Anderson homer enough to keep the good times rolling
BALTIMORE — Brian Anderson hit a fourth-inning homer off Alex Cobb and the Miami Marlins won their second straight since returning from a coronavirusprompted layoff, beating the Baltimore Orioles 1-0 on Wednesday in the opener of a doubleheader.
Doubleheaders this season are seven-inning games, one of many rules designed to get the 30 teams and their pitchers through a dense 60-game schedule. As a nod to the first game of its kind at Camden Yards, the public address system blared “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” after the top of the fourth instead of its usual slot during the seventh-inning stretch.
Miami improved to 4-1 with its second successive shutout of the Orioles. After yielding three hits in a 4-0 victory Tuesday night, the Marlins permitted only three hits in this one.
And so a team that was inactive for eight days after 18 players tested positive for COVID-19 finds itself atop the National League East by percentage points in this absolutely unpredictable baseball season. The Marlins had to scramble to fill out the roster after filling their injured list, and the newlook club still hasn’t given up a run.
Elieser Hernandez allowed two hits over 4 1⁄3 innings and Brandon Kintzler worked the seventh for his second save.
Hernandez gave up a one-out double to Chance Sisco in the fifth and Pedro Severino followed with a single before Nick Vincent (1-0) got Hanser Alberto to hit into a double play, ending Baltmore’s only threat.
Anderson produced the game’s lone run with an opposite-field drive to right. It was one of the Marlins’ two hits, both off Cobb (1-1).
Tuesday night’s game was originally scheduled for July 29, and the first game of the doubleheader was a makeup for July 30. The Marlins were to serve as the “home” team in the nightcap and
on Thursday to make up for two games scheduled in Miami on July 27-28.
ROOKIE LIFE
The Marlins’ battle with COVID-19 has cleared the way for two rookies to make their majorleague debut.
Outfielder Monte Harrison got his first taste of big-league ball Tuesday night, and second baseman Eddy Alvarez — a silver medalist U.S. Olympic speedskater in 2014 — joined the fray Wednesday. Both are looking for their first hit.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: OF Matt Joyce, who missed all of summer camp with the coronavirus, said his antibodies tests have come back negative and he continues to observe protocols. Eighteen of his teammates ended up being infected. Joyce came off the injured list Tuesday.
Orioles: Left-hander John Means was placed on bereavement list. Manager Brandon Hyde was uncertain whether Means would be back for his next start, tentatively Sunday in Washington.
“He’s dealing with a family matter and we’re going to give him some space and time,” Hyde said.
Marlins stater Elieser Hernandez pitches to an Orioles batter Wednesday in the opener of a doubleheader.
David Ginsburg is the Associated Press.
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