Burger bashes early, sparks late rally. Takeaways from Marlins’ win over Brewers

As injuries continue to pile up on the pitching side, the Marlins’ lineup finally found a way to mount some offense against the Milwaukee Brewers to pick up a needed 5-4 victory before a crowd of 23,867 at loanDepot park on Saturday.

The Marlins (80-75) improved to 34-13 in one-run games.

The Marlins scored more than two runs in a game against the Brewers for the first time this season, and took the lead for good in the bottom of the eighth after Milwaukee rallied to tie it at 4 in the sixth.

The Marlins’ offense this season entering Saturday in late/close situations (defined as the batting team either leading by one run, tied or having the potential tying run on base, at-bat or on deck): .767 OPS (tied for third in MLB), .267 batting average (third in MLB), 160 total hits (second in MLB).

One thing to monitor, though: All-Star second baseman Luis Arraez slipped on the dugout stairs when the stadium lights were turned off for closer Tanner Scott’s mound introduction in the ninth inning. He was removed from the game for the final inning and was seen limping in the dugout.

“Another weird, freak injury,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said.

Here are some takeaways from the Marlins’ latest clutch win:

CLUTCH BURGER

Third baseman Jake Burger walked to lead off the eighth and started the rally. Bryan De La Cruz singled to right, moving pinch runner Garrett Hampson to 3rd, and he then scored on a wild pitch by Brewers reliever Joel Payamps.

Burger made his presence felt immediately by blasting a 373-foot, three-run home run to left off starter Brandon Woodruff to put Miami ahead 3-0 in the first inning.

Burger, who left Wednesday’s game against the Mets with right quad tightness, appeared in Friday’s 16-1 loss and struck out in his lone at-bat, has played in all 47 of the Marlins’ games since he was acquired at the Aug. 1 trade deadline from the Chicago White Sox and has hit .306 with nine home runs and 27 RBI.

“Obviously they had my number the last time I faced him in Milwaukee so I had to tweak a couple of things in my approach,” Burger said. “And the walk, that’s kind of what we talk about here is passing the baton. You wanna hit a solo home run there but we have such great hitters throughout this lineup so just pass the baton.”

LEANING MORE ON LUZARDO

Jesus Luzardo has often delivered in tough spots this season for the Marlins.

With the news Saturday that the Marlins not only lost ace Sandy Alcantara (UCL sprain) for the rest of the season, but also Eury Perez (left SI joint inflammation) for the rest of the regular season and potentially the first round of the playoffs, the Marlins will have to lean on Luzardo even more at the top of their rotation.

Luzardo threw a strong five scoreless innings against Milwaukee, but ran into trouble in the sixth when he walked Blake Perkins and then gave up a double to Christian Yelich and a single to William Contreras setting up Santana’s home run against AJ Puk.

“It was frustrating the way it ended after cruising through five,” Luzardo said. “I have to be better eliminating that at the end.”

With both Alcantara and Perez sidelined, the Marlins will rely on Luzardo, Braxton Garrett and Edward Cabrera as the main starting pitchers the rest of the season and, if they make it, the playoffs. Miami will likely use bullpen days to round out the rotation to close out the regular season, with Bryan Hoeing, Johnny Cueto, George Soriano and Jeff Lindgren, whose contract was selected on Saturday, as options to pitch multiple innings in those games.

“We’re going to have to get as creative, all hands on deck as we can,” Schumaker said. “If our starters can go longer, that’s ideal if they can get us to the sixth inning and set us up for the next day and the day after. It’s not going to be easy. No one said it was going to be easy. But I think those guys are willing to do whatever it takes.”

WHERE THINGS STAND

The Marlins’ win coupled with the Chicago Cubs’ 6-3 win over the Colorado Rockies meant they remained one game behind the final NL Wild Card spot with seven games remaining. Miami also trails the Arizona Diamondbacks, whose game against the New York Yankees was postponed on Saturday, by 1.5 games for the second Wild Card spot.

The Marlins play their final home game Sunday against the Brewers before finishing the season on the road with three games apiece against the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cubs have one more game with the Rockies and then three apiece against the Atlanta Braves and Brewers on the road. The Diamondbacks have two more games against the Yankees, three with the White Sox and three with the Astros.

This story was originally published September 23, 2023 at 6:49 PM.