Jesus Sanchez hit a three-run homer and Joey Wendle doubled in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning as the Miami Marlins beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-4 in the rubber match of a three-game series on Wednesday afternoon in Phoenix.
Miami is 12-0 in one-run games, the best record in major league history to start a season. The 1972 New York Mets won their first 11 such games.
Sanchez doubled against Andrew Chafin (2-1) to begin the top of the ninth inning and was replaced by pinch-runner Bryan De La Cruz. After Miguel Castro relieved Chafin, De La Cruz moved to third on Jon Berti’s groundout and scored on Wendle’s double to left field.
Sanchez and Peyton Burdick had two hits apiece for Miami, which concluded its six-game road trip with a 3-3 mark. Dylan Floro (2-1) pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the win, and A.J. Puk worked around a two-out single in the ninth for his sixth save.
Arizona starter Merrill Kelly retired the first nine batters in order before running into trouble in the fourth inning. Sanchez came to the plate with two runners on and one out and crushed a 441-foot, three-run homer to center.
Sanchez is batting .400 (16-for-40) with seven doubles, three homers and 10 RBIs over his last 12 games.
Arizona responded with four runs in the bottom of the fourth. The D-backs pushed a run across after Edward Cabrera walked four of the first five batters in the inning.
After Corbin Carroll scored on a balk, Geraldo Perdomo singled in a run and Cabrera was relieved by Steven Okert. The D-backs capped the rally when Alek Thomas scored from third on Pavin Smith’s groundout.
Cabrera allowed four runs on two hits with four walks and five strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings. He has issued at least four walks in three of his last four outings.
Miami pulled even in the fifth inning when Burdick hit a leadoff double and was sacrificed to third before scoring on Garrett Hampson’s single to left field.
Kelly was lifted after giving up four runs on four hits over six innings. He walked one and struck out six while throwing 97 pitches.
Miami second baseman Luis Arraez went 0-for-3 with a walk, snapping his 12-game hitting streak.
–Field Level Media
