Orioles Use 9th-Inning Walk To Beat Depleted Marlins 8-7
BALTIMORE (AP) — Ryan McKenna drew a bases-loaded walk from Steven Okert to force in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Baltimore Orioles got home runs from Trey Mancini and Pedro Severino in an 8-7 comeback victory over the depleted Miami Marlins on Wednesday night.
Baltimore erased an early 5-0 deficit and battled back from a 7-5 hole in the eighth to end Miami's modest three-game winning streak.
Jesús Aguilar homered, had three RBIs and scored three runs for the last-place Marlins, who before the game beat Friday's trade deadline with a pair of deals appropriate for a team planning for the future. Late in the afternoon, general manager Kim Ng sent outfielder Starling Marte to Oakland for left-hander Jesús Luzardo, a 23-year-old with 31 games of major league experience.
Then, in a swap announced a few minutes before the first pitch, the Marlins shipped closer Yimi Garcia to the Houston Astros for Triple-A outfielder Bryan De La Cruz and right-hander Austin Pruitt.
"These are some of the first steps we've got to take (in rebuilding)," Ng said. "It was a good day."
But not a good night. After Miami starter Jordan Holloway failed to get out of the third inning, six relievers followed. With Garcia unavailable, Okert (0-1) stumbled in the ninth.
Cedric Mullins drew a leadoff walk, advanced on a wild pitch and took third on a sacrifice bunt. Two intentional walks followed to load the bases for McKenna, who looked at a wide pitch on a 3-2 count.
After Baltimore used an unearned run and an RBI single by Maikel Franco to tie it in the eighth, Tanner Scott (4-4) held Miami in check in the ninth.
Aguilar doubled in a first-inning run, hit a two-run homer in the second and walked and scored to make it 7-5 in the fourth. His three RBIs lifted his NL-leading total to 75.
HOT BAT
Mancini has hit in 10 straight games and has an extra-base hit in the last six. The runner-up in the All-Star Home Run Derby, Mancini leads the Orioles with 19 homers and 60 RBIs.
TRAINER'S ROOM Wi
Marlins: OF Garrett Cooper (elbow) was moved to the 60-day injured list and will soon undergo season-ending surgery on his non-throwing arm. Ng said Cooper has a UCL sprain and a tear in his left elbow and will be sidelined for five months.
Orioles: LHP Keegan Akin and OF Anthony Santander have completed COVID-19 protocol but must wait a while before returning to the active roster. "We want to get them on the field, get them moving around, see how their legs are and make a decision on them the next couple days," manager Brandon Hyde said. "Taking a week off and then ramping up to play right away is unrealistic." Akin (0-5, 8.19 ERA) last pitched on July 16 and Santander hasn't played since July 20.
UP NEXT
Marlins: After taking Thursday off, Miami faces another AL East foe, hosting the New York Yankees in a three-game weekend series.
Orioles: Rookie LHP Alexander Wells (1-0, 4.35 ERA) makes his second career start Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series in Detroit against the Tigers.
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