Stanton, Riddle Power Marlins To First Series Win Over A Month
The Miami Marlins defeated the Los Angeles Angels, 9-2 in the rubber match of their three-game series Sunday. The win would also mark the first Marlins series win since a three-game set with the San Diego Padres that commenced on April 21.
Since that time, the Marlins have lost 22 out of 29 games with their record falling from 10-9 to 17-30, all before Sunday’s win.
But it was Los Angeles who proved to have more on the line in Miami’s seven-run victory, with Mike Trout leaving the game midway through due to an injury.
Per a report by Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, Trout sustained a left thumb sprain on the play. X-Rays would, however, come back negative. The team will learn more about Trout’s condition following an MRI on Monday.
Even with half of a performance by Trout, the Marlins bats proved to be too much for the halos Sunday. The Marlins started their scoring outbreak early with Giancarlo Stanton taking Matt Shoemaker deep in the bottom half of the first inning.
Following Shoemaker fanning the first two Miami hitters, Stanton would take a 2-1 split-finger fastball to left-center field for his 13th home run of the year and his second of the series, giving the Marlins an early one-run lead.
.@Giancarlo818 lives to crush. pic.twitter.com/IcrUW003h3
— MLB (@MLB) May 28, 2017
The fourth inning proved to be the roughest part of Jose Urena’s five-inning performance. Following a two-run home run off the bat of Martín Maldonado in the top half of the fourth inning, Urena would proceed to walk three more Angel hitters before Marcell Ozuna’s leather would allow the Marlins to escape the bases-loaded jam.
The Marlins, though, would answer back in the bottom of the fifth.
Derek Dietrich smacked a line drive double to right field, later advancing to third on the Christian Colón sacrifice bunt. An Ichiro Suzuki single would later cash in Dietrich, tying the ballgame at two runs-a-piece.
Miami would take back the lead on the very next at-bat, as J.T. Riddle connected for his third home run of the season on a line drive to right-center field. The Riddle homer gave the Marlins a 4-2 lead which proved to be all they would need to secure the win and the series against the visiting Angels.
Riddle Big League! ???#LetsGoFish pic.twitter.com/8soTZn8CWt
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) May 28, 2017
Miami would also add on two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and three more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Dee Gordon, who had been given the day off Sunday would later come into the game to pinch-hit, before generating a five-pitch walk. Gordon would later steal second base, his 15th swipe of the season before coming around the score Miami’s seventh run of the day.
The Marlins will now look to build upon this series win as they open up a three-game set against the 17-31 Philadelphia Phillies on Monday. Edinson Volquez will toe the rubber for Miami with Jeremy Hellickson getting the nod for the Phillies.
Volquez is currently the owner of a 4.82 ERA and will be looking to win his first game in a Miami uniform after signing with the team prior to the season. Hellickson, meanwhile, is 5-2 with a 4.28 ERA. First pitch is slated for 7:10 local Miami time.
Following the three-game series against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies, the Marlins will undergo a tough seven-game stretch to begin the month of June. They will first host the 31-21 Arizona Diamondbacks in a four-game set. The Diamondbacks, who despite falling Sunday to the Milwaukee Brewers, are winners of five of their previous seven ballgames.
Miami will then pay a visit to the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs for a three-game series on June 5 through June 7. This tough stretch will be a good indicator in determining if the Marlins are set to turn things around this season or if 2017 will be another selling season for a team who has not qualified for the postseason since winning the World Series in 2003.
[Featured Image by Lynne Sladky/AP Images]
