Lopez shines, Marlins defeat Diamondbacks 9-8 for 5th win

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    PHOENIX โ€” In a thrilling match, Kyle Stowers delivered a decisive solo home run in the sixth inning, while Otto Lopez showcased an impressive performance with a double, a home run, and three RBIs, leading the Miami Marlins to a narrow 9-8 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night. The Marlins, who had just come off a commanding 12-5 win against San Francisco, securing a three-game sweep, have secured a season-high streak with five consecutive wins, adding to their six of seven streak.

    Otto Lopez ended the night with a trio of hits, highlighted by his power-packed performance alongside Stowersโ€™ RBI double. Heriberto Hernรกndez also contributed significantly with a solo homer. The fourth inning witnessed Lopez, Agustรญn Ramรญrez, and Stowers orchestrating consecutive two-out doubles against starter Merrill Kelly, giving the Marlins a 2-1 edge.

    Eury Pรฉrez, starting for Miami, conceded a leadoff home run to Arizonaโ€™s Jake McCarthy and issued a walk before being replaced by Ronny Henriquez in the fifth inning. Henriquez managed to hold the fort, allowing one run from Geraldo Perdomoโ€™s homer over 1 1/3 innings. McCarthy kept the pressure on by drawing a walk in the third inning, proceeded to steal second, advanced to third, and subsequently scored on Alek Thomasโ€™ sacrifice fly โ€” which initiated the scoring for Arizona. He continued his pace with another leadoff homer in the fifth inning. Thomas went on to hit a solo homer in the seventh, with Pavin Smith rounding out the scoring with an RBI single in the ninth.

    An exhilarating moment came in the sixth inning when Stowersโ€™ solo homer prompted Merrill Kellyโ€™s exit, bringing in Juan Morillo to the mound. Connor Norbyโ€™s crucial two-out single paved the way for Javier Sanojaโ€™s triple, further extending Miamiโ€™s lead with a score of 6-4.

    Statistically speaking, the Marlins went into the game leading the National League in hits, maintaining a batting average of .268, and amassed 44 doubles this month. They wrapped up the game with a total of 13 hits and currently have a streak of hitting at least 10 hits in five consecutive matches, maintaining an MLB-best during June with 12 instances.

    Looking ahead, the Marlins will see Sandy Alcantara (4-8, 6.69 ERA) take the mound on Saturday as they face off against the Diamondbacks, who are expected to start with Brandon Pfaadt (8-5, 5.49 ERA).