Marlins Drop Doubleheader To Diamondbacks
PHOENIX (AP) — After two big offensive games, Miami's bats went quiet during a desert doubleheader.
Justin Ruggiano hit a two-run homer in the second inning of the first game, but that was it for the offense as the Marlins lost both halves of the first home doubleheader in Arizona Diamondbacks history.
Rookie Wade Miley pitched eight innings to earn his 14th victory, and Arizona won 3-0 in the nightcap on Wednesday. Tyler Skaggs made his major league debut in the opener, allowing two runs and three hits over 6 2-3 innings in a 3-2 Diamondbacks win.
After collecting 35 hits in the first two games of the series, Miami managed just 10 on Wednesday, spoiling strong outings by Wade LeBlanc in the second game and Jacob Turner in the opener.
"Both teams pitched very well," Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen said. "LeBlanc and the other kid (Turner) pitched outstanding and they did a great job. Offensively all day we did not do much. We couldn't get that much going."
LeBlanc (2-3) allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings.
"Unfortunately, he was the better Wade tonight," LeBlanc said. "It was kind of a grind similiar to Colorado (a 6-5 win in his previous start), just not as many dinkers and dorkers. They found holes when they needed to and put up just enough runs."
The first game went 2 hours, 20 minutes, the second was just seven minutes longer.
"Good thing," Guillen cracked about the rapid pace. "We didn't have to suffer, send us to intensive care and be dead. Instead, (they) just kill us right away."
Miley (14-8) gave up four singles, struck out five and walked one.
"It was really important to try to just stay in there and get early outs and keep the pitch count down," he said, "then expand it and go eight."
Miley struck out the side on 11 pitches in the eighth.
"He threw his pitches with a ton of conviction, and he does it very quickly," manager Kirk Gibson said.
Guillen was impressed.
"This kid is tough," the Miami manager said, "and on top of that, Gibby gives him a lot of confidence. When you are rookie and the manager gives you a lot of confidence and you use it, they are doing a great job with him."
Paul Goldschmidt singled in a run in the first, then doubled and scored in the fourth for Arizona. Aaron Hill had a two-run homer and an RBI single in the first game.
J.J. Putz pitched a scoreless ninth in both games for his 16th and 17th consecutive saves. He said it was the first time in his career he's had two saves in one day. Putz has 26 saves in 29 tries on the year.
With the sweep, the Diamondbacks salvaged a split of the four-game series.
Ruggiano connected against Skaggs for Miami's only runs on the day.
A.J. Pollock, just recalled from Triple-A Reno, got Arizona off to a fast start in the second game. He hit a leadoff single in the first, made it to third on a pair of groundouts and scored on Goldschmidt's single.
The Diamondbacks added two more in the fourth. Chris Johnson had a bloop RBI single and Goldschmidt scampered home when Rob Brantly had a passed ball with Miley at the plate.
Miami had two runners on with no outs in the seventh, but Miley escaped by retiring Carlos Lee and Austin Kearns on fly balls to right and coaxing Ruggiano into a fielder's choice.
Turner (0-1) allowed three runs and four hits in six innings after being called up from the minors to make his first start for Miami since coming to the Marlins in a trade deadline deal with Detroit.
"Outstanding," Guillen said. "He was relaxed on the mound, very nice and loose. He was throwing a lot of strikes. He made one bad pitch but I like what I see."
Guillen had to watch most of it on a television in the clubhouse.
He was ejected by first base umpire Angel Campos after the top of the third inning of the opener. It was the second time he has been tossed this season.
"I have been ejected 27 times but that one was a weird one," Guillen said. "The excuse he is going to make is I was throwing water at him. I never did. I just threw water on the field then some of the players were telling me I got kicked out of the game."
