Bryan De La Cruz homered and drove in three runs, leading the host Miami Marlins to a 6-5 win over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.
Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez, who leads the majors with a .380 batting average, went 3-for-4. He also tops the majors with 15 three-hit games.
After Miami blew a 4-0 lead, Jon Berti hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning. Joey Wendle followed with a sacrifice fly that drove in a run for a 6-4 lead but resulted in a double play.
Detroit made it 6-5 in the ninth when Spencer Torkelson doubled with one out and scored on Andy Ibanez’s single. However, A.J. Puk struck out Eric Haase and Javier Baez to secure his 16th save.
Prior to the game, the Marlins honored Tigers designated hitter Miguel Cabrera, who started his career in Miami. Cabrera, a two-time MVP and 12-time All-Star who is retiring after this season, went 0-for-3.
Miami starter Braxton Garrett was left with a tough-luck no-decision after allowing five hits, one walk and one run, none earned, in six innings. He struck out six. The Marlins are 15-6 this year when Garrett pitches.
Marlins reliever Tanner Scott left the game in the eighth inning due to a right leg injury.
Miami, which improved to 3-9 since the All-Star break, got a two-run homer and an RBI double from De La Cruz. JT Chargois (2-0) yielded a run while getting two outs but emerged with the win.
The Tigers took their fourth loss in a row, with reliever Jason Foley (2-3) yielding both runs in the eighth.
Arraez started the game’s initial rally with a first-inning single. Jorge Soler then hit a ground ball that Detroit failed to convert into a double play. That opened the door for De La Cruz, who followed with a 398-foot homer to left-center. He hit a 1-0 sinker that was up in the zone.
The Marlins made it 3-0 in the second as Berti hit a leadoff double, advanced on second baseman Ibanez’s fielding error and scored on Jean Segura’s infield single.
In the third, Soler singled and scored from first when De La Cruz doubled down the left field line. Soler was safe on a close play at the plate.
Detroit got on the board in the fourth. With two outs and no runners on, Baez reached on an infield single. Baez then scored all the way from first when Cabrera hit a grounder that went under the glove of third baseman Segura for an error.
The Tigers made it 4-2 in the seventh in a rally that started with Nick Maton’s pinch-hit infield single. Maton then stole second, although he was initially called out before a video review. After a walk to Riley Greene, Torkelson made it 4-2 with an RBI single.
Detroit tied the score in the eighth on Maton’s two-run double.
The Marlins surged back in the bottom of the eighth with three straight singles — by Jesus Sanchez, Yuli Gurriel and Berti to go up 5-4. Wendle capped the rally with his sacrifice fly to center.
–Field Level Media
