PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Miami Marlins‘ inconceivable September push will carry into October.
Jazz Chisholm hit his nineteenth dwelling run, Josh Bell delivered a late two-run double and the Marlins clinched the fourth playoff berth in franchise historical past with a 7-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday evening.
Miami locked down one of many two remaining Nationwide League wild-card spots behind Chisholm’s drive, a splash of small ball and one other lockdown efficiency by a bullpen that has carried a large share of the load over the past month.
A.J. Puk (7-5) and 7 different relievers saved the Pirates in test, rendering any scoreboard-watching pointless.
Miami started the day with its magic quantity whittled to 1 following one other late comeback victory on Friday evening.
One formally dropped to zero when nearer Tanner Scott wrapped up his twelfth save by placing out the aspect within the ninth, setting off a celebration on the sphere and behind the Miami dugout, the place a small clutch of followers chanted “Lets Go Marlins” within the ninth.
Buoyed by first-year supervisor Skip Schumaker’s relentless optimism and a “why not us” strategy, the largely nameless Marlins — who completed with 93 or extra losses in every of the earlier 4 non-pandemic-shortened seasons — shall be within the playoffs subsequent week whereas huge spenders just like the New York Mets and San Diego Padres shall be watching from dwelling.
What they’ll see is a staff that retains discovering a approach regardless of a roster bereft of stars exterior of the electrifying Chisholm, who was 5 years outdated rising up within the Bahamas in 2003, the final time the Marlins made the playoffs on the finish of a 162-game common season.
Little was anticipated, but the Marlins entered September at .500 (67-67) and on the perimeter of an underwhelming wild-card race earlier than hitting the fuel over the past 4 weeks.
Miami used a 17-9 September surge to vault over San Francisco, Chicago and stunning Cincinnati within the standings.
Jon Berti had three hits for the Marlins and began the go-ahead rally with a leadoff stroll within the sixth off Quinn Priester (3-3), starting a sequence that symbolized Miami’s “no matter it takes” strategy.
Garrett Hampson bunted for successful when Nick Gonzalez was late overlaying the bag at first. Each runners superior on a sacrifice by Jacob Stallings and Berti put the Marlins in entrance 3-2 by beating shortstop Liover Pegeuro’s throw dwelling on a pointy grounder by Jorge Soler. Bell’s sacrifice fly pushed the benefit to 4-2.
Bell — who spent 5 years with the Pirates from 2016-20 earlier than bouncing from Washington to San Diego to Cleveland to Miami — supplied the Marlins with some welcome insurance coverage within the eighth with a protracted drive to middle that drove in Berti and Soler.
An evening after rallying from three runs down after the seventh inning for the sixth time this season — probably the most by any MLB staff since 1900 — the Marlins made certain no such dramatics had been required.
Endy Rodriguez had three hits and drove in a run for the Pirates. Jared Triolo and Ke’Bryan Hayes added two hits every. Bryan Reynolds supplied an RBI single within the backside of the eighth that trimmed Miami’s result in three, however the Pirates would get no nearer.
Priester, a first-round decide within the 2019 newbie draft, put collectively 5 1/3 workmanlike innings as he tries to place himself for a spot within the beginning rotation in 2024. Priester allowed 4 runs on 10 hits with a stroll and three strikeouts to complete his rookie season with a 7.74 ERA in 10 video games (seven begins).
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: 2B Luis Arraez didn’t play whereas nursing an ankle damage. Arraez’s batting common stays a serious league-leading .354
UP NEXT
The sequence wraps up on Sunday. It’s unclear whether or not the Marlins must return to New York on Monday to complete a suspended sport towards the New York Mets.
.acf-block-preview .br-related-links-wrapper {
show: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(2, 1fr);
hole: 20px;
}
.acf-block-preview .br-related-links-wrapper a {
pointer-events: none;
cursor: default;
text-decoration: none;
colour: black;
}
