Justin Bour’s 3-run homer lifts Marlins over Padres
SAN DIEGO — Justin Bour paused briefly to watch his three-run homer sail deep to right field, did a subtle bat flip and began his trot.
Bour’s shot capped the six-run sixth inning and helped the Miami Marlins to a 7-3 victory Sunday against the San Diego Padres.
The first six Marlins batters reached and scored in the sixth, helping Tom Koehler (1-1) to his first win of the season.
“Guys were getting on base. Keep the line moving, and I’m thinking the same thing, keep the line moving and have a good at-bat and fortunately I put a good swing on it,” Bour said.
San Diego’s Luis Perdomo came off the disabled list and shut down the Marlins through five before hitting the wall in the sixth. Martin Prado hit a leadoff single, Christian Yelich walked and Giancarlo Stanton hit an RBI single to chase Perdomo.
Craig Stammen (0-1) came on and allowed Marcell Ozuna’s RBI double just past the glove of first baseman Wil Myers and J.T. Realmuto’s RBI single to left before Bour hit a no-doubter to right field, his third.
“I was very fortunate there, that inning that we had,” Koehler said. “My spot in the lineup was coming up and I could have been done there. J.B. putting up that big home run, and the whole lineup being able to turn it over and score all those runs gave me the opportunity to pitch in the sixth and maybe save one guy in the pen.
“It was a great team win. Early on it felt like it could have gotten away from me again and I was able to make pitches to make sure that didn’t happen.”
Kevin Quackenbush relieved Stammen and got three straight outs.
“Everything kind of fell for us that inning and we were able to keep swinging the bats,” Miami manager Don Mattingly said.