Inside and out: Realmuto's HRs key Marlins
MIAMI -- J.T. Realmuto provided the power and speed, and A.J. Ramos was able to lock things down with a four-out save on Tuesday night as the Marlins held off the Brewers, 6-4, at Marlins Park.
Realmuto enjoyed his first multi-home run game, and he did it in unconventional style, with one being an inside-the-park shot off Taylor Jungmann, who took the loss by allowing six earned runs in 3 2/3 innings.
"Out of the box, I was kind of jogging," Realmuto, the Marlins' rookie catcher, said. "I thought it would either be a homer or I was out, because it was in the air so long. So I wasn't really running full speed. When I saw it kick off the wall, that's when I started to pick it up, and started running."
• Cut4: Realmuto hit a regular HR, then an inside-the-parker
After Miami went up by four runs, the Brewers rallied to make it interesting, scoring twice in the seventh inning. When they threatened with two on in the eighth inning, Ramos, Miami's closer, entered and struck out Jason Rogers. The Brewers ended every inning but the fourth with a strikeout and whiffed 16 times in all, matching their season high.
Video: MIL@MIA: Realmuto reflects on career first after win
The Brewers took a 2-1 lead in the second inning on Domingo Santana's two-run, opposite-field home run. But Miami pulled even at 2 in the second on Realmuto's leadoff homer.
Realmuto's inside-the-park shot opened a three-run fourth inning for Miami, which built a 6-2 advantage. Dee Gordon had an RBI double in the inning, stole second and scored. Gordon swiped two bases on the night, giving him 50 on the season.
Video: MIL@MIA: Gordon doubles to the gap to score Ichiro
"Dee's special and brings it every night," Marlins manager Dan Jennings said. "He's our catalyst and plays with the energy. It's good to see him respond like that."
Video: MIL@MIA: Gordon steals his 50th base on the season
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Realmuto's unconventional roundtripper: After logging a second-inning home run that landed in the left-field bleachers, Realmuto hit another homer in the fifth that never found any seats. Leading off the fourth, the Miami catcher hit a fly ball that traveled 406 feet to center field, according to Statcast™. It banged off the wall -- as did Santana -- ricocheting back into center and out of the reach of any Milwaukee outfielder as Realmuto circled the bases for his first career inside-the-park home run. It marked the rookie's ninth homer of the season and put the Marlins ahead, 4-2.
"That ball deserves to be a home run," Jungmann said. "There's no doubt about it. That ball was crushed." More >
Video: MIL@MIA: Realmuto races around the bases for a homer
Leaving 'em loaded: When the Brewers loaded the bases, but couldn't push across a run in the third inning, they were just getting started. They did the same thing in the fourth inning and again in the fifth, with Rogers, Jonathan Lucroy, Adam Lind and Elian Herrera all getting swings with the bags full of baserunners, but coming up empty. The best of those swings was produced by Lucroy, who hit a deep drive to center field with two outs in the fourth inning that would have been a grand slam at Miller Park. At cavernous Marlins Park, it was an inning-ending flyout. The Brewers stranded 13 runners in all, matching their highest total for a nine-inning game this season, yet manager Craig Counsell praised his offense postgame.
"We put that kind of pressure on the other team every inning, that's good offense," Counsell said. "Tonight we missed that hit that broke it open, but that's an offense that will score runs."
Video: MIL@MIA: Conley strikes out Rogers to escape trouble
Barraclough to the rescue: When Marlins starter Adam Conley loaded the bases with one out in the top of the fifth, Kyle Barraclough picked up the rookie. The righty came out of the bullpen to escape the jam with a Lind flyout and a Herrera strikeout to keep Miami's lead at 6-2. Barraclough then struck out the side in the sixth to cap his outing with four strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings. For his performance, the rookie right-hander, who was acquired from the Cardinals in July, earned his second win of the season, while lowering his ERA to 0.56.
"It's a situation I've come in before, not just in the Majors, but in the Minors, too," Barraclough said. "That's my job to come in, limit the the damage and get out of there and hold the lead. I just threw strikes and let everything take care of itself. I got Lind on the popup and went and got the next guy, so it worked out well."
Video: MIL@MIA: Barraclough gets the Marlins out of trouble
Full strength: Four of Santana's five home runs since his Aug. 21 promotion to the Majors have gone the opposite way, including his second-inning, two-run shot in a 2-0 count. Santana also singled and worked a pair of walks, and has been proficient enough at the plate and in center field that Brewers officials are pondering whether he could play there again next season. The Brewers have an opening in center field after trading away Gold Glove Award winners Carlos Gomez and Gerardo Parra in July. More >
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Realmuto is the third player in Marlins history to log a multi-home run game that included a inside-the-park shot. Derrek Lee did it on April 12, 2003, against the Braves, and Hanley Ramirez on Sept. 27, 2006, against the Reds.
Video: MIL@MIA: Jennings discusses bullpen, standouts in win
QUOTABLE
"I fell behind and made a mistake [to Santana]. Then guys got on and stuff. I put myself in those jams and was able for a while to pitch out of them. So there were some good things, but the big thing that stands out to me is that I felt that my stuff was good, but I just wasn't able to continue that on through the fifth and into the sixth." -- Conley, on his no-decision outing of allowing two earned runs in 4 1/3 innings.
UPON REVIEW
The Brewers challenged a call at first base in the bottom of the eighth inning, when Donovan Solano reached on an infield single that appeared to carom off reliever Jeremy Jeffress' backside to shortstop. Jean Segura made a strong throw to first base but the call was safe, and the ruling stood upon review.
Video: MIL@MIA: Brewers lose challenge on Solano's base hit
ROJAS EXITS
The Marlins, already without shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria (left hamstring), have some more depth issues. Miguel Rojas, who has been getting most of the work at short since Hechavarria went down on Sept. 2, exited in the fourth inning. No injury explanation was given, but Solano entered to play short. Jennings said Rojas will be in the lineup on Wednesday. More >
WHAT'S NEXT
Brewers: Right-hander Ariel Pena will make his first Major League start when the series concludes at 6:10 p.m. CT on Wednesday. Pena, one of the prospects acquired in the July 2012 trade that sent Zack Greinke to the Angels, made his Major League debut following a rain delay in Cincinnati on Saturday and worked three innings for his first big league victory. This will be his second appearance.
Marlins: Tom Koehler (8-13, 4.08 ERA) gets the ball for the series finale at 7:10 p.m. ET at Marlins Park, as the righty tries to avenge his Aug. 19 start at Milwaukee. In that outing, Koehler -- who hasn't won since July 23 -- was roughed up by the Brewers for seven runs in 4 1/3 innings.
Watch every out-of-market regular season game live on MLB.TV.