Anderson lifts Marlins past Braves
Rookie gets three more hits, leads first-year players with 113 this season.
Earlier this month, J.T. Realmuto received his first invitation to the All-Star Game.
Rookie Brian Anderson is building a pretty good case for his own prestigious accolade.
Anderson recorded a game-high three hits Tuesday afternoon that, coupled with home runs by Realmuto and Starlin Castro, helped the Marlins rout the visiting Atlanta Braves 9-3 and split their two-game series at Marlins Park.
Anderson’s three hits brought his season total to 113, which leads all rookies. New York Yankees’ third baseman Miguel Andujar (96) had the next-closest total by a rookie entering Tuesday’s games. The next-closest rookie in the National League was Cincinnati Reds’ right fielder Jesse Winker (84).
Anderson also leads all MLB rookies in runs (59), doubles (23) and RBIs (49) and ranks second in triples (three), fourth in homers (eight) and fifth in batting average (.285).
He set the table in the first inning with a single that Realmuto followed with a two-run home run to left center off Braves starter Julio Teheran (7-7).
Anderson’s line-drive single up the middle in the third inning drove in Derek Dietrich when
Braves center fielder Johan Camargo missed the ball as he was rushing in to field it. Anderson scored moments later on a sacrifice fly by Realmuto.
The Marlins (44-59), who have won five of their past seven games, broke the game open with five runs in the fifth highlighted by Castro’s three-run homer that ended Teheran’s day.
Wei-Yin Chen (3-7) pitched six innings, giving up three runs on five hits and three walks, and struck out four. It was the second time in eight home starts this season that Chen allowed more than a run.
“We just didn’t have great swings off of him, that’s for sure,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
Chen’s performance reinforced a home-road disparity that is the largest among major league pitchers. He has an ERA of 2.18 at home and 10.47 on the road.
“I’ve been asked about it a lot,” manager Don Mattingly said of Chen’s home and away disparity. “I don’t really have an answer. I feel like I’m guessing, whatever I say, but he has definitely been good here at home.”
Chen contributed at the plate as well with his first career extra-base hit — a double to lead off the fifth.
“I thought about going to third,” Chen said through a translator. “But then I thought, ‘Maybe I should concentrate on pitching.’”
Chen laughed when asked the last time he scored a run.
“Probably back when I was playing in Japan,” he said. “It’s probably more than 10 years ago.”
Teheran matched a career high by allowing nine runs, seven earned, in 4⅓ innings.
“I didn’t have my best stuff,” Teheran said. “I tried everything, and it wasn’t there.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.