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The Marlins struggled to produce any offense in Sunday's 3-1 loss versus the San Diego Padres. With the Pirates victory over Milwaukee Miami falls behind another team in the wild card race, but still is just 1.5 games back of St. Louis for that final spot.
Luis Perdomo (7-7) was the only kryptonite needed to derail the Marlins on Sunday. He went the distance in a gem of a game for San Diego, allowing just six hits and one run.
J.T. Realmuto seemed to spark the offense with a double in the second inning, and later scored on a Xavier Scruggs double to center giving Miami an early 1-0 lead. But that was all the Marlins would produce for the entirety of the game. Scruggs advanced to third on a wild pitch, but Rojas struck out looking to end the Marlins chances of extending its lead.
Luis Sardinas singled to left leading off the third for San Diego, and advanced to second after a sacrifice bunt by Perdomo. Travis Jankowski then singled putting runners on the corners, but Justin Nicolino pitched well throughout the game and was able to get Miami out of the jam unscathed.
Nicolino (2-6) picked up the loss in the game, but pitched well. He went six innings allowing three runs on eight hits and walked one. He also led off the bottom of the third with a single to center, but Dee Gordon grounded into the Marlins second double play in three innings.
The Padres offense awoke in the fourth after Alex Dickerson hit a lead off ground-ruled double. Ryan Schimpf then tripled to center scoring Dickerson and tying the game 1-1. The next batter was Alex Rosales, who reached first after grounding into a fielder's choice that forced Schimpf to be thrown out at home. Rosales would eventually steal second and score on a Sardinas double giving San Diego a 2-1 lead.
The Marlins had its chance to score again in the fifth after Ichiro Suzuki drew a walk to lead off the bottom half of the inning. Scruggs singled to center advancing Ichiro to second, but Rojas grounded into another devastating double play that ended the inning.
San Diego added one more run in the sixth on a Rosales single to left giving the Padres a 3-1 lead and that's all she wrote for Miami.
The Marlins would struggle to produce anything in the latter innings, as they ended the sixth, seventh and eight innings on a double play. Perdomo continued to pitch well for the Padres all the way to the ninth where he shut down Gordon, Martin Prado and Christian Yelich securing the series victory for the Padres.
The Marlins loss wasn't as bad with the Cardinals losing as well, but they still sit 1.5 games back and received a tough series loss versus one of the worst teams in the majors.
Miami will take the road this week versus the New York Mets and Cleveland Indians. Jose Fernandez will get the start Monday evening at Citi Field in a must win game for the Marlins.