MIA 3, MIL 7: Same Old Song and Dance

The scene Sunday was one Marlins fans had become numb to at this point. Elieser Hernandez, the presumed odd man out in a rotation that should be expecting Max Meyer any day now, looked sharp through the first four innings, with Milwaukee having only 1 unearned run to show for their early efforts.

But, as has been the case a time too many before it, the Brewers lineup was set to turn over for the third time entering the 5th. No. 9 hitter Jace Peterson deposited an 86 mph changeup into the right-center field seats, cutting the Miami lead to 3-2. One batter later, Kolten Wong greeted Elieser in the same manner, this time on a slider that again sailed over the head of right fielder Bryan De La Cruz. The game was now tied at 3-3.

Fast-forward to the end of the inning, and Elieser’s final line keeps the murmurs about his unwarranted roster spot alive and well: 4+ IP, 3 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO (2 HR)

“I could have been better. I made a couple of mistakes, and paid the price for it,” said Hernández through an interpreter.

Miami would also trail Milwaukee 5-3 in what would turn out to be a 7-3 loss to the first-place Brewers. With the loss, the Marlins fall to 15-19, losers in 11 of their last 14.

The bats made their presence felt early, though, as catcher Payton Henry would plate a pair with a single in the first, and Jorge Soler would connect for his team-leading 7th home run in the bottom of the 3rd.

However, as soon as the ball hit off of Jace Peterson’s bat in the top of the 5th, the momentum shift in loanDepot Park was ever-present.

The Brewers would later get run-scoring hits from Rowdy Tellez and Omar Narváez, who homered and doubled, respectively.

Looking Ahead

The Fish get a chance to sleep in their own beds tonight as they await the arrival of the Washington Nationals in a series set to begin Monday. Aaron Sanchez (2-2, 7.58 ERA) will square off against Sandy Alcantara (2-2, 2.74 ERA) with first pitch slated for 6:40 Eastern.

Of Note

• Entering play Sunday, Hernandez’s 46 home runs over his last 44 appearances made for the 27th time in big league history in which a pitcher has done so over that number of appearances. His 189.1 innings in that span, though, make for the fewest innings thrown to reach said mark.
• Left-hander Jesús Luzardo was placed on the 15-day IL with a left forearm strain. Per manager Don Mattingly, they’ll be using a spot starter on Tuesday.
• With his “golden sombrero” Sunday, Jesús Sánchez has now been responsible for 3 of Miami’s last 5 four-strikeout games.

Baseball Savant