Miami native Manny Machado’s two home runs extend Marlins’ losing streak to five games
%20(1).JPG "San Diego Padres’ Manny Machado reacts after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Thursday, May 5, 2022, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)")
The Miami Marlins’ losing streak has extended to a season-high five games.
And it was a pair of Miami natives on the opposing team that played the key roles in the Marlins’ 2-1 loss to the San Diego Padres on Thursday to begin a four-game series at Petco Park.
Brito alumnus Manny Machado hit a pair of home runs against the Marlins’ Jesus Luzardo while Belen Jesuit graduate Nick Martinez held Miami (12-13) to just one run over seven strong innings for San Diego (17-9).
Machado opened scoring in the first inning by ambushing a first-pitch, middle-middle breaking ball and sending it a projected 408 feet to center field. The 29-year-old slugger followed suit in the fourth inning when he hit a 97.9 mph fastball on the inner edge of the strike zone 424 feet to left-center field. Machado also drew a two-out walk in the sixth.
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Martinez, who won a silver medal with Team USA in the Summer Olympics, held the Marlins to one run on four hits and a walk while striking out four.
Miami scored its lone run in the third on a Jesus Aguilar RBI single that scored Miguel Rojas, who led off the frame with a single and got to second on a Payton Henry base hit.
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Luzardo was stellar outside of the Machado matchups. He struck out seven over six innings and allowed just six total hitters to safely reach base — Machado three times, Miami native and Plantation American Heritage alumnus Eric Hosmer twice on a single and a walk and former Marlins catcher Jorge Alfaro with a walk.
Through his first five starts, Luzardo has a 3.08 ERA with 35 strikeouts against 12 walks in 26 1/3 innings.
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