Marlins beat Mets in first doubleheader game behind two-out hits, strong Castano start
The Miami Marlins, despite having a much improved offense this year, haven’t always been able to get that big hit they need to open up a game and score needed runs.
When that hit does come, though, it’s usually when the Marlins are down to their final out in the inning. Miami has been one of Major League Baseball’s best offenses with two outs, and that late-inning success came to life once again on Tuesday in its 4-0, seven-inning win over the New York Mets in the first game of their doubleheader. All doubleheader games this season are seven innings.
The Marlins entered their series leading MLB with a .290 batting average (75 for 259) and .393 on-base percentage with two-outs.
They kept producing on Tuesday, with the Marlins (13-11) scoring all four of their runs against the Mets (12-15) with two outs.
The only thing that seemed to stop the Marlins was an hour-long rain delay before the bottom of the third that featured the tarp nearly blowing away and the Mets groundscrew holding down the tarp for a good portion of the delay.
Lewis Brinson laced a two-out RBI single to left field to open scoring in the second inning and Miguel Rojas following suit with a two-run double on the next at-bat. First baseman Lewin Diaz added to that two-out success with an RBI single in the third. It was Diaz’s first RBI of his MLB career.
Brian Anderson hit a double in both innings to start the rallies.
Daniel Castano, who struggled against the Nationals on Saturday in an opener role, threw 4 2/3 scoreless innings against the Mets. That included 2 2/3 innings after sitting through the rain delay.
He put himself into a few tricky situations, scattering six hits and three walks and allowing at least one baserunner in all five innings, but found ways to escape the jams.
Like in the first, with one out and runners on first and second. Castano picked off J.D. Davis at second base and got Pete Alonso to ground out after an eight-pitch at-bat.
In the second, he got two quick flyouts after giving up a one-out single to Dominic Smith and walking Wilson Ramos.
He didn’t get the chance to get out of the fifth, which would have put him in line for his first career MLB win. After two quick outs, he gave up a single to Michael Conforto and walked Alonso.
“One more. One more,” he pleaded to Marlins manager Don Mattingly to no avail.
Richard Bleier eliminated the threat by getting Robinson Cano to ground out to second base. Brad Boxberger and Brandon Kintzler threw scoreless frames to cap the game.
This and that
▪ Trevor Rogers, the No. 9 overall prospect in the Marlins organization who will start the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader, is the 11th different starting pitcher the Marlins have used this season. For context, they used 10 starting pitchers all of last season. The team record for most starters in a season: 13, done five times (2018, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2004).
Rogers is also the 15th Marlins player overall to make his MLB debut this season and the sixth among the top 11 prospects in the organization. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the franchise record for most debuts in a single season is 16, done during the 2010 season.
