Jake Burger slammed a three-run homer and the Miami Marlins held on for a 5-4 win against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers in the second game of their three-game series on Saturday.
Josh Bell and Bryan De La Cruz each had two hits and a run scored for Miami (80-75), which remains a game behind the Chicago Cubs for the final wild card from the NL.
Marlins starter Jesus Luzardo was responsible for three runs and three hits over five-plus innings. He struck out four and walked three.
Carlos Santana hit a game-tying three-run homer in the sixth for the Brewers (88-67), who had won four in a row, including a 16-1 win in the series opener on Friday.
Milwaukee starter Brandon Woodruff allowed four runs and six hits in five innings. He struck out six and walked two but came up short of winning his fifth straight decision.
Burger walked to start the eighth off Joel Payamps (6-5).
Garrett Hampson pinch-ran for Burger and went from first to third on a single to right by De La Cruz.
Jesus Sanchez struck out on three pitches and Payamps had an 0-2 count on Jon Berti before throwing a wild pitch that scored Hampson from third for a 5-4 lead.
Andrew Nardi (8-1) pitched the eighth for the Marlins and Tanner Scott worked the ninth for his 10th save.
Burger went deep in the first inning to give the Marlins a 3-0 lead.
Luis Arraez led off with a single before Bell walked with one out. Burger came up with two outs and blasted the first pitch he saw from Woodruff over the fence in left for the early lead.
Woodruff set the Marlins down in the next two innings before they tacked on a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Nick Fortes to make it 4-0.
Luzardo benefited from an inning-inning double play in the second and then retired the next nine batters in a row before walking No. 9 hitter Blake Perkins to start the sixth.
Christian Yelich followed with a double to right to put runners on second and third.
William Contreras reached on an infield single to trim the lead to 4-1 and end the day for Luzardo.
The bullpen couldn’t bail out Luzardo as A.J. Puk surrendered a three-run homer to Santana to tie the score 4-4.
–Field Level Media
