Jesus Aguilar’s go-ahead hit and Braxton Garrett’s career day lead Marlins over Padres

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Jesus Aguilar hit a go-ahead two-run single in the seventh inning to lift the Miami Marlins to a 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres on Saturday and back up starting pitcher Braxton Garrett’s career day on the mound. The Marlins are now 42-57 on the season. The Padres are 58-43.

Aguilar, with the bases loaded and one out, lined a 92.3 mph sinker from Padres reliever Tim Hill to center field. Magneuris Sierra, pinch-running for Sandy Leon (who walked as a pinch-hitter), scored from third. Miguel Rojas scored from second. Aguilar was thrown out trying to get to second after Padres center fielder Trent Grisham threw to home plate in an attempt to get Rojas out.

“We’ve been playing good the last couple days,” Aguilar said. “We just needed that one lucky inning and it happened tonight. We’ve been battling. We know we’re facing a really good team and we have to take advantage like we did tonight.”

Aguilar now has 71 RBI on the season, the most in the National League and the fifth-most in Major League Baseball. He has driven in multiple runs in 23 of his 95 games this season.

“Obviously, this guy is one of the top run producers in the league right now,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “His attitude has been good for our young guys in keeping them loose.”

Rojas scored the Marlins’ first run of the game in the fifth inning on a Manny Machado throwing error.

It backed up the best game of Garrett’s career. The 23-year-old left-handed pitcher, ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the Marlins’ system according to MLB Pipeline, struck out 10 batters over seven innings — both career-high marks — while holding the Padres to a pair of solo home runs by Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ryan Weathers.

Garrett retired 13 of the final 17 batters he faced after giving up the third-inning home run to Weathers.

“That’s obviously the best we’ve seen him,” Mattingly said.

He is the fourth Marlins pitcher to record at least 10 strikeouts in a game this season, joining Zach Thompson (11 on June 26), Trevor Rogers (10 on April 10) and Sandy Alcantara (10 on April 6).

And he did it while throwing just 85 pitches over the seven innings. He had 37 called strikes or swings and misses while mixing in all five of his pitches (21 sinkers, 20 curveballs, 18 changeups, 14 sliders and 12 four-seam fastballs).

Prior to Saturday, Garrett had never thrown more than five innings or struck out more than six batters in an MLB start. Both of those marks came in his MLB debut last season.

“I know I can do what I did tonight,” Garrett said. “I just haven’t quite put it all together. I haven’t had all the pitches there, haven’t been in good counts. As I say a million times, my fastball command just hasn’t quite been the best it could be when I’ve been up here. It just gives me confidence and to know that I can do it.”