Miami Marlins get key hits late for series-sweeping win over Colorado Rockies
The Miami Marlins had an inkling their series finale against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday would be a little tougher than the first two contests, a pair of high-scoring outings — and, more importantly, a pair of wins.
The game Thursday started less than 15 hours after Wednesday’s game ended. It was the seventh consecutive game Miami has played in a run of 13 consecutive days without a day off.
“It’s harder to score and all that stuff,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “It seems like things just get tougher.”
And after being tied through seven innings, a three-batter stretch with one out in the eighth gave the Marlins the go-ahead run in their 3-2, series-sweeping win over the Rockies on Thursday at loanDepot park.
Miami won the first two games of the series 9-8 on Tuesday and 7-4 on Wednesday and is now 32-36 on the season, including 13-9 in June. The Rockies fall to 30-40.
Getting a sweep was key for the Marlins as they remain on the periphery of the playoff race as a pair of key checkpoints — the All-Star Break in mid-July and the trade deadline on Aug. 2 — approach.
Miami is four games under .500 and 11-and-a-half games behind the New York Mets for first place in the National League East but sits just five-and-a-half games out of the third wild card spot in the NL.
Just 10 of their remaining 23 games before the All-Star Break are against teams who would be in the playoffs if the season ended today: Seven games against the NL-leading Mets, including a three-game set at loanDepot park starting Friday to end this homestand, and three games against the St. Louis Cardinals to start their next road trip.
“Every win you get is big because you don’t know who’s winning or losing in the other divisions,” Mattingly said. “With wild card spots being up for grabs, there’s a lot to play for.”
The Marlins scratched out a win on Thursday.
Garrett Cooper started the rally with a one-out single through the left side. He was replaced by pinch-runner Luke Williams, who went from first base to third on a Jesus Aguilar single to right field. Avisail Garcia then hit a ground ball to the left side that could have been a potential inning-ending double play, but the outfielder beat the throw to first for a go-ahead RBI fielder’s choice to score Williams.
According to Statcast, Garcia had a sprint speed of 29.5 feet per second — for context, league average is 27 feet per second while 30 is considered elite — to beat the tag at first base.
“He’s one of those surprising guys,” Mattingly said of Garcia. “He runs better than people would think. ... When that ball was hit, I knew it’d be close, but I felt like he’d beat it. It took just long enough for that ball to get to short that we felt he’s gonna get that.”
The Marlins scored their first two runs of the game on a Miguel Rojas RBI single in the second inning that scored Aguilar and a Jorge Soler sacrifice fly that scored Jon Berti in the third.
Berti got to third after hitting a one-out double and executing a double steal with Jazz Chisholm Jr., who was hit by a pitch in the ensuing plate appearance. With two stolen bases on Thursday, Berti is now up to an MLB-leading 21 so far this season, with 17 coming in the month of June.
Braxton Garrett held the Rockies to two runs (one earned run) over 4 2/3 innings despite allowing 10 baserunners on nine hits and a walk. He struck out seven. Both runs came in the third inning on a Brendan Rodgers RBI double to center field that scored C.J. Cron. A Ryan McMahon single one at-bat later then scored Rodgers, who had reached third on a Rojas throwing error as part of a relay in an attempt to get Cron out at home plate.
“I scattered some hits there,” Garrett said. “We gave up a few runs, but I managed well and kept us in the game. Definitely happy about that.”
Zach Pop, who was recalled to the active roster Thursday after Louis Head went on the 15-day injured list with a left shoulder impingement, followed with 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Anthony Bass threw a scoreless seventh and Steven Okert a scoreless eighth before Tanner Scott recorded his seventh save of the season with a scoreless ninth.
“I think we’re getting on the right track,” Berti said, “and starting to get some momentum.”
Up next
Sandy Alcantara (7-2, 1.72 ERA) will take the mound Friday opposite the Mets’ Taijuan Walker (5-2, 2.88) while Trevor Rogers (3-6, 5.83) is set to face Chris Bassitt (5-5, 4.03) on Saturday. Neither team has announced a starting pitcher for Sunday’s series finale.
This story was originally published June 23, 2022 at 3:28 PM.
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