Marlins spoil Shelby Miller’s return to Diamondbacks’ rotation
MIAMI — Shelby Miller did not get the results he wanted, but just being back on the mound for the first time in over a year was a positive for him.
Brian Anderson and Cameron Maybin each drove in two runs to help spoil Miller’s return to the mound after missing over a year for Tommy John surgery as the Miami Marlins beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-5 on Monday night.
“It was so good to be back,” Miller said. “I felt really good most of the game. I think my command could have been a little bit better, but overall I think the results don’t play out as good as I pitched.”
Miller (0-1) made his first start since April 23, 2017 and gave up six hits and five runs in 3 2/3 innings.
“It’s unfortunate it didn’t go the way he wanted as far as winning the game and going deep in the game, things he’s conditioned for, but just getting back on the mound and doing what he did today was really nice for all of us to see,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said.
He struck out five and walked two while throwing 85 pitches.
“It’s about getting out of there healthy, it’s about getting back on the bump after being off for 14 months, that alone is a goal reach in itself,” Miller said. “I’m just excited to be back and I’m excited to be a part of the team again.”
Dan Straily (3-3) pitched effectively while appealing a five-game suspension for intentionally throwing a pitch at the San Francisco Giants’ Buster Posey on June 19. Straily allowed three runs in 6 1/3 innings for the Marlins.
“Frustrating start to the game,” Straily said. “I was trying to get back where I was as a pitcher, where I needed to be.”
Justin Bour hit his 13th home run for Miami, which won its third straight.
“As an offense we know we’re not a club that’s going to be a quick strike, throw five or six (runs),” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “We’re kind of one here, two there type of offense and that’s the approach we’ve been taking.”
Jake Lamb began the scoring with a home run in the first inning for the Diamondbacks, who saw their four-game winning streak end.
Bour responded with a solo shot in the bottom half.
Jeff Mathis’s base hit and Miller’s sacrifice fly gave Arizona a 3-1 lead.
The Marlins cut the deficit to 3-2 on a single by Starlin Castro.
Miami scored three runs in the pivotal fourth to take a 5-3 lead on a base hit by Derek Dietrich and a tworun double by Anderson.
The Marlins broke the game open in the eighth with four runs sparked by Maybin’s two-run single.
Chris Owings’s RBI double and Mathis’s sacrifice fly in the ninth cut the final deficit to 9-5.
GOLDSCHMIDT EXTENDS ROAD STREAK
Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt singled in the third inning to extend his road hitting streak to 13 games, which includes seven home runs and 17 RBIs during that span.
MARLINS ARE COMING BACK
Miami has won four of its last five home games with all four being comeback wins.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks: RHP Zack Godley (8-5, 4.64 ERA) will start the second game of the series on Tuesday. Godley is 3-0 with a 2.95 ERA in three starts.