Hechavarria Hits A Walkoff HR, Marlins Top Padres 5-2
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MIAMI (AP) — Adeiny Hechavarria hit a three-run home run off Brandon Maurer with one out in the ninth inning, and the Miami Marlins topped the San Diego Padres 5-2 on Sunday.
It was the first career walkoff homer for Hechavarria, the Marlins' No. 8 hitter. It came after San Diego's Alexi Amarista — the Padres' No. 8 hitter — tied the game in the top of the ninth with a two-run homer off Marlins closer A.J. Ramos (1-3).
Maurer (7-4) faced four batters, and three scored. Martin Prado led off with a walk, Cole Gillespie reached on a fielder's choice that forced Prado, Jeff Mathis walked on a full count and Hechavarria then ended it as Miami avoided getting swept.
Marlins starter Jose Fernandez struck out 10 in six shutout innings, allowing four hits.
Until Ramos gave up the two-run homer to Amarista in the ninth, Fernandez was in position to secure a place next to Johnny Allen and LaMarr Hoyt as the only pitchers since 1900 to win their first 16 career home decisions.
So he lost out at history, at least temporarily.
The Marlins won the game, but might have lost a great deal more.
Carter Capps left in the eighth inning with an 0-2 count against Justin Upton — the fourth batter he faced — with what the team said was right elbow stiffness, a scary situation for the Marlins and their reliever who has a 1.16 ERA and 58 strikeouts against just seven walks. And Ramos struggled big-time for the second straight outing, after giving up four earned runs in 1 1-3 innings in what became an 8-3 San Diego win on Friday night.
In his first 45 appearances, Ramos allowed seven runs. In his last two, he has allowed six.
Fernandez threw 112 pitches. He has only topped that once, a 114-pitch outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 4, 2014. The Padres teed off against him five days later, after which it was determined that Fernandez needed elbow reconstruction surgery that kept him out of Miami's rotation for more than a year.
This time, the Padres got a fully healthy Fernandez. And when that happens, they struggle.
San Diego has faced the Miami ace four times, and hasn't mustered a run off him in three of those — the exception being the outing last year where Fernandez was dealing with the then-not-diagnosed elbow issue and gave up six hits and five earned runs in five innings. Take that away, and San Diego has no runs in 20 2-3 innings against him.
Fernandez escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first, and returned to the mound with a 2-0 lead. Ichiro Suzuki and Miguel Rojas scored after opening with consecutive doubles.
Amarista led off the San Diego fifth with a standup triple, but was stranded. Fernandez struck out James Shields, got Will Venable to pop into shallow right and then struck out Yangervis Solarte — who spiked his helmet in frustration.
In the ninth, Amarista left nothing to chance. But Hechavarria did him one better.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Padres: 2B Cory Spangenberg (left knee) ran the bases pregame Sunday and will report to Double-A San Antonio on Monday. Spangenberg hasn't played since June 27. "He said, 'Look, I think I'm closer than you think,'" Padres interim manager Pat Murphy said.
Marlins: 2B Dee Gordon (rest) got the day off. In his place, Ichiro batted leadoff and Rojas played second.
UP NEXT
Padres: RHP Tyson Ross (7-8, 3.38) goes Monday when San Diego visits RHP Wily Peralta (2-5, 3.90) and the Milwaukee Brewers. Ross has allowed three earned runs or less in 20 of his 22 starts. The Brewers have won four of Peralta's last five starts.
Marlins: RHP Tom Koehler (8-7, 3.38) starts Monday when Miami hosts RHP Bartolo Colon (9-10, 4.96) and the New York Mets. Koehler has a 2.40 ERA in his last seven outings. Colon is 3-9 with a 6.01 ERA in his last 13 starts.
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