Pedro Severino followed with a pinch-hit single to end Hernandez’s time on the mound.
Nick Vincent, who replaced Hernandez in the fifth with runners on first and third, needed one pitch to get Hanser Alberto to ground into an inning-ending double play and end the threat. Vincent also recorded the first two outs in the sixth inning.
Richard Bleier (1/3 inning) and Brandon Kintzler (one inning) finished things from there.
Brian Anderson’s opposite field solo home run to lead off the fourth gave the Marlins (4-1) the lead for good.
Joyce discusses battle with COVID-19
Marlins outfielder Matt Joyce on Wednesday confirmed what was expected when he missed all of summer camp and was put on the injured list to start the season: He was one of the four players to test positive for COVID-19 before practices resumed.
Joyce said he had symptoms for about the first week — nothing severe but he “felt really tired, had a headache and whatnot” — and that it took about a month until he produced his first negative test result.
He said he only took two at-bats against live pitching before being brought to Baltimore to join the active roster to fill one of 17 spots
“It’s been a crazy whirlwind over the last few weeks,” Joyce said, “I’m definitely excited to be playing again.”
And the Marlins don’t plan to ease him back into action. Manger Don Mattingly knows the only way Joyce will get back to form at the plate is to get at-bats. That’s why Mattingly let Joyce pinch-hit during the ninth inning of Tuesday’s 4-0 win, during which Joyce worked a walk.
Joyce was the designated hitter for Game 1 of Wednesday’s doubleheader, going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts but reached first base on a throwing error in the second inning.
“We’re going to throw him into the fire,” Mattingly said.
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