Field Level Media
Aug 31, 2018
Justin Smoak hit a pinch-hit, two-out grand slam in the ninth inning to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to a 6-5 win over the host Miami Marlins on Friday night at Marlins Park.
Toronto snapped a four-game skid while extending Miami's losing streak to four.
Miami's Dan Straily gave up just four hits, one walk and one run in eight innings, but Kyle Barraclough quickly made a mess of things for Miami in the ninth. After Barraclough loaded the bases with one out, Drew Steckenrider (4-4) entered the game and struck out Aledmys Diaz before forcing in a run by walking Devon Travis.
Smoak, the subject of trade rumors, then pulled an 0-2, 95 mph fastball over the fence in right for his 22nd homer of the season.
Straily got a no-decision in his second straight strong start after having beaten the first-place Atlanta Braves with six scoreless innings last Friday.
Miami's offense was led by Brian Anderson, who started two rallies with doubles, and Starlin Castro, who went 3-for-4 with a walk, run scored and RBI.
Toronto's Aaron Sanchez, making just his second start since June 21, escaped with a no-decision. Sanchez, who had missed time due to a contusion on his right index finger, gave up five runs on eight hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings.
Miami opened the scoring with three runs in the fourth. Anderson drove a long double to left-center, advanced to third on a groundout by J.T. Realmuto and scored on Derek Dietrich's single. After a single by Castro, JT Riddle lined an RBI single to left before Austin Dean capped the rally with a run-scoring groundout.
Anderson started another rally in the fifth with his other double, and scored on a Realmuto single. After another single by Dietrich, Castro laced an RBI single to give Miami a 5-0 lead.
Toronto ended Straily's 12-inning scoreless streak with a run in the sixth. Pinch hitter Curtis Granderson singled with one out, advanced to third on rookie Billy McKinney's double and scored on Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s sacrifice fly.
By virtue of Toronto's five-run ninth inning, reliever Joe Biagini (3-7) earned the win. Ken Giles pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth for his 19th save.
--Field Level Media