Dietrich's HR sparks rally, but Marlins fall late
MIAMI -- With alumni from their two World Series title teams in attendance, the Marlins staged an impressive rally on Saturday, paced by Derek Dietrich's home run and two RBIs. But on a day the organization paid tribute to their past, the Padres ended up spoiling the afternoon.
Travis Jankowski's two-out RBI single in the eighth inning handed the Marlins a 5-4 loss at Marlins Park.
"Our guys kept coming," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "It was one of those games that felt funny. You had a feeling, we were hanging in there. It was one of those games where we felt like we had a chance to win, as our guys were going along."
The Marlins had come back from a three-run deficit to pull even in the sixth inning before the Padres pieced together a two-out rally off Drew Rucinski.
Hunter Renfroe knocked a pinch-hit double, and with the bases full, Jankowski put the Padres in front with his run-scoring single to right.
"It gets to the top of the order after Drew, two out, nobody on," Mattingly said. "Just couldn't get that third out."
Brad Hand, a former Marlin, and Kirby Yates closed out the eighth and ninth innings, as the Padres evened the three-game series.
Marlins right-hander Dan Straily received a scare in the first inning, when he was struck on the ribs by a liner -- tracked by Statcast™ at 109.9 mph -- off the bat of Eric Hosmer. Straily went down in pain and was tended to by the training staff, but he stayed in the game.
X-rays were taken, and they came back negative. Straily said he anticipates being ready for his next start, which is scheduled for Thursday against the Giants at Marlins Park. More on his status will be known in the next couple of days, as the soreness subsides.
"It got my ribs," Straily said. "X-rays showed everything is fine. It definitely took the wind out of me. I felt myself kind of spinning around. I think first, I was kind of looking for the baseball, but it was not at my feet. I started to really lose my breath and went to the ground."
The Padres collected five hits in the three-run first inning.
"Once we kind of figured out where I got hit, I knew I'd be able to continue," Straily said. "It was just a matter of letting myself regather myself, regather my focus, and it was just making sure everything was good."
Straily made it through 3 2/3 innings, allowing four runs.
"If there was any doubt I was not 100 percent, then I'm not going to stay on the mound," Straily said. "If something is wrong, I'm not going to stay out there. It's not about trying to be a tough guy or trying to have a lot of pride, stuff like that."
Miami came back to tie it at 4 with three runs in the sixth inning. Dietrich's homer got things started, as did Justin Bour's double, where he made a head-first slide into second base. Bour scored on a wild pitch, and the tying run came home on Miguel Rojas' two-out single and second baseman Jose Pirela's fielding error.
"That got us going, seeing the big guy swinging it like that and the effort to get to second right there," Brian Anderson said of Bour. "He could have easily shut it down. But the effort he showed going for it, and getting in scoring position, it got us going."
25TH ANNIVERSARY
This weekend, the Marlins have been honoring their past, celebrating their 25th Anniversary season. In town are players and coaches from both World Series title teams, as well as the 1993 inaugural season.
Marlins alums were honored during a pregame ceremony.
"It's awesome having the guys around, guys you watched growing up and you've heard nothing but great stories about," said Anderson, the rookie right fielder. "Just having them around is awesome, to just see the wealth of knowledge that they have. They obviously played the game the right way, and kind of showed us how it's done. We're just trying to follow in their footsteps."
Mattingly said it's important for the organization to connect with its history.
"It's good to bring in those guys," Mattingly said. "They're a part of our history. It's good for those guys. It shows that you want them around, and that they're part of this family. It's good to have it both ways. It shows they're appreciated, but also for our guys to see our history." More >
SOUND SMART
Dietrich had a home run and an RBI single, and he now has hit safely in seven straight games against the Padres. During the streak, he is batting .423 with two doubles, three home runs and five RBIs.
YOU GOTTA SEE THIS
Jankowski has game-changing speed, and he tried to use it in the first inning, attempting to stretch a leadoff single to a double. Anderson had other ideas. Anderson, who has showcased a strong arm, threw a perfect strike to shortstop JT Riddle, who tagged Jankowski out. According to Statcast™, Anderson's throw to second base was 88.4 mph.
"I was playing Jankowski a little oppo, so when that ball went through the four hole, I could see him out of the corner of my eye, booking out of the box," Anderson said. "I knew he was thinking two. He knew that I knew as well. It was just see if he would be able to get there in time or I'm going to be able to put the throw on target. I actually put the throw a little bit up the line, but JT ends up doing a good job applying the tag."
HE SAID IT
"It looked a lot like that horse they showed up on that screen. Bour and that horse look like they could have had a pretty good race," -- Mattingly jokingly comparing watching Bour race to second on his sixth-inning double to Justify, the Triple Crown-winning horse
UP NEXT
The Marlins wrap up their three-game series with the Padres at 1:10 p.m. ET on Sunday. Jose Urena, who picked up his first win of the season in his last start, looks to make it two straight for Miami. Urena gave up one run in six innings in a no-decision at San Diego on May 30. Left-hander Clayton Richard goes for the Padres.