Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit two home runs and drove in six runs as the Miami Marlins defeated the Washington Nationals 12-2. Jorge Soler and Nick Soler also went deep for the home run-happy team, while Avisaíl Garcia recorded three hits for Miami.
In the second inning, Chisholm hit a grand slam off Joan Adon, who was making his major league debut. The ball traveled 402 feet and almost hit the glove of center fielder Lane Thomas.
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Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Adon had a good start in the first inning, but he quickly fell behind and eventually gave up multiple runs. He was the first major league pitcher to record double-digit losses this season. When he fell behind, Martinez said that he had to throw strikes and get ahead of the opposition’s lineup.
Reliable pitching staff
Right-hander Edward Cabrera, who was called up from Triple-A last week, allowed one run in six innings. Cabrera struck out four and walked two. The 24-year-old pitcher said he was focused on throwing strikes and trusting his secondary pitches through a translator. At least that was what he wanted to do as a starter.
“I always trust my secondary pitches,” Cabrera said. “You want to go as far as you can. That’s what you want as a starter.”
The Miami pitcher swung the bats well throughout his first two starts. The team scored 26 runs in those games. Miami manager Don Mattingly said that it was good to see his young pitcher being able to throw strikes.
“Just continue to attack, continue to stay in the zone, and trust your stuff,” Mattingly said.
Breaking slump
Chisholm, who had gone 2-for-29 in his previous nine games, broke his slump with a grand slam in the second inning. His shot over the center-field wall made it 5-0. Although he initially thought that the ball hit the wall, Chisholm said it looked good.
The home runs by Soler and Fortes in the fourth inning made another five-run. After three-plus innings, Adon was removed from the game. Right-hander Andrés Machado came in and relieved him. He allowed a two-run shot by Garrett Cooper.
The 24-year-old Fortes has gone deep twice and drove in four runs in his career. He attributed his success to his ability to see the ball well.
“Everyone goes through a stretch where they swing it better than others,” he said.
In the fifth inning, Chisholm hit his 10th home run. His second home run of the game was a two-run shot off Machado. The streak of 11 scoreless innings by Miami pitcher Edward Cabrera ended when Luis García hit a solo home run in the sixth.
The Miami Marlins started the season with a 12-8 record, but it went 7-19 in May. It is currently 13th in the National League East.
Before the game started, the team had a 90-minutes meeting. Mattingly said that it was his idea to hold the meeting, and it was primarily about having the players talk about the team’s expectations. He said he was disappointed by how the team performed this season.