Otto Lopez laced an opposite field walk-off single to score Tim Anderson and deliver the Marlins a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday afternoon in Miami.
With two outs in the ninth, Lopez lined a 2-0 pitch off Ryan Fernandez (0-2) to right field between first and second base and Cardinals right fielder Alec Burleson lost the handle on the ball attempting to make a throw to the plate as Anderson came around from second base.
The Marlins started the day with the worst record in the National League, but with consecutive walk-off victories they also lead the majors in that category with seven this season.
The Marlins took two of three games in this series. All three games were decided by one run in the ninth inning or later.
Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, a 10-time Gold Glove winner and an eight-time All-Star, left the game in the eighth inning after getting hit on his right elbow. Arenado was hit by Huascar Brazoban’s 95 mph fastball.
Miami’s first two batters — Bryan De La Cruz and Jesus Sanchez — hit back-to-back homers in the bottom of the first inning. It was just the second time in franchise history that the Marlins’ first two hitters in a game homered.
Yonny Chirinos, 30, made his Marlins debut and went five innings, allowing eight hits and two runs in a no-decision.
De La Cruz sent the first pitch of the game off the third-deck facade in left-center and Sanchez jolted a 1-2 pitch an estimated 417 feet to straightaway center off of Cardinals emergency spot starter Matthew Liberatore. He replaced scheduled starter Kyle Gibson, who was scratched just before the game with back stiffness.
Liberatore settled down, allowing three hits, one walk and two runs in 3 2/3 innings in a no-decision.
Marlins center Jazz Chisholm Jr. was scratched from the lineup due to a hamstring issue.
Cardinals rookie Masyn Winn was back at shortstop after missing Tuesday’s game due to illness.
The Cardinals tied the score 2-2 in the second. Nolan Gorman hit a leadoff homer 436 feet to right and Arenado singled, stole second and scored on Brendan Donovan’s broken-bat single to shallow right.
Donovan fouled off four straight pitches and took a close-call ball before delivering the RBI hit.
The Cardinals threatened in the fourth as Donovan singled and took third on Matt Carpenter’s double. The rally ended on Michael Siani’s bouncer to Lopez, who threw Donovan out at home.
Miami took a 3-2 lead in the sixth as Sanchez walked, took third on Josh Bell’s single and scored on pinch-hitter’s Dane Myers’ sacrifice fly. St. Louis tied the score 3-3 in the seventh. Winn singled and scored from first on a two-out grounder that went under the glove of third baseman Jake Burger for a two-base error.
–Field Level Media
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