MIAMI – In a back-and-forth contest vs. the St. Louis Cardinals (35-51) Wednesday night at loanDepot park, the Miami Marlins (51-37), who blew as much as a 5-0 lead and an 8-7 lead in the ninth, stormed back the next half inning to prevail, 10-9.
Joey Wendle, with two men on and one down, slapped a grounder to pitcher Jordan Hicks. In what was set up as a routine, bang-bang play, Hicks sent the baseball over the head of first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, allowing two runners to cross the plate.
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Chaos then erupted.
Attempting to shut the door, Marlins closer A.J. Puk, with two strikes and two outs in the ninth, watched from the mound as Jordan Walker sent a two-run home run to the Budweiser Bar to give the Cardinals an unexpected 9-8 edge.
The Marlins, however, did not fall down.
Jacob Stallings delivers first HR of 2023: Yes, you read that correctly: Jacob Stallings, struggling all season at the plate with a .198 average, came through with a solo home run in the third to break a 5-5 score. According to Statcast Metrics, the ball traveled 388 feet and would have been a home run in all 30 MLB ballparks.
Lots of arms used for Miami: Since Bryan Hoeing lasted three innings, Skip Schumaker had to work deep into his bullpen, using a total of six relievers. This is something to keep an eye out for with 20-year-old Eury Pérez taking the bump Thursday evening at 6:40 p.m. ET.
History: At 51-37, not only have the Marlins set a new franchise record for wins before the All-Star break, but their record matches the 1997 World Series team for the best start to a season in club history through 88 games of play.