Alfaro Homers In 8th, Marlins End Dodgers' 9-Game Streak
MIAMI (AP) — Jorge Alfaro hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning, and the Miami Marlins ended the Los Angeles Dodgers' nine-game winning streak with a 5-4 victory on Monday night.
Alfaro drove a slider from Dodgers reliever Victor González (3-1) to center field for his third homer of the season.
All-Stars Mookie Betts and Max Muncy and 2019 NL MVP Cody Bellinger were not in the Dodgers' starting lineup, but all three pinch-hit in the eighth, when LA scored twice to tie it 4-4.
Miami reliever Zach Pop allowed Albert Pujols' leadoff single and then walked Will Smith and Muncy. David Hess (1-0) walked Gavin Lux to force in a run and allowed Bellinger's game-tying sacrifice fly. In his Marlins debut, Hess kept it tied, walking Betts before he retired Chris Taylor on a flyball to right and struck out A.J. Pollock.
Anthony Bender pitched a scoreless ninth for his first major league save.
The Marlins erased a 2-0 deficit with a three-run third on RBI singles by Garrett Cooper and Miguel Rojas. Cooper scored on second baseman Zach McGinstry's throwing error.
Jazz Chisholm made it 4-2 with a single in the fourth.
Dodgers starter Walker Buehler led off the third with a double off Trevor Rogers and scored on Chris Taylor's double. Justin Turner's single drove in Taylor.
Rogers was lifted after five innings. In his first start since being named an All-Star, he allowed two runs on six hits and struck out eight.
Buehler allowed four runs on five hits and struck out six in five innings. The right-hander walked two and hit a batter.
ALL ARE WELCOME
Capacity restrictions at LoanDepot Park were lifted for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic, although plenty of good seats were still available. The opener of the four-game series attracted 15,290 fans.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Marlins: RHP Sixto Sánchez will undergo arthroscopic surgery and won't pitch this season after an MRI revealed a small tear in the posterior capsule of his throwing shoulder. Expected to be one of the mainstays in the club's rotation, Sánchez has been sidelined all year because of shoulder soreness.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: RHP Tony Gonsolin (1-0, 2.81) will start the second game of the series Tuesday.
Marlins: RHP Pablo López (4-5, 2.97) gets moved up a day after his previous start lasted only one pitch. López was ejected when his first pitch of the game hit Atlanta's Ronald Acuña Jr. on July 2.
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