Marlins hold on as Fernandez beats D-backs
PHOENIX -- Jose Fernandez pitched seven strong innings to help the Marlins top the D-backs, 5-3, and capture a series win Wednesday night at Chase Field.
Fernandez won for the third time in four starts since returning from Tommy John surgery, allowing three runs on five hits and notching 11 strikeouts. He also pitched in on offense, knocking an RBI double and scoring a run, as the Marlins took two out of three games from Arizona.
"I feel pretty healthy. I feel real normal," Fernandez said. "I feel, I don't want to say like I was before, but I feel like I have grown as a pitcher."
Video: MIA@ARI: Fernandez mows down 11, earns third victory
D-backs starter Robbie Ray suffered the loss, giving up a season-high five runs (four earned) in 4 2/3 innings, his shortest outing of the year. The D-backs lost for the eighth time in nine games and fell a season-worst seven games below .500.
"I just wasn't able to command my fastball today and that's my bread and butter," Ray said. "That's what I do. And when I can't do that, I just get in trouble."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Jumping on top:The Marlins doubled their way to an early lead. Casey McGehee, J.T. Realmuto and Fernandez each doubled in the second inning, with a walk to Michael Morse in the middle, to give Miami a 3-0 lead.
Video: MIA@ARI: Realmuto rips RBI double off wall in center
Tempers flare: In the sixth, David Peralta was hit by a pitch by Fernandez in the side of the helmet. Peralta left the game on his own power after being looked at by head athletic trainer Ken Crenshaw. In the meantime, D-backs hitting coach Turner Ward voiced his displeasure from the dugout and was ejected by home-plate umpire Vic Carapazza. The following inning, D-backs reliever Dominic Leone hit Christian Yelich with a pitch and was immediately ejected by Carapazza.
Video: MIA@ARI: Peralta gets HBP, retaliation spurs ejection
"There's a lot of yelling and I think the umpires try to calm it down as quick as they can," D-backs manager Chip Hale said of Ward's ejection. More >
Back and forth: The D-backs struck for a pair of runs using some key two-out hits in the fourth. After Paul Goldschmidt hit a one-out double, Yasmany Tomas drove him in with a single two batters later. Then Jake Lamb hit an RBI triple to cut the deficit to 3-2. The Marlins answered right back with two runs in the fifth with the help of an error and an RBI triple by Ichiro Suzuki followed by a single from Martin Prado.
Video: MIA@ARI: Ichiro triples home Fernandez to pad lead
Getting out of trouble: The D-backs loaded the bases in the eighth and ninth but Bryan Morris struck out Oscar Hernandez to end the eighth and A.J. Ramos struck out Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock and Yasmany Tomas for his 16th save.
Video: MIA@ARI: Ramos battles in 9th to earn his 16th save
"Any day of the week I'd put those three hitters up there against any pitcher in the league in that situation," Hale said.
QUOTABLE
"It's just something you don't want to see. The big picture is the team won but it's something you don't want to see. It's not good for the game. I would never want that to happen to anybody, myself, my teammates, anybody who plays the game." -- Fernandez on hitting Peralta in the head. More >
Video: MIA@ARI: Peralta, Leone, Hale on HBP incident in 6th
VIDEO REVIEW
The Marlins challenged when Yelich was called out at second on a stolen-base attempt in the seventh. The throw beat Yelich, though it looked like he might have swung his left arm over the tag. After a two-minute, 57-second replay review, replay officials ruled the call stands to end the inning.
Video: MIA@ARI: Hernandez nabs Yelich, call stands
WHAT'S NEXT
Marlins: The Marlins' 10-game road trip continues as they open a four-game series at San Diego at 4:10 ET on Thursday. Tom Koehler gets the start for the Marlins. Koehler is 4-3 with a 2.56 ERA in his last seven starts. The Padres will counter with Tyson Ross.
D-backs: The D-backs finish off their 10-game homestand with a four-game series against the Brewers that begins Thursday at 6:40 MST. Zack Godley heads to the mound for his Major League debut to fill in for the injured Chase Anderson. Godley is 9-4 with a 2.72 ERA in 17 games, 15 starts, between Double-A Mobile and Class A Advanced Visalia this season.
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