Jorge Soler homered twice and drove in four runs as the host Miami Marlins defeated the Minnesota Twins 5-2 on Wednesday afternoon.
Miami’s Bryan De La Cruz had one of the biggest hits of the game in the eighth inning as he lined a two-out, go-ahead RBI single to center field. Soler followed with his second homer, a three-run shot.
Marlins center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr., a first-time All-Star last season, left the game in the first inning due to a stinger in his right shoulder. Chisholm, who missed the second half of last season due to a back injury, was injured after running into Twins second baseman Kyle Farmer while trying to steal second base.
De La Cruz replaced Chisholm in center and became a late-game hero.
The first seven innings served as a pitching duel between Twins right-hander Pablo Lopez and Marlins lefty Jesus Luzardo. However, neither pitcher earned a decision.
Lopez faced Miami for the first time since being traded to Minnesota in January. He allowed just one run on three hits with one walk. He struck out eight batters, and 60 of his 88 pitches were strikes.
Luzardo allowed just one run on five hits, with one walk and 10 strikeouts in seven innings.
Miami grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first as Soler swung at a 2-2 fastball, knocking the pitch 409 feet to left for his second homer of the season.
Minnesota tied the score in the seventh as Ryan Jeffers doubled and scored on Trevor Larnach’s two-out single off the glove of shortstop Jon Berti.
Miami took control of the game in the eighth as Jean Segura, Berti and De La Cruz singled before Soler went deep against Twins lefty Caleb Thielbar. The loss was charged to Griffin Jax (0-1), who yielded two runs on two hits in one-third of an inning.
Marlins reliever Dylan Floro (1-0) earned the victory, pitching a scoreless eighth inning as Miami won two of three games in the series.
The Twins added one run in the ninth off of reliever A.J. Puk, scoring on a wild pitch. But with one runner on, Puk struck out Larnach looking to end the game.
–Field Level Media
