Field Level Media
Aug 19, 2018
Jose Urena, pitching while appealing a suspension issued by Major League Baseball, tossed a two-hitter as the Miami Marlins defeated the host Washington Nationals 12-1 on Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park.
The last-place Marlins, who had lost 12 straight road games entering Saturday, managed to take this series in winning the final two games of the set, and Urena was a huge part of the story.
Urena hit red-hot Atlanta Braves left fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. with the first pitch of Wednesday's game, drawing a six-game ban from MLB. But, while on appeal, Urena held Washington to a pair of doubles and two walks while pitching the first complete game of his career. He threw 108 pitches, struck out four and got 14 ground-ball outs.
JT Riddle led Miami's offense with a homer, a double and three RBIs. In this three-game series, Riddle had multiple hits each day, going 7-for-12 with two doubles, two homers and seven RBIs.
Miami's Starlin Castro went 5-for-6 with three runs scored for the first five-hit game of his career. Teammate J.T. Realmuto went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs. And 28-year-old rookie Isaac Galloway went 3-for-5 with a single, double and his first major league homer.
Pitching against his hometown team, Washington left-hander Gio Gonzalez (7-10) took the loss, allowing a season-high-tying 10 hits, four walks and a season-high eight runs in 4 2/3 innings. Gonzalez struck out five.
Miami opened the scoring with three runs in the third. After Rafael Ortega and Brian Anderson drew walks, Castro lofted a soft fly ball that landed in front of Nationals center fielder Bryce Harper for a two-out, RBI single.
The next batter, rookie Austin Dean, drove a changeup over the glove of Harper -- who did not take the best angle. The ball landed in right-center field for a two-run double.
Washington cut its deficit to 3-1 in the bottom of the third. Matt Wieters hit a leadoff double and scored on Adam Eaton's two-bagger. Both doubles were hit to the right-field corner. However, Eaton was out trying to stretch his hit into a triple as he was beaten by first baseman Realmuto's relay throw.
Miami broke the game open with a five-run fifth. The Marlins got a sacrifice fly from JT Riddle, Ortega's two-run double and Realmuto's two-run single.
Riddle's two-run homer in the sixth increased Miami's lead to 10-1, and the rout was on as the Marlins finished with 17 hits, including 10 for extra bases.
--Field Level Media