PHOENIX — 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 Stowers’ RBI double. Heriberto Hernández also contributed significantly with a solo homer. The fourth inning witnessed Lopez, Agustín Ramírez, and Stowers orchestrating consecutive two-out doubles against starter Merrill Kelly, giving the Marlins a 2-1 edge.
Eury Pérez, starting for Miami, conceded a leadoff home run to Arizona’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 Perdomo’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 Thomas’ sacrifice fly — 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 Stowers’ solo homer prompted Merrill Kelly’s exit, bringing in Juan Morillo to the mound. Connor Norby’s crucial two-out single paved the way for Javier Sanoja’s triple, further extending Miami’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).