Amarista's Pinch-Hit HR Helps Padres Beat Marlins
MIAMI (AP) - Pinch-hitter Alexi Amarista celebrated his 25th birthday by delivering a go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh inning to lift the San Diego Padres to a 4-2 victory over the Miami Marlins on Sunday.
Ian Kennedy (1-1) allowed one run and three hits in six innings for the Padres. He struck out five.
Four relievers then helped the Padres end a four-game losing streak, including two against the Marlins to begin the series. Huston Street pitched the ninth for his second save.
Amarista's home run came off Nathan Eovaldi (1-1), who held the Padres scoreless through six. Eovaldi struck out eight and allowed six hits.
The Marlins completed their opening homestand with a 5-2 record.
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Will Venable and Tommy Medica singled with one out in the seventh. Eovaldi was able to get Yasmani Grandal to ground out before Amarista came to plate.
Batting for Kennedy, Amarista drove the ball over the right-field wall on the ninth pitch of the at-bat for a 3-1 lead.
The Marlins got a run back in the bottom of the seventh with Jeff Baker's pinch-hit RBI double.
San Diego's Yonder Alonso had a sacrifice fly in the eighth to extend the lead to 4-2.
It was the first time this season San Diego had scored at least four runs in a game.
Giancarlo Stanton pushed his RBI total to 12 in the fourth with a base hit to drive in Christian Yelich, who tripled to lead off the inning. Stanton already has a career-high RBI total for April.
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