Marlins rise like a Phoenix, beat the Diamondbacks 9-5.

The Marlins took game one of a four game set tonight against the Diamondbacks. While Dan Straily was not exactly at his best, he was able to get the job done. When backed by good offense the Fish usually compete pretty well. The Marlins were able to jump all over poor pitching, beating the Diamondbacks 9-5.

The game started with some back and forth between the two teams. Jake Lamb hit a solo home run in the first inning. Justin Bour responded accordingly in the bottom half of the inning with his own solo shot.

The Diamondbacks would come right back in the second inning with two more runs. From this point in the game it looked like Straily would have another rough start. His pitches were catching too much of the plate. The batters were ready for what he had in his arsenal. That is what I thought, but after this inning Straily settled down quiet well. He would not give up any more runs, he did not walk anyone and he struck out six batters.

Dan Straily also took care of things on the offensive side of the ball. He lead off the bottom of the third with a double. Starlin Castro would later bring him home on a single, bringing the Fish within one run.

The Fish took the lead in the fourth inning. Small ball was the game here, a walk, a couple of singles and a double. When the inning finally ended the Fish had put up three runs, making it 5-3.

The pitching was not there for Arizona tonight and the Fish jumped all over it. The Fish added four more runs in the eighth inning to securely put the game away. The Marlins were able to get hits back to back, and made sure to deliver when men were in scoring position.

The offense was spread throughout the lineup which was nice to see. Seven different players had at least one hit in the game, while seven players also had at least one RBI in the game. The hot hitters stayed hot and everyone came together for a strong win over Arizona.

Courtesy of Fangraphs

Swordfish: Brian Anderson (.264 WPA).

Flounder: Shelby Miller (-.187).

Play of the game: The Miami offense as a whole.

Attendance: 6,105

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Matchup Summary:

The Marlins are opening up a four game series against the Diamondbacks tonight. The last time these teams met was at the beginning of June, the Diamondbacks had swept the Fish in three games. The Marlins in the 19 games since they played the Diamondbacks have gone 11-8, so they definitely should not get swept this series.

Dan Straily will be on the mound for the Fish. Straily has not had a good start in a long time, his last time out against the Giants he got blown out early. The Diamondbacks will have Shelby Miller on the mound. He has been out for the last year, after getting Tommy John surgery. He has not had a great rehab in the minors, currently posting a 4.66 ERA in 19 and one-third innings.

The bats have continued to produce for the Fish, I’m sure the Colorado air helped with this. I do believe they can keep this up, they have had a steady rotation of hitters getting hot. Derek Dietrich continues to crush the ball, while J.T. Realmuto just keeps adding to his all-star season. Miguel Rojas is also currently on a hot streak, so the Fish will look to punish the Diamondbacks with their bats.

Game Thread Question: Which Marlin Second baseman is your favorite, all-time? (Personally I love Luis Castillo, but I caught all of Dan Uggla’s run and his home runs always kept me invested.)