Marlins Face Dbacks Aiming To Give New Manager Jennings First Win
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MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) – Monday night was pretty simple in Miami. New manager, same result.
The Miami Marlins' first game under new manager Dan Jennings took a little longer than most but ended with the same result as many of their recent contests.
The Marlins will try again to deliver Jennings' first victory Tuesday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Miami (16-23) made what many consider a puzzling move by looking to its now ex-general manager to replace Mike Redmond on Sunday. Jennings coached his first game since leading a high school team in Alabama in the 1980's on Monday, and the Marlins fell 3-2 in 13 innings, their seventh loss in eight games and fifth in a row at home.
Jennings is the sixth manager for Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria since June 2010 and was the first to lead a team with no previous experience as an MLB player or manager since Braves owner Ted Turner had a one-game stint in 1977.
"It was surreal to be there in the moment," he said. "It definitely moves quicker in the dugout than it does in the suite upstairs."
J.T. Realmuto hit a tying two-run homer in the seventh but the Marlins' final 22 batters didn't register another hit.
"There's a lot of good to take away," Jennings said. "There's a great energy in the clubhouse and dugout. We just came up a little short."
David Peralta, meanwhile, ended the Diamondbacks' four-game skid with a two-out RBI double in the 13th, and rookie Yasmany Tomas went 3 for 5 with two RBIs in his third straight multihit game for Arizona (16-21).
"I needed that," manager Chip Hale said. "We all needed that."
Tom Koehler (2-3, 4.29 ERA) will get the start in Jennings' second game after Jarred Cosart was placed on the 15-day disabled because of vertigo stemming from an inner-ear infection.
Koehler yielded one run in six innings in his last start May 11 at the Los Angeles Dodgers but Steve Cishek gave up three runs in the ninth in a 5-3 defeat. Cishek, who has an 8.22 ERA, also gave up the go-ahead run in his two innings in Monday's loss.
Koehler tossed three scoreless innings, striking out four in relief against Atlanta on Saturday.
The right-hander is 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA in three career starts against the Diamondbacks but gave up two runs in six innings while fanning seven in his most recent matchup, a 10-3 victory Aug. 17.
Jeremy Hellickson (1-3, 5.92) has a 7.08 ERA in his last four starts but his only loss in that span was an 8-0 defeat to Pittsburgh on April 26. He gave up four runs and four walks over 5 2-3 innings Wednesday in a 9-6 loss to Washington.
Hellickson is facing the Marlins for the first time since May 28, 2013. He had no record and a 5.59 ERA in two matchups while with Tampa Bay.
Ichiro Suzuki, who needs one hit to pass Babe Ruth for 42nd on the all-time list, has the most experience against Hellickson among Marlins players but is just 2 for 16.
Miami hasn't dropped six straight at home since May 1-18, 2013.
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