Fernandez was at bar before he died
Miami-Marlins right- hander Jose Fernandez was a patron at a bar and restaurant on the Miami River the same night he and two friends were killed in a boating accident, a spokeswoman for the establishment confirmed Tuesday.
A friend of one of the other victims, meanwhile, said he warned him against the post- midnight trip, and Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna said he and at least two other teammates turned down invitations to go and tried to discourage Fernandez from going.
American Social Bar & Kitchen spokeswoman Dana Rhoden said in an email that Fernandez was there before the accident. The statement didn’t say whether he had been drinking or what time he left.
Fernandez, 24, died when the boat he owned slammed at high speed into a rock jetty early Sunday, investigators say. Emilio Jesus Macias, 27, and Eduardo Rivero, 25, also died.
Will Bernal, a friend of Rivero’s, said they texted each other shortly before the trio pushed off. Bernal posted the messages on social media. ‘‘ Yo please be careful bro,’’ Bernal texted. ‘‘ I will bro,’’ Rivero replied. ‘‘ Try to keep him close to shore if you go out,’’ Bernal wrote back. ‘‘ Trust me it’s not my time yet,’’ Rivero responded. Ozuna said all the players knew Fernandez planned to go out on the boat that night.
‘‘ It was a bad decision for him,’’ Ozuna said. ‘‘ He heard everybody say, ‘ No, go back to your house and take it easy.’ Then you wake up and see the news.’’
On thefield
Aledmys Diaz hit a grand slam — and tipped his cap to the sky in honor of childhood friend Jose Fernandez — to lead a five- home- run attack that powered the St. Louis Cardinals to a 12- 5 rout of the visiting Cincinnati Reds. The result kept the Cardinals 1 ½ games behind the New York Mets and a game behind the San Francisco Giants in the battle for the two wild- card spots in the National League.
Gary Sanchez tied an 86- year- old major- league record for fewest games needed — 51 — to hit his 20th homer, and the host New York Yankees topped the Boston Red Sox 6- 4 to prevent the Red Sox from clinching the American League East title.
This and that
An MRI exam confirmed Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos (. 307, 22 homers, 80 RBI) will miss the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee suffered when he landed awkwardly after catching a relay throw Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Giants acquired ex- White Sox infielder Gordon Beckham (. 217, five homers, 30 RBI) from the Atlanta Braves for a minor- leaguer.
Kansas City Royals right- hander Dillon Gee has two blood clots and won’t pitch again this season.