Lots of losing for Jeter in first year as Marlins’ owner
Derek Jeter played on a winning team in each of his 20 seasons as a shortstop, which made his first year as an owner a test of patience. He admits he failed. Jeter’s Miami Marlins went 63-98 — a new, humbling experience for him, but nothing new for the troubled franchise. By finishing with the worst record in the National League, the Marlins endured their ninth consecutive losing season, the longest such streak in the majors.
Their playoff drought is now at 15 years.
“I’ve been preaching patience, and finding out I don’t have much of it,” Jeter said. “It’s an organization that had been broken, and we have to fix that. I’d like that to happen overnight. But we have a lot we need to improve on.”
There were signs of progress. Jeter said the most positive development was the im-
his first six batters in a row, and never did allow a run.
Buehler (8-5) had his no-hit bid broken up in the sixth on Charlie Blackmon’s single, one of his two hits for the Rockies.
Buehler even helped himself offensively, hitting a single in the sixth for his first professional RBI and extending the Dodgers’ lead to 5-0.
After giving up a twoout walk to Carlos Gonzalez in the seventh, Buehler exited to a standing ovation from the announced crowd of 47,816. He waved his right hand and quickly strode to the dugout as fans chanted his last name. The righthander struck out three and walked three.
Despite posting the best road record in franchise history (44-38), the Rockies couldn’t get untracked. They didn’t advance a runner past second base until the ninth when Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story homered back-to-back off closer Kenley Jansen.
Jansen then retired the next three batters in a row.
The Dodgers’ two homers extended their franchise and NL-leading total to 235 on the season.
Bellinger got the Dodgers on the board with his 25th homer in the fourth, a two-out shot to left that made it 2-0. Muncy struck out leading off but was safe at first on a passed ball by catcher Tony Wolters. After Manny Machado and Yasmani Grandal struck out, Bellinger connected on a 1-0 pitch from German Marquez (14-11).
Joc Pederson doubled to deep right-center leading off the fifth. One out later, Muncy hit his 35th homer to left-center, extending the lead to 4-0 and chasing Marquez.
Marquez (14-11) gave up four runs — two earned — and five hits in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out nine and walked two.
The Dodgers played their first tiebreaker since 1980, when they lost to Houston for the division title.
The Rockies were on a roll coming into the club’s second tiebreaker and first for the NL West title, having won nine of 10 since being swept at Dodger Stadium from Sept. 17-19.