Marlins win on Dietrich's RBI in ninth
MIAMI -- Adeiny Hechavarria scored from first on a two-out triple by Derek Dietrich in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Miami Marlins rallied to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 on Sunday afternoon at Marlins Park.
Until he scored the winning run Hechavarria had been the Marlins' goat due to a throwing error in the eighth. But with none on in the ninth, he fouled off several pitches before hitting a single on a 3-2 pitch from Matt Bowman. Hechavarria then scored on Dietrich's triple that deflected off the glove of center fielder Tommy Pham.
Dietrich had been in an 0-for-23 slump before that hit. He celebrated with his teammates, who ripped off his jersey in a wild scene on the field.
The Marlins (57-48) split the four-game series with the Cardinals (56-49) and also split their 10-game homestand. The Marlins also moved one game ahead of the Cardinals in their battle for the second and final NL wild-card playoff berth.
Miami outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, who needs two hits to reach 3,000, popped out to first base as a pinch-hitter in the seventh. Suzuki went 2-for-17 during the homestand and will now look for No. 3,000 on the road.
Andrew Cashner, acquired on Friday as the key part of a seven-player trade with the San Diego Padres, made his Marlins debut and got a no-decision. He allowed four hits, no walks and two runs (one earned) in six innings. He struck out two and left with a 4-2 lead.
Reliever Fernando Rodney blew that lead in the eighth. After Rodney failed to cover first base in time for what could've been an inning-ending double play, he allowed an RBI double to Stephen Piscotty, scoring Pham.
As part of the same play, shortstop Hechavarria, trying to nail Pham at the plate, sailed his throw into the stands, allowing Piscotty to tie the score 4-4.
The Cardinals suffered a potentially damaging loss in the first inning when Aledmys Diaz, a rookie shortstop who has 14 homers, was hit by a Cashner fastball. Diaz, who was hit on his right thumb, was removed from the game due to a contusion.
Diaz was the fourth Cardinals player hit by Cashner this season.
St. Louis pitcher Carlos Martinez, who escaped with a no-decision after allowing four runs in seven innings, seemingly retaliated with two outs and one on in the bottom of the first by hitting Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton in the back.
That move backfired, however, as the next batter, Marcell Ozuna, hit a two-run double. On the next pitch, J.T. Realmuto stroked an RBI single to give Miami a 3-0 lead.
St. Louis cut its deficit to 3-1 in the second. With two outs, two on and a 1-2 count, Kolten Wong hit a hard grounder that got past first baseman Chris Johnson, scoring Yadier Molina. Johnson was charged with an error on the play.
The Cardinals' Greg Garcia led off the third with a solo homer to center. It was his third long ball of the season.
NOTES: The Cardinals acquired LHP Zach Duke, 33, in a trade with the Chicago White Sox for minor league OF Charlie Tilson. Duke was 2-0 with a 2.63 ERA in 53 relief appearances this year with Chicago. ... Marlins RHP Tom Koehler (pectoral) has been pushed back three days and will start Wednesday. ... Miami placed RHP Colin Rea (elbow) on the disabled list and recalled RHP Nefi Ogando from Triple-A New Orleans. Miami has two starting pitchers -- Rea and LHP Wei-Yin Chen -- on the DL with elbow trouble. ... Among pitchers who could fill Rea's spot in the rotation are LHP Chris Narveson (3.01 ERA at New Orleans), RHP Kendry Flores (3.28 ERA) and LHP Justin Nicolino (3.48 ERA). None is a top prospect. ... Cardinals RHP Trevor Rosenthal is set to get a second opinion on his ailing right shoulder.