MIAMI -- When Marlins right-hander Janson Junk addressed the media following his injury diagnosis on May 31, the ballclub was hours away from reaching its season-low point in Queens.
What a difference six weeks make for the hottest team in baseball.
Junk tossed five solid innings in his return from the 15-day injured list in the club's 8-4 win over the Mariners on Thursday night at loanDepot park.
Miami (52-42) has won a season-high-tying six in a row to improve to 10 games over .500 for the first time since July 17, 2023. The Marlins also matched their winningest single-season 20-game span in club history (16-4 record, also done Aug. 14-Sept. 8, 2004). Miami's seventh sweep of the season -- tied with the reigning two-time World Series champion Dodgers for the most among National League clubs, per the Elias Sports Bureau -- helped push them to an MLB-best 26-8 since June 1.
“That was the biggest thing, just getting back with the team and being a part of this winning ballclub,” Junk said. “It’s just exhilarating. It makes coming to the field that much better. Seeing the way the boys were playing, it was unfortunate I was seeing it from afar, but I was so excited for them, seeing the way they were rolling, and I couldn't be more excited getting back with the team.
“I think that's the overall message of the day is getting back to the team. We're winning, we're playing good ball. Fundamentals are great, timely hitting, good pitching. Everything is going in a good direction right now, and I'm so happy to be a part of it.”
Junk, who was placed on the IL with right shin bone inflammation on May 28, allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits with a season-high four walks and five strikeouts. Junk retired eight of the final nine batters he faced to conclude his 79-pitch outing.
Things didn’t look promising early, as Junk issued back-to-back walks to open the game. But he induced a double play and struck out Cal Raleigh on a foul tip to end the threat.
Seattle scratched across its unearned run against Junk in the second. After an unusual infield hit on a popup to the left side of the infield, Josh Naylor stole second base. When Naylor was later caught straying too far off the bag, Junk’s errant pickoff throw to third baseman Leo Jiménez sailed into foul territory in left field to score him.
Junk’s only other blemish came on Randy Arozarena’s two-out solo homer in the fifth. Arozarena sent Junk’s hanging two-strike sweeper over the center-field wall.
“Instead of letting it boil over, I think I did a good job kind of bouncing back and not letting it affect me, even though it's an embarrassing moment,” Junk said. “When you think about it, it's not fun. But at the same time, I know they're not getting good contact on me. Let's just keep going, get back to the game plan and attack, and focus on that.”
At the time of his injury, Junk had a 3-5 record and a 4.80 ERA in 11 starts this season, after earning the fifth spot in the Opening Day rotation over lefty Braxton Garrett.
“He really put it together in the last three innings, filled it up,” manager Clayton McCullough said. “He had a good fastball tonight and complemented well with his other stuff. … He held it there till the end. Really nice to have Janson back in there for us.”
Miami provided Junk enough run support to put him in line for the win.
Griffin Conine crushed a game-tying solo homer to right and Liam Hicks lined a two-out RBI double in the second. In a four-run fourth, Jakob Marsee scored from second on a grounder to first, Otto Lopez produced a two-run triple and Kyle Stowers added an RBI single.
“It was big,” said Conine, who fell a triple shy of the cycle filling in for the injured Owen Caissie. “Junk was settling in. We know he's going to be great for us. Obviously, he went back out and gave us five good innings. So, I think just settling the score was big.”