San Francisco, Calif. — In what shaped up to be a pitcher’s duel, the Miami Marlins were able to take down the San Francisco Giants 2-1. The win is Miami’s first of the season and now evens the series up at one apiece.
The opening run of the game for the Marlins came from Jon Berti and his speed. Beating out a grounder to third and advancing to second on a throwing error, Berti then moved up to third on a wild pitch. Following a dropped third strike, Berti scored.
The Marlins’ second and final run of the game came during the top of the seventh. Leading things off, Brain Anderson smoked a double to deep center. Second-year center fielder Jesus Sanchez drove him in with an opposite-field single to left, extending the Marlins’ lead to one.
Unfortunately for the Giants, their only run of the game came during the bottom of the fifth inning. Second baseman Thairo Estrada slapped a single to left field and was soon driven in by Steven Duggar who delivered an RBI double to the left-field corner.
Pitching on Point
The tough-luck loser of this one was San Francisco starter Carlos Rodon. Rodon followed up his breakout 2021 season with a five-inning masterclass in which he allowed just one run on three hits and two walks while striking out an eye-popping 12.
Rodon routinely hit the upper 90s with his fastball and will continue to be a mainstay at the front of this rotation.
The Giants bullpen was unable to keep things tied, as Jake McGee allowed the game-winning run in the seventh before relievers Camilo Doval and José Álvarez finished out the rest of the game. Doval and Álvarez tossed 2.1 scoreless innings.
Starting pitcher Pablo Lòpez pitched a strong five innings for the Miami Marlins en route to a no-decision. He fired five innings of one-run ball, in which he allowed three hits and just one walk. He struck out six.
Lòpez spent most of the 2021 season on the injured list due to a shoulder injury and now looks to be fully healthy. For a team stacked at pitching, Lòpez should continue playing a valuable role in any success the Marlins may have this year.
The Marlins bullpen looked fantastic coming in to relieve Lòpez. Relievers Steven Okert, Cole Sulser, Richard Bleier, and Anthony Bender tossed four scoreless innings to preserve the one-run lead for Miami. Okert faced four total batters and managed to strike each of them out.
Bender earned his first save of the season as he seems to have gotten the first crack at the closer gig.
Wrapping up the Weekend
After the Giants took Friday night’s season opener in extra innings by a score of 6-5, the Marlins were able to tie up the series. The final game of the three-game series takes place Sunday, April 10 at 4:05 p.m. EST.
Trevor Rogers will take the mound for the Miami Marlins (1-1) as the San Francisco Giants (1-1) will send Anthony DeSclafani out on the mound to handle matters.
