Marlins hang on after Padres' HR with 2 outs in 9th is overturned

MIAMI -- An emotionally and physically draining seven-game homestand proved the “game of inches” adage in the Marlins’ thrilling 7-6 victory over the Padres on Sunday afternoon at loanDepot park.

With two outs in the ninth, Ha-Seong Kim appeared to tie the game with a solo shot, but the ball caromed off the left-field wall, deflected off left fielder Kyle Stowers and over. An umpire review overturned the call to a ground-rule double.

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Right-hander George Soriano took over for lefty Andrew Nardi and struck out Luis Campusano to end the game. Soriano, who blew a save two days before, bounced back just like his club.

Despite a 2-5 homestand, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker couldn’t be more proud of his ballclub, which had an active Trade Deadline. This week included three consecutive extra-innings games and late defeats to San Diego, one of the National League’s best clubs.

“It just shows you what that team is about,” Schumaker said. “A lot of these guys are trying to figure out who they are at this level, and they're giving it everything they've got. We were in every single game. A couple games against the Reds we could have come back and won, and then we're in every game here. So to end it on a win, it's going to be a much better flight to Philly.”

It starts with slugger Jake Burger, who knocked his MLB-leading 12th homer of the second half that extended the Marlins’ lead to 5-0 in the second.

His two-run homer to right-center against former White Sox teammate Dylan Cease matched Giancarlo Stanton for most home runs in a player's first 23 games following the All-Star break in franchise history.

“I've always felt like I'm one of the best power hitters in the game, and now it's just swinging at the right pitches and having the right approach and going about it the right way every single day,” Burger said. “I give kudos to this coaching staff. Just keep hammering that home. It's baseball, there's ebbs and flows, so I'm not immune to knowing that this isn't going to last forever, but if I can keep myself in these types of zones for longer, I feel like I'm going to have a really, really good career.”

It continues with right-hander Max Meyer, ranked as Miami’s No. 4 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 77 overall, outdueling Cease, the NL Pitcher of the Month for July.

The 25-year-old went a career-high 6 1/3 innings, retiring the first nine batters until Luis Arraez’s leadoff single in the fourth. Through six innings, San Diego managed a trio of run-scoring groundouts -- the last of which deflected off Meyer and directly to first baseman Jonah Bride in a two-run sixth. David Peralta’s RBI double chased Meyer and trimmed the Marlins’ lead to 5-4 in the seventh.

Five days ago against the Reds, Meyer set career highs for runs, hits and walks allowed. This time around, he threw more fastballs and utilized his changeup later in the game while looking more like his April self (2.12 ERA).

“I definitely felt a lot better on the mound just leading into it,” Meyer said. “My emotions on the mound, my focus going into the game, I was able to play with a chip on my shoulder again, so I'm going to keep continuing to do that, and I know it's just going to keep working out for me.”

It closes out with Jesús Sánchez. In a one-run ballgame, Padres manager Mike Shildt pulled former Marlins prospect Sean Reynolds after he allowed a leadoff single to Burger in the seventh, sending southpaw Yuki Matsui to the mound to face the left-handed-hitting Sánchez.

Entering the series finale, Sánchez had drastic lefty/righty splits for his career:

• Home runs: 6 vs. LHP, 48 vs. RHP

• OPS: .506 vs. LHP, .780 vs. RHP

• Plate appearances: 263 vs. LHP, 1,142 vs. RHP

Schumaker has said that the remainder of the season would be used to give Sánchez regular at-bats against lefties to see whether the slugger could handle the matchup and evolve beyond a platoon player.

After showing bunt on the first pitch, Sánchez crushed a two-run homer to right. It marked the first homer surrendered to a lefty batter by Matsui (.567 OPS).

It proved crucial because Nardi surrendered a two-run homer to pinch-hitter Donovan Solano to make it a one-run ballgame again in the eighth.

“I'm very excited, very happy for the outcome,” Sánchez said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “I'm very thankful with God for the opportunity. Knowing that I'm going to get more at-bats with lefties, it's something that's going to continue helping me, and it's good that I had that success, and we'll continue to work on that.”