Behind big fifth inning, Miami Marlins beat Rangers in nightcap to split doubleheader
.JPG "Miami Marlins’ Charles Leblanc, right, scores past Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim, left, on a single hit by Jon Berti in the fifth inning during Game 2 of a doubleheader baseball game, Monday, Sept. 12, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)")
Charles Leblanc had been waiting to face “those guys.”
“Those guys” being the Texas Rangers, the organization that selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 MLB Draft and the organization he “grew up in” for six years before being acquired by the Miami Marlins in December during the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft.
“It was a good chunk of my life,” Leblanc said. “I met a lot of good friends and coaches. A lot of good memories, fun times.”
On Monday, he got that chance to face his former team.
And after going 0 for 3 with a walk and a strikeout in the first game of a doubleheader at loanDepot park, Leblanc had a big role in Miami’s big inning in the nightcap.
Leblanc laced a pair of RBI doubles as part of an eight-run fifth inning, opening and capping scoring with his hits in a frame that paved the way for the Marlins’ 10-6 win in the second game after dropping the first contest 3-2.
The quick recap of the inning overall: 12 batters came to the plate, with six logging hits and three more drawing walks and eight making their way around the bases.
In the 51 games since the All-Star Break prior to the second game of the doubleheader, the Marlins (58-83) had scored eight runs in a game just once.
It was also the second time the Miami scored eight runs in an inning this season. The other time was an eight-run ninth inning in its 11-3, come-from-behind win against the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 11. All eight runs in the Diamondbacks game came with two outs, with a pair of three-run home runs from Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Avisail Garcia fueling the rally.
On Monday against the Rangers (61-80)? Each of the Marlins’ first six batters reached base. Miami scored four of its eight runs in that stretch.
And the run-scoring began with Leblanc. After JJ Bleday drew a four-pitch walk and reached second on a failed pickoff attempt, Leblanc put together a nine-pitch at-bat — fouling off four consecutive pitches at one point — before sending a middle-middle A.J. Alexy fastball to the left-field corner to score Bleday and tie the game at 3-3.
Back-to-back walks to Bryan De La Cruz and Luke Williams loaded the bases before Jon Berti and Brian Andreson each hit singles to drive in three runs.
After a Joey Wendle groundout, Garrett Cooper hit a two-run double and Nick Fortes hit an RBI single for three more runs before Leblanc capped scoring in the frame with a two-out double.
All six of the Marlins’ hits that inning had an exit velocity of at least 99.9 mph.
“Every ball was hit good in a gap,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “It was much needed.”
Leblanc, meanwhile, became the sixth player in Marlins history to record multiple extra-base hits in one inning. The most recent: Marcell Ozuna on July 26, 2017, — interestingly enough also against the Rangers.
On the season, Leblanc is hitting .291 with seven doubles, three home runs, eight RBI and 11 runs scored through his first 32 games since making his MLB debut on July 30. He safely reached base in each of his first 13 games before going into a 14-game funk in which he hit just .175 (7 for 40) with 13 strikeouts.
He has started to return to form, logging at least one hit in four of his past five games.
“Honestly,” Leblanc said, “I think I’m just scratching the surface. I’m not really happy about the way I’ve been going after it the last two-ish weeks. I think I should have been a lot more prepared going into games. [I’ve been] missing a lot of good pitches to hit. ... It’s a lot of give and take for a first-year guy. It’s something I’m going to have to get used to. Just keep grinding and getting prepared.”
More game notables
▪ Berti stole two bases and scored three runs. The two stolen bases brings his MLB-lead to 34 and the three runs gives him a team-leading 40 on the season.
▪ Braxton Garrett threw 4 2/3 innings in his first start since going on the injured list with a right oblique strain. He held the Rangers to two earned runs on two hits and two walks while striking out four. He threw 65 pitches, notable considering he threw just 46 in his one rehab start prior to being activated.
▪ Bryan Hoeing (four earned runs over two innings), Huascar Brazoban (1/3 of an inning), Tanner Scott (one inning) and Dylan Floro (one inning) pitched the final 4 1/3 innings out of the bullpen.
This story was originally published September 12, 2022 at 10:20 PM.
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