Bour provides offense on 2 HRs in loss to O's
Slugger struck out as tying run with bases loaded in 7th
BALTIMORE -- Before Sunday's series finale against the Orioles, Marlins manager Don Mattingly conceded his club doesn't possess a "quick strike" kind of lineup. The game that followed proved his point.
While the Marlins did bring the tying run to the plate in the seventh inning, they ultimately found themselves in too big of a hole after rookie Trevor Richards' shortest outing, and settled for two out of three following a 10-4 defeat at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Richards (1-4) allowed nine hits in just 3 1/3 innings in his third start since returning from the Minor Leagues. The 25-year-old rookie had allowed just two hits and one run over six innings for his first win in his previous start.
"You've just got to roll with the punches," Richards said. "No matter how the outing goes, good or bad, tomorrow you start over. You do the same routine and get ready for the next one."
Justin Bour hit his team-leading 11th and 12th homers and drove in all of Miami's runs in just the Marlins' second loss in seven games. But after those blasts off Orioles starter Dylan Bundy (5-7), the offense would go quiet against the Orioles' bullpen.
Bour's multi-home run game was his second this season and fifth of his career. His last came in an 8-6 loss to the Mets on April 10.
Jace Peterson doubled in two runs off Richards (1-4) and then hit a two-run homer off Merandy Gonzalez in the reliever's first big league appearance in over a month.
Mark Trumbo added a solo shot off Gonzalez following an RBI double off Richards in the third. He would also score the last of six runs off Richards, who allowed nine hits in his 3 1/3 innings.
Gonzalez allowed four runs over 4 1/3 innings of long relief, at the very least eating some valuable innings while Baltimore snapped a nine-game skid and an 11-game losing streak at home. The 22-year-old will likely return to the rotation at Double-A Jacksonville when the Marlins activate Caleb Smith for Monday's start at the Giants.
"[Gonzalez] continues to show flashes of being a big league pitcher and being a consistent guy," Mattingly said.
In the eighth, 2017 Rule 5 Draft pick Brett Graves came on and retired Trumbo for the final out in his Major League debut.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Bour needed one more: Bour had a chance to do even more damage and change the outlook of the game. He struck out against Tanner Scott when he batted in the seventh as the potential tying run with the bases loaded. He lamented being caught looking on Scott's last slider.
"As soon as I saw the spin on that two-strike pitch, I kind of gave up on it," he said. "I've got to battle on that and put it in play."
Floodgates open: Trumbo's third-inning double perhaps should've been the third out instead. Derek Dietrich appeared to have a track on the fly ball to deep left, but then stopped his run short and watched as the ball glanced off the tip of his glove. The play was part of a four-inning stretch where the Orioles scored two runs in each frame to build an 8-1 lead.
SOUND SMART
Peterson continued to build on his strong career numbers against the Marlins. The former Atlanta Braves utility man now owns a .295 average with four homers and 23 RBIs against Miami, with the home run and RBI totals representing his career-highs against a Major League club.
ROJAS REMAINS OUT
Infielder Miguel Rojas remained out of the lineup for a second straight day because of his bruised left hand, though he said he could have played defense late. For Mattingly, playing with a designated hitter influenced the decision to give Rojas an extra day off.
"The last day of American League [rules], you can kind of afford to take care of him," said Mattingly. "Hopefully [he's back in the lineup] tomorrow. I thought it would be today, but I think we're being a little cautious today."
UP NEXT
Mattingly confirmed Sunday that Smith (5-6, 3.75 ERA) will return from the bereavement list to take his turn in the rotation in Monday night's series opener at San Francisco. The Marlins will have to make a corresponding roster move to clear a spot for Smith. Miami native Andrew Suarez goes for the Giants in the 10:15 ET start.