Javier Sanoja’s first grand slam punctuates Marlins’ blowout win of Braves
The game was already starting to feel out of reach when Javier Sanoja had his signature moment on Monday.
The Miami Marlins’ Gold Glove-winning utility player connected on an inside fastball from Atlanta Braves reliever Aaron Bummer and watched as it sailed over the left-field wall and into Miami’s bullpen for a fifth-inning grand slam.
“What can I say?” Sanoja said. “I was very happy for this. It’s my first grand slam in the big leagues, hopefully the first of many, God’s will. It was a good home run in the right moment, and I’m very happy for the victory, very happy for everything that happened today.”
Sanoja’s blast served as one of the final blows in the Marlins’ eventual 12-0 rout of the Braves, who entered the game with the best record in MLB.
He was the first Marlins player in a decade to hit a grand slam from the No. 9 spot in the lineup, with Justin Bour the most recent to do so on June 10, 2016.
It was also his third extra-base hit in his past two games after struggling at the plate in May. After hitting .323 with a .753 on-base-plus-slugging mark through his first 23 games of the season, Sanoja was just 2 for 25 in his first 10 games in May. He began to turn things around Saturday with a two-double, four-RBI performance in Miami’s extra-inning win against the Tampa Bay Rays.
He carried that into the series-opening win against the Braves.
“I think Javi is getting back to not trying to swing yourself out of every plate appearance to make up for a previous plate appearance or a previous stretch of at-bats,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. “The ability to make contact is always there, and at times it can be a detriment where you get yourself out. He’s good when he gets a ball that’s up and it’s closer to him. Those are balls that he can really handle. ... He’s a big part of our team, and he has been now the last couple of years with certainly the versatility, but he comes through in big moments. He’s never been afraid, and good for him the last couple days to come up with some big hits and give him a shot in the arm.”
More notables from Marlins’ win over Braves
- Miami’s 12-0 shutout win over Atlanta on Monday night is the largest run differential in a shutout at home in franchise history. The previous record was 11, accomplished four times and last on June 19, 2023, against the Toronto Blue Jays. Monday was also the fourth-most lopsided win over the Braves in franchise history, behind only a 16-2 win on Sept. 17, 2023; a 20-1 win on July 1, 2003; and a 17-1 win on April 5, 2003.
- Second baseman Xavier Edwards followed Sanoja’s grand slam with a solo home run of his own to cap Miami’s six-run fifth inning. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Sanoja and Edwards are just the second pair of Marlins teammates to hit back-to-back home runs with the first homer being a grand slam. Derrek Lee and Charles Johnson first accomplished the feat on April 7, 1998, against the Philadelphia Phillies.
- Edwards’ home run, meanwhile, was his fifth of the season after having just four in his entire MLB career entering this year. Three of those five have come against left-handed pitching, something the switch hitter had not done prior to this season in the big leagues.
- Right-handed pitcher Max Meyer (4-0), who threw six shutout innings against the raves on Monday, is the sixth pitcher in Marlins history to not be charged with a loss through 10 starts to begin a season. He joins Jose Fernández (2015), Ricky Nolasco (2011), Josh Johnson (2008), Brad Penny (2001) and Livan Hernández (1997). Meyer is the only qualified pitcher in MLB out of 74 starting pitchers to not have a loss on his docket. He also leads Marlins starting pitchers this season in ERA (2.85), strikeouts (60), batting average against (.203), and walks and hits per inning pitched (1.12).
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