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 Just as the effects of the rainy weather were being heard inside
domed Marlins Park, Garrett Jones slugged a three-run homer in the
seventh inning to lead the Miami Marlins to a 6-5 win over the
Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.
"That was a big hit by 'Jonesy' -- he needed that," Marlins manager
Mike Redmond said of Jones, who suffered through a 20-game homerless
drought, his longest of the season. "He's got to keep swinging
through it."
The Marlins (36-34) tied their series with the Cubs (29-40) at one
game each. The series finale is set for Wednesday.
Trailing 4-3, Miami's winning rally started with a bunt single by
shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria, who tied a career high with four hits,
including three against Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija. One out later,
third baseman Casey McGehee drew a walk.
That brought up Jones, who pulled a low fastball from reliever Brian
Schlitter (2-2) for his ninth homer of the season. The ball barely
left the yard, bouncing off the top of the fence in right field. Jones, a left-handed hitter, would have left the game had the Cubs
brought in lefty reliever Wesley Wright, who was warming up. Redmond
had right-handed pinch-hitter Jeff Baker ready if Cubs manager Rick
Renteria made that move.
But it never happened, and Jones got to hit.
"I was 99-percent convinced that Wright was coming in," Jones said.
"I knew Baker was ready to go. But Schlitter has a good sinker. They
were probably thinking they could get a ground ball, but I squared
it up."
Jones said the shift that teams have been playing against him has
thrown him off his game to some extent.
"It has taken away some hits," Jones said of the shift. "It has
frustrated me a little mentally, chasing balls out of the strike
zone, trying to make it happen."
Schlitter had only given up one homer all season in his 30 previous
relief appearances.
"The numbers are good," Renteria said. "I wanted to see if he could
induce a ground ball, but he left the ball up."
Chicago took a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh on a run-scoring
double by third baseman Luis Valbuena.
Pinch-hitter and former Marlin Chris Coghlan started the rally with
a one-out single off Miami rookie starter Anthony DeSclafani.
Valbuena then pulled his double down the right-field line off of
rookie reliever Sam Dyson (1-0), who ended up winning his first game
in the big leagues.
After the game, however, Dyson was sent back to Triple-A New Orleans
to make room for right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, who had been on
paternity leave.
After Dyson left the game, left-hander Mike Dunn got one out to end
the eighth. Then Steve Cishek allowed one unearned run in the ninth
on a sacrifice fly by Coghlan but held on for his 16th save in 17
chances. His 94.1-percent save-conversion rate is second in the
National League.
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Miami opened the scoring in the first inning. Second baseman Rafael
Furcal led off with a single, and Hechavarria, who normally bats
seventh but was elevated to second because of his past success
against Samardzija, also singled.
Furcal eventually scored on a groundout by McGehee, but only after
shortstop Starlin Castro's relay throw for an attempted double play
sailed wide of first base.
Chicago took a 2-1 lead in the second on a two-run homer to left by
center fielder Junior Lake, who pulled an inside fastball for his
ninth long ball of the season.
The Cubs added a third run later in that inning on a Samardzija
sacrifice fly. The run was set up when second baseman Darwin Barney
and catcher Eli Whiteside both singled and then executed a double
steal. It was the first steal of the season for both players.
Miami tied the score 3-3 in the fourth on a two-out, two-run single
by Furcal off of Samardzija, who got a no-decision despite striking
out eight and allowing just two earned runs in six innings.
"I like the way the ball has been coming out of my hands the past
couple of times out," he said. "If I can pitch deeper into games, I
have a better chance of winning."
NOTES: Marlins RHP Nathan Eovaldi, who was gone from the team for
three days while his son was born, will start Wednesday against Cubs
RHP Jake Arrieta. ... Marlins 2B Rafael Furcal returned to the
lineup after a day off to rest a swollen knee. ... Marlins C Jarrod
Saltalamacchia caught eight innings in a minor league rehab game
Monday night, and Marlins Manager Mike Redmond said he might join
the team this weekend. ... Redmond said RF Giancarlo Stanton's homer
on Monday was "the hardest ball I've ever seen hit." ... 3B Casey
McGehee is playing despite a thumb injury. ... After seven shutout
innings by its bullpen Monday, Chicago's relievers rank fourth in
the NL this season with a 3.01 ERA. Last year at this point in the
season, Chicago's bullpen had a 4.26 ERA. ... Since 2011, no MLB
shortstop has more hits than Chicago's Starlin Castro.
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