PITTSBURGH — For a second consecutive game, Jesus Aguilar admired an early piece of hitting before taking a slow trot around the bases.
His second-inning home run in the Miami Marlins’ 3-1 win Sunday over the Pittsburgh Pirates, a win that snapped an eight-game losing streak, helped reset a game after the Marlins gave up an unearned run in the first that came in part due to an Aguilar fielding error.
“That gets us back to even,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.
It’s also the latest instance of Aguilar getting back to himself offensively. After a three-week, 19-game stretch in which Aguilar drove in just eight runs and had nearly twice as many strikeouts (16) as hits (nine) and saw his batting average drop 57 points to a season-low .246, the Marlins’ slugging first baseman has now strung together a pair of quality games at the plate.
He had his first career four-hit game in Saturday’s 8-7, 12-inning loss to the Pirates and followed it up with a two-hit performance that also included a sixth-inning sacrifice fly in Miami’s win on Sunday.
“I’m feeling good right now. Just trying to make hard contact,” said Aguilar, who entered Sunday with the third highest average exit velocity among Marlins hitters with at least 75 plate appearances. “Just got to keep doing what I’m doing.”
Aguilar leads the Marlins and is tied for 12th in the National League with 12 home runs. His 44 RBI lead the NL while ranking tied for fifth overall in MLB.
“He works his butt off every day,” hitting coach Eric Duncan said. “He really does a great job of preparing. It’s kind of a daily thing and he knows where he needs to be from a physical standpoint. That guy’s had a lot of success in this league and understands what it looks like and what it feels like. It’s a matter of getting out there and staying there.”
REHAB ASSIGNMENT UPDATES
— Right-handed pitcher Edward Cabrera, the club’s fourth-ranked prospect and the No. 45 overall prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, threw his first rehab assignment on Sunday with the Class A Jupiter Hammerheads as he makes his return from right biceps nerve inflammation that has sidelined him since before spring training.
The results were promising: three scoreless innings with three strikeouts, just two hits allowed and no walks. Cabrera threw 37 pitches, 24 of which were strikes.
Diving deeper, the velocity of his two fastballs (four-seam and sinker) were between 95.9 mph and 98.7 mph in the start. He threw three changeups in the low 90s and his curveball was between 79.3 mph and 82.4 mph.
This was Cabrera’s first appearance in an official minor-league game since Aug. 31, 2019, at the Double A level. There was no minor-league season in 2020 and even though he was at Miami’s alternate training site, a shoulder injury hampered his chance to make his MLB debut during the shortened season.
Cabrera most likely will join the Triple A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp rotation once he’s built up and cleared to return.
— Right-handed pitcher Jordan Holloway, on the 10-day injured list with a right groin strain, threw 2 1/3 innings for the Jumbo Shrimp on Saturday, giving up one run on two hits and a walk while striking out two. He threw 43 pitches.
Holloway, the Marlins’ No. 22 overall prospect, had made eight appearances with the Marlins (two starts) before the injury. He has a 2.55 ERA with 14 strikeouts against 10 walks over 17 2/3 innings. Opponents are hitting .175 against him
