MLB Scores: Marlins 5 Cardinals 4

Derek Dietrich pinch hit in the bottom of the ninth and roped a clutch triple giving Miami a 5-4 victory.

The Marlins had a big first inning that seemed to be enough for the win, but the Cardinals made a comeback in the eighth.

In the first inning, Martin Prado grounded into a double play, Christian Yelich was walked and Giancarlo Stanton was hit-by-pitch putting two on for Marcell Ozuna. Ozuna crushed a slider that hung over the middle of the plate to deep center giving Miami a quick 2-0 lead. J.T. Realmuto knocked the very next pitch right up the middle scoring Ozuna, and the Fish led 3-0 through one.

The Cardinals cut the lead in the second inning by one, 3-1, after Kolten Wong reached first on an error by Marlins first basemen Chris Johnson. Greg Garcia also homered for St. Louis in the third cutting the Miami lead to 3-2, but those were the only blemishes on Cashner’s solid performance.

Andrew Cashner (4-7) struggled for the most part in San Diego this season, but gave Miami a solid debut performance in the victory. He went six innings and allowed just four hits, one earned run and walked none, while striking out two. Cashner’s breaking balls were working well early on, and he mixed his pitches well keeping the Cardinals on its toes.

Carlos Martinez (10-6) went seven innings for St. Louis, but didn’t have much control of his slider throughout. He surrendered seven hits, four runs and walked four in the game.

Stanton obliterated a 98 mph fastball for a double in the fourth, and later scored on a Realmuto single to extend the Marlins lead to 4-2. Ichiro Suzuki had one at-bat in the seventh inning, but failed to get closer to 3,000 after popping out in a 10-pitch at-bat against Siegrist. Miami led 4-2 and was looking great heading into the eighth.

St. Louis centerfielder Tommy Pham was walked in the eighth by Fernando Rodney, and later scored after Stephen Piscotty hit an RBI-double. Adeiny Hechavarria then attempted to throw out Pham at home on the relay, but the ball sailed into the stands advancing Piscotty all the way home - tying the game at four.

A.J. Ramos then shut down the Cardinals in the ninth, and Hechavarria singled with two outs in the bottom of the final frame. Dietrich pinch hit for Ramos and roped a slider to deep left center. St. Louis outfielders Pham and Jeremy Hazelbaker were both in place to catch the ball, but had some miscommunication with each other as the ball fell between them and rolled to the wall. Hechavarria sprinted his way around third and home to give the Marlins an enormous victory.

Miami improves to 31-13 versus the National League Central this season and gives them a one game lead in the wild card race. The Marlins will travel to Chicago to take on the Cubs, and then Colorado to take on the Rockies this upcoming week.

WPA Graph:

Source: FanGraphs

Attendance: 23,666

Hero of the Game: Derek Dietrich (+.439)

Goat of the Game: Matt Bowman (-.369)

Play of the Game: Derek Dietrich’s walk-off RBI-triple in the ninth (+.439)