Wallach’s RBI double fuels Marlins to 5-4 win in extras

Paced by five solid innings from lefty Caleb Smith, Harold Ramírez’s first home run as a major league player and Chad Wallach’s key RBI double in the 11th, the Marlins made it four straight wins, knocking off the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night at Comerica Park, 5-4. That makes it four consecutive wins for the first time this season; their recent seven-game losing skid is all but history now.

Spencer Turnbull took the mound for the home team and quickly found himself at a deficit. The Marlins manufactured a first-inning run on a Brian Anderson sacrifice fly. Wallach made it 2-0 the following inning with a booming double to right-center field.

Coming into Tuesday night, Smith was looking to continue the dominance of the Marlins pitching staff (they had shut out the Mets in each of the previous two contests). He performed well, but not flawlessly, his velocity a tick or two below normal. The scoreless innings streak came to an end on JaCoby Jones’ two-out solo home run in the third, which cut the Marlins lead to 2-1.

In the fourth, Harold Ramírez made his presence felt, smacking his own opposite-field home run to pad the lead.

His reaction was priceless.

Former Marlin Miguel Cabrera busted out an RBI single later in that inning, bringing the Tigers back to within 3-2 on the scoreboard.

Turnbull, a former Alabama product, worked five innings, allowing seven hits and three runs on 92 pitches. Smith matched a season low with only five innings himself, limiting Detroit to three hits and two runs on 89 pitches with seven strikeouts.

In the ninth, fielding shenanigans nearly cost the Marlins a win. Staked to a 4-2 lead, Sergio Romo was trying to remain perfect this season in save opportunities. However, the Tigers were able to force extra innings on a series of makeable plays.

Besides Romo’s ninth, Miami relievers contributed clean, crisp innings. Austin Brice, Wei-Yin Chen, Tayron Guerrero and Nick Anderson combined five scoreless frames. Anderson secured the final six outs, punching out five Detroit batters.

Wallach’s second run-scoring double of the evening—which would’ve been a homer in most other venues—put the Fish ahead for good.

The Marlins will look to extend their season-long winning streak to five Wednesday night, as Marlins’ José Ureña and Tigers’ Daniel Norris will do battle. Ureña tossed six nice innings in his last start Wednesday night versus Tampa Bay, but received zero run support in a 1-0 loss. Norris’ previous outing was a rough one, giving up six runs on seven hits in a loss to the Oakland Athletics.

Marlins vs. Tigers box score (Baseball Theater)

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