LDN - Sports

Marlins win on Dietrich's RBI in ninth

[August 01, 2016] MIAMI -- After a game-winning triple with two outs in the bottom of the ninth -- his first career walk-off RBI -- Derek Dietrich celebrated with his teammates, who yanked off his jersey.

The shirtless Dietrich, listed at 6-0 and 205 pounds, revealed a sculpted upper body that caught the attention of many, including his newest teammate, pitcher Andrew Cashner.

"I think he was excited to get his shirt ripped off," Cashner said with a smile.

The Marlins were mostly excited just to get their dramatic 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday at Marlins Park.

Adeiny Hechavarria scored from first on Dietrich's triple to left-center field. The ball deflected off the glove of diving Cardinals center fielder Tommy Pham.

With that hit, Dietrich snapped out of a 0-for-23 slump.

"I'd like to get a million more," Dietrich said when asked about walk-off hits.

As for showing his bare upper torso, Dietrich contradicted Cashner's claim.

"It was a little uncomfortable," Dietrich insisted, "but it was a fun moment (overall)."

That ninth inning was also huge for Hechavarria, who had entered the frame as his team's 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 reliever Matt Bowman. That culminated a nine-pitch at-bat.

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 National League 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.

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 in 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, Hechavarria, trying to nail Pham at the plate, sailed his relay throw from shortstop into the stands, allowing Piscotty to tie the score at 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.

"It's a little bit inflamed," Diaz said. "But it feels better now than when I got hit."

Diaz, the fourth Cardinals player hit by Cashner this season, said he didn't think he was plunked intentionally.

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Marlins players celebrate after Marlins pinch hitter Derek Dietrich (center) hits the game winning RBI run during the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Marlins Park. The Marlins won 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

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.

Cashner and Martinez disagreed on the issue of whether the Stanton hit-by-pitch was intentional.

"I kind of thought they hit (Stanton) on purpose," Cashner said. "It's unfortunate. It's 0-2 -- that's never a spot that you want to hit a guy. But that's kind of the Cardinal way over there."

Countered Martinez: "I was just throwing the ball inside. Those are just situations in the game, things that happen."

That pitch -- intentional or not -- backfired on St. Louis 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. But Miami increased its lead to 4-2 in the fourth. Stanton hit a leadoff double and scored on a Realmuto single.

NOTES: Marlins RHP Tom Koehler (pectoral) has been pushed back three days and will start on 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. ... 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. ... Cardinals RHP Trevor Rosenthal is set to get a second opinion on his ailing right shoulder. ... After a day off on Monday, the Cardinals wrap up their 10-game trip with three games at the Cincinnati Reds. ... Miami on Monday will start a six-game trip with three games at the Chicago Cubs.

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