Marlins Lose Slug Fest To Brewers, 9-5
MIAMI (AP) — The Miami Marlins hit a season-high four home runs Friday, which wasn't nearly enough because Tom Koehler dug too big a hole with his worst outing of the year.
Mark Reynolds hit a pair of two-run homers off Koehler, and the Milwaukee Brewers won a record-setting slugfest at Marlins Park 9-5.
"That's what's a little frustrating," Koehler said. "You realize that one or two different pitches, and it's a different ball game."
Giancarlo Stanton and Garrett Jones hit two solo homers apiece for Miami, and Khris Davis homered for Milwaukee. The teams combined for seven homers, the most since the pitcher-friendly ballpark opened in 2012.
Reynolds homered in the fourth and again in the fifth, increasing his season total to 11. It was his 20th career multihomer game.
Milwaukee didn't need slugger Ryan Braun, who sat out after a flare-up of the oblique strain that sent him to the disabled list earlier this season. The Brewers hope he can rejoin the lineup by Sunday.
Miami lost despite hitting a season-high four home runs. Stanton's two tape-measure homers increased his season total to 14, most in the NL, and his 47 RBIs lead the majors. It was his 12th career multihomer game, tying Hanley Ramirez's franchise record.
Even so, Miami fell to 5-17 against the Brewers since the start of 2011.
With the retractable roof open on an 83-degree night, the ball was flying from the first inning. Davis' homer carried more than 430 feet into the beer garden, Stanton's homers traveled just as far, and Jones reached the upper deck.
It has been nearly three years since three players hit two homers in a major league game.
"The ball travels more when the roof's open," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "But I looked at some of those pitches, and we made a lot of mistakes."
Koehler (4-4) went five innings and gave up seven runs. He came into the game with an ERA of 0.64 at home, best in the majors.
"He made a lot of mistakes over the middle of the plate," Redmond said. "That's a very aggressive team, and obviously you saw the power that they have. And when you make mistakes against good teams, they make you pay."
Miami fell to 19-7 at Marlins Park, still the best home record in baseball.
Marco Estrada (4-2) didn't pitch from the stretch until there were two out in the seventh, because all four of Miami's baserunners to that point hit home runs.
"Real weird game," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "My gosh, there were some long home runs by both sides. Those balls were crushed. There were a lot of fireworks going on."
Estrada gave up five runs and departed after 6 2-3 innings. He has an ERA of 3.98 despite allowing 16 homers, the most in the majors.
Along with all of the offense, there were some long outs as well. Two balls hit by Carlos Gomez would likely have been homers in Milwaukee.
Gomez had three doubles and a single for the Brewers, who totaled eight extra-base hits. Milwaukee hit for the cycle in the fifth when Jean Segura singled, Scooter Gennett tripled, Gomez doubled and Reynolds homered.
Roenicke made three pitching changes without a glitch. On Thursday at Atlanta, he summoned a reliever when no one was warming up.
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