The Miami Marlins have found Pittsburgh and the host Pirates hospitable, at least through the first game of their three-game weekend series.
The Marlins were mired in a scoring drought that reached a franchise-record-tying 37 innings before the dam broke in an 8-1 romp on Friday.
The Marlins also snapped a nine-game streak without a homer when Avisail Garcia hit a solo shot in the seventh inning on Friday.
“It felt great to break out offensively,” teammate Miguel Rojas told Bally Sports.
Miami’s win came hours after infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. finally received a definitive diagnosis. A CT scan showed a stress fracture in his lower back, rendering Chisholm sidelined for several more weeks.
“He was having a really good year, obviously with making the All-Star team,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “You had a feeling that something was wrong when he wasn’t able to get through that All-Star Game and be able to play, because we knew it was something he would have pushed himself to get to and be able to play.”
The Pirates, conversely, could get center fielder Bryan Reynolds back as soon as this weekend. He has been on the injured list since July 11 because of an oblique strain.
Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said Reynolds has been running, participated in batting practice Thursday and could be back “sooner rather than later.”
The slumping Pirates were limited to two hits en route to losing for the fifth time in six games.
Pittsburgh appears poised to make more moves on the heels of a trade Friday that sent designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach to the New York Mets for right-hander Colin Holderman.
On Saturday, Miami right-hander Max Meyer (0-1, 8.44 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Pittsburgh left-hander Jose Quintana (2-5, 3.99).
Meyer will make his second career start. He gave up five runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings last Saturday in a 10-0 loss against Philadelphia.
The third overall pick in the 2020 draft, Meyer has been considered Miami’s top pitching prospect.
“He’s like all young pitchers — he’s going to go through it and get to a point where he can figure out where his adjustments are,” Marlins pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre told MLB.com.
“I love the stuff. I love the competitive nature. This guy wants the ball in big moments.”
Quintana will make his 19th start this season and potentially one of his last for the Pirates as trade speculation swirls.
His last time out, Quintana got rocked for a season-worst six runs in five innings at Colorado on July 15.
“Too many deep counts,” Quintana said of a performance that was mostly an outlier. “I had a couple opportunities after 0-2 to put them away and couldn’t. I missed a couple of times with my fastball. Strange.”
Quintana is 2-1 with a 3.32 ERA in three career starts against Miami.
–Field Level Media