Francoeur Providing Spark For Marlins After Trade
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MIAMI (SportsDirect Inc.) -- Jeff Francoeur has needed little time to make a huge impact with the Miami Marlins, who look to make it two straight victories over the visiting San Diego Padres on Saturday night.
Miami notched one of its biggest wins of the season by scoring five times over the final three innings in a 7-6 walk-off victory in the series opener.
Francoeur was acquired from Atlanta on Wednesday to provide outfield depth but it took just two games for the veteran to make his presence felt. He had three hits Friday in his second game with the Marlins and ignited the tying and winning rallies with hits before scoring the winning run on Chris Johnson's two-out double in the ninth inning.
It was the fifth victory in seven games for Miami, which remained 1 1/2 games behind St. Louis for the National League's second wild card.
Luis Sardinas homered and drove in four runs for the sliding Padres, who have lost four in a row and 10 of 13.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN San Diego, FSN Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres LH Clayton Richard (0-3, 4.44 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Jose Urena (2-4, 6.33)
Richard, who returned to San Diego after he was designated for assignment by the Chicago Cubs, has deserved a better fate in his two starts of the season. He allowed two runs (zero earned) and two hits over six innings versus Arizona and two runs and three hits in five innings against the New York Mets, losing both after receiving one run of support in each. He is 2-1 with a 2.55 ERA in four career starts against the Marlins.
Urena snapped a winless drought of more than three months at Pittsburgh last time out, yielding two runs on four hits over six innings. The 24-year-old Dominican was hammered in his previous two turns, surrendering a combined 13 runs and 15 hits over 10 1/3 innings in losses to Cincinnati and St. Louis. Urena allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits over five innings in his lone start against San Diego last year.
WALK-OFFS
1. Marlins LF Christian Yelich has nine RBIs in his last 10 games.
2. The Padres placed RHP Brandon Morrow on paternity leave Friday and recalled LHP Buddy Baumann from Triple-A El Paso.
3. Marlins RF Ichico Suzuki was scratched from the lineup Friday after collecting six hits in his previous 36 at-bats.
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