Risk-taker
Rojas’ sacrifice fly helps Marlins beat Padres 2-1.
MIAMI (AP) — The Miami Marlins keep winning, even with patchwork pitching.
Miguel Rojas hit a oneout sacrifice fly in the 11th inning, and five pitchers combined to help Miami win for the 12th time in 15 games by beating the San Diego Padres 2-1 Saturday night.
Odrisamer Despaigne, who hasn’t won in the majors since 2015, allowed one run in six innings while making a spot start. He and four relievers combined on a six-hitter.
“They hung in there and kept us in it,” manager Don Mattingly said.
Despite an injury-ravaged pitching staff, the Marlins have climbed into the NL wild-card race and trail Colorado by 4½ games for the final playoff berth.
“It has been pretty fun,” Rojas said. “This is a club put together to do this — to get into the race for the playoffs, and we’re doing it now.”
The Marlins have won plenty of high-scoring games lately, with slugger Giancarlo Stanton leading the way, but the Padres kept him stuck on 49 homers. The major league home run leader singled twice and struck out twice in four at-bats.
Derek Dietrich led off the 11th with a double against Jose Torres (7-4). Dietrich advanced on a sacrifice bunt, and with the Padres deploying five infielders, Rojas hit a drive that forced right fielder Jabari Blash to retreat to make the catch, allowing Dietrich to score easily.
“With five guys in the infield I said, ‘I’m not going to hit a groundball right here. I’m just going to try to elevate something,’” Rojas said.
“I could have stuck 10 outfielders out there and they would have won it on the ball that was hit,” Padres manager Andy Green said.
Miami slugger Marcell Ozuna hit his 31st homer in the fourth off the Marlins Park home run sculpture. Ichiro Suzuki singled for his 22nd pinch hit of the season , breaking the Marlins record set by Ross Gload in 2009.
Cory Spangenberg stole home on the front end of a double steal in the second inning for the Padres’ run. Dinelson Lamet allowed one run in six innings, but San Diego was mathematically eliminated from the race for the NL West title with 33 games left.