Marlins make own waves in Miami with 6th straight dub

MIAMI -- There is a lot going on in South Florida right now, what with the NBA’s Miami Heat and the NHL’s Florida Panthers vying for championship trophies.

Throw in Wednesday’s blockbuster news that Lionel Messi is headed to Inter Miami CF and, well, Miami makes for one crowded sports landscape.

But the Miami Marlins are making headlines of their own.

On Wednesday night, the Marlins kept on motoring, winning their sixth consecutive game as Jesús Sánchez’s homer power propelled Miami to a 6-1 win over Kansas City at loanDepot park.

Miami’s winning streak is its longest of the season as it is seven games over .500 for the first time since 2016.

The Marlins are also in the early makings of a playoff race for the first time since making the postseason during the 2020 pandemic-shortened season. Miami has been to the postseason just three times since the franchise began in 1993.

So yes, make some room for the Marlins -- a team that went 7-2 this homestand and now plays its next nine on the road, beginning Friday against the White Sox.

“It’s pretty cool,” said manager Skip Schumaker, who informed the media postgame they only had 10 minutes as the Heat were about to start Game 3 of the NBA Finals across town. “This is the first time I have been in Miami other than playing in a three-game series. To be part of the NHL playoffs, the NBA playoffs, Messi coming to town … it’s a pretty special time.

“But when the games are over and they win the championships, hopefully we can start filling up our seats. Because we have a guy hitting .400 and a Cy Young Award winner. We have some good things going on as well. It is an exciting time to be here.”

• Tracking Arraez's pursuit of .400: Goes 2-for-4, up to .403

Some of Miami’s top young talent was on display again Wednesday as it pulled off its second consecutive series sweep after taking three from Oakland over the weekend.

Sánchez smashed his sixth home run of the season to the batter’s eye in center field in the third inning on an 0-1 delivery from Jordan Lyles (0-10), driving in Garrett Hampson and Luis Arraez to put the Marlins ahead 3-1.

“I was just trying to make a good swing, looking for the fastball and was only trying to get a single thinking I didn’t have the power,” Sánchez said. “We need to win games and that will put us in a good position and we are very confident, very happy.’’

In the eighth, Miami padded its lead as Arraez got his second hit of the night — upping his average to .403 — putting two on for Bryan De La Cruz. His double to left-center made it 5-1, before Miami tacked on one more run on an RBI single from Sánchez.

“At the end of the day, it’s about winning games,” Sánchez said. “The momentum is coming, the positive vibe is there. The adrenaline is there and that’s going to lead to more wins.”

Edward Cabrera (5-4) ended up being pulled after five strong innings after developing blisters on his right hand that both he and Schumaker said affect his ability to throw his slider and curve.

Cabrera did get the win after giving up two hits and one run in those five innings, striking out four. It helped that his defense had his back.

In the fourth, Hampson ensured Miami maintained its lead when he went to the center-field wall and pulled back a shot from Bobby Witt Jr.

“It was a great catch by him,” Cabrera said through interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “With him, sometimes I am a little afraid because he looked down. You think it’s out of here. But, great play by him.”

And, Miami had closer A.J. Puk back after he missed the past few weeks with left elbow nerve irritation. Puk pitched the ninth, giving up a one-out double to Vinnie Pasquantino, but struck out the other three batters he faced.

“It has been amazing and I am real happy I could join them during this hot streak and contribute,” Puk said. “It is fun winning baseball games and seeing what these guys are doing.”