Nick Gordon scored the go-ahead run on an error in the seventh inning to fuel the visiting Miami Marlins to a 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday.
Otto Lopez recorded his second straight two-hit performance and scored on Gordon’s infield single for the Marlins, who have won five of their past seven games.
Miami evened the three-game series at one victory apiece heading into the finale on Wednesday afternoon.
Vinnie Pasquantino had an RBI single among the four hits for the Royals, who have lost 12 of their past 16 games.
Kansas City starter Seth Lugo was denied in his bid to become the sole major league leader in wins with 11 despite allowing just two hits over six scoreless innings. He was relieved by Carlos Hernandez (0-1), who saw Lopez rip a one-out double in the seventh and advance to third on a groundout before scoring on Gordon’s infield single.
Ali Sanchez’s single chased Hernandez, and Gordon scored after reliever Will Smith’s throwing error following a hard liner off his glove by Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Hernandez was saddled with the loss after allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits in two-thirds of an inning.
The modest offense was enough to make a winner out of A.J. Puk (2-8), who struck out two batters without allowing a hit in 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Two relievers bridged the gap to Tanner Scott, who worked around a one-out single in the ninth inning to secure his 10th save of the season.
Maikel Garcia led off the first inning with a walk against Miami starter Yonny Chirinos. Garcia promptly stole second and third base before trotting home on Pasquantino’s single.
The Marlins threatened to answer after Lopez recorded his team’s first hit of the game with one out in the fifth inning. Lopez stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch from Lugo, who responded by striking out Tim Anderson and inducing Gordon to fly out to end the inning.
Chirinos went five innings, yielding one run and three hits. He walked three and fanned five.
–Field Level Media
