Sánchez in the middle of everything in Marlins' extra-inning thriller

July 4th, 2024

MIAMI -- Throughout most of Thursday afternoon’s series finale between the Marlins and Red Sox at loanDepot park, Jesús Sánchez appeared in the middle of every big moment.

Sánchez broke up righty Nick Pivetta’s no-hitter with a two-out triple in the seventh. He was thrown out at the plate as the potential walk-off run in the ninth. And he belted a game-tying two-run homer in the 11th.

Unfortunately for Miami, Sánchez could only watch from the on-deck circle as Josh Bell flew out to center on a full-count offering to conclude the club’s 6-5 loss to Boston in 12 innings.

Sánchez, who was a single shy of the franchise’s second cycle, could have become the third player since 1974 to achieve the feat on a walk-off RBI in extra innings.

“Sánchez was outstanding, hit the ball really hard,” manager Skip Schumaker said. “He's been hitting the ball hard. The last month, it's been really good. I know maybe the overall numbers don't show what he's been doing lately, but it's been really good. He's driving every single pitch, so it's offspeed and fastball. He was chasing [before]. Any time you chase outside the zone [on] soft [pitches], it gives anybody trouble, not just Sánchy.

“But Sánchy had a really good day. Played the outfield really well. He was good. Obviously, our best performer, and got us back into the game. We had a chance to win a couple times.”

Over his last 14 games, Sánchez has a slash line of .306/.370/.694 (1.064 OPS) with two doubles, one triple, five home runs and nine RBIs. During this stretch, he is one of nine Major Leaguers with five-plus homers and a 1.000-plus OPS. His company is elite: Bryce Harper, Shohei Ohtani, Yordan Alvarez, Aaron Judge, Gunnar Henderson, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Ian Happ and Brandon Nimmo.

This marks Sánchez’s second career 14-game span with this level of production. He also raked during a stretch in September 2021.

“I'm just trying to enjoy the game as much as I can, even on days I don't want to smile,” Sánchez said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “I'm forcing myself to have a big smile out there. I'm loving the game. I'm enjoying the game every time, and that's what I want to do and feel for the game.”

Entering Thursday, Sánchez ranked in the 94th percentile with a 51.4 percent hard-hit rate, per Statcast. More importantly, he has carried over what he worked on last year -- going to the opposite field more often -- to branch away from the label of a one-dimensional hitter. Among left-handed Major Leaguers with at least 100 at-bats, his 28.4 percent pull rate ranks seventh lowest.

That’s where Sánchez went with Pivetta’s four-seamer on the outside of the plate, crushing it off the left-center-field wall to break up the no-hit bid. Sánchez came into the finale with the third-highest first-pitch swing rate (51.9%) among MLB players with at least 150 ABs.

“My mentality is always middle out,” Sánchez said. “That's always, every time I'm hitting, and when it's something inside and you see me pulling, it's just full reaction. But always my mentality is middle out.”

Added Pivetta: “Sánchez, he took a good swing on a fastball, 0-0 count, and hats off to him, he put a good swing on it, and it's part of it.”

Miami then had a chance to win it in the ninth on Xavier Edwards’ one-out single up the middle, but Sánchez was tagged out at home by catcher Reese McGuire on a throw from center fielder Jarren Duran. Schumaker asked for a replay review, and the call stood. Following an intentional walk, Nick Fortes flew out to end the threat.

Sánchez, who was rounding third when Duran retrieved the ball, reached a top sprint speed of 28.7 ft/sec (league average is 27 ft/sec). But Duran recorded his second-fastest throw of the season (91.6 mph) and one-hopped it perfectly to McGuire.

After Boston scored two runs in the 11th, Sánchez opened the bottom half with a game-tying two-run blast to center off righty Zack Kelly.

“He could be a really good hitter,” Schumaker said. “He's still learning himself. He's still developing in this league. It's only his third or fourth year in the league, really, and I still think he can even be better. Of course against lefties [.509 career OPS], but I think righties he's a really tough at-bat. … I love having him in the middle of the order, especially against that right-handed pitcher.”