Marlins Hold Off Padres

     The Miami Marlins avoided a three-game sweep with a 7-6 win over San Diego Padres on Sunday at loanDepot park. The Marlins finished up their seven-game homestand with a 2-5 record. The Padres had their seven-game winning streak snapped and head home to face the Pittsburgh Pirates tomorrow. 

     The Fish begin a five-game road trip on Tuesday in Philadelphia and take on the Phillies. Miami has the rare occurrence of two days off this week on Monday and Thursday.   

     Miami(44-75) rolled out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Jonah Bride got an infield hit for Xavier Edwards to score. Two batters later, Otto Lopez drove in Jake Burger with a base hit into center field.

     The Marlins added three more runs in the second inning for a five-run margin. Xavier Edwards reached base on a catching error at first and Derek Hill scored. Burger came up next and blasted a two-run homer to center field on a 1-1 pitch with Edwards aboard. It was Burger's 22nd home run of the 2024 campaign and his 15th homer in the last 16 games.    

     San Diego(66-53) made it 5-1 in the top of the fifth. David Peralta grounded out to first for Xander Bogaerts to cross the plate. 

     The Padres closed it to 5-3 in the sixth inning with two runs. Luis Campusano reached home on a ground out by Jurickson Profar to first. Jake Cronenworth followed with a ground out to the pitcher and Arraez scored. 

     In the top of the seventh, the Friars pulled it to 5-4. Peralta doubled into the right-field corner and Jackson Merrill raced home. 

     The Fish expanded it to a three-run margin 7-4 during the bottom of the seventh. Jesus Sanchez blasted a two-run home run to right field on a 1-0 count for his 14th homer of the year. Burger scored ahead of him on the play. 

     Two former Marlins hurt Miami in the eighth inning and the Padres trailed 7-6. Donovan Solano lifted a two-run homer to left field with Luis Arraez on base for his fifth home run in a Padres jersey. 

     A major controversy happened during the top of the ninth. Ha-Seong Kim hit a ball with two outs that went off the top of the left-field wall, deflected off the glove of left fielder Kyle Stowers and landed beyond the fence for what looked to be a game-tying home run. Rule 5.05(A)(8) stated any bounding fair ball is declared in play even if it is later off a defensive player. The umpire crew said it was a ground-rule double and not a home run. The Padres were unable to tie it up later in the frame.