Coming off hot, winning 11 out of their last 15 games, the Toronto Blue Jays took their talents to South Beach, to face the Miami Marlins in a two-game series.
The game was a movie for Starling Marte. In his Miami debut, he smacked a go-ahead, game-winning solo home run in the eighth inning to lift the Marlins 3-2 over the Blue Jays at Marlins Park.
The victory snapped an eight-game home losing streak for the Marlins, improving the club’s record to 2-8 in Miami this season. Marte’s homer traveled a projected 438 feet, with an exit velocity of 107.7 mph, according to Statcast.
Miami fell behind in the first on a Jonathan Villar RBI groundout and again on a Derek Fisher sacrifice fly in the fourth but rallied to get back in the game.
Marlins starting pitcher Elieser Hernandez left the game three pitches into the third inning with a sore right lat muscle. Later in the game, starting shortstop Miguel Rojas was replaced by rookie Jazz Chisholm to start the eighth.
Still, the group headlined by four strong innings from Josh A. Smith, held its own over its extended outing, giving up only one run over seven innings. Richard Bleier followed Smith with 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Brandon Kintzler closed the game pitching a perfect ninth for his eighth save of the season.