SAN DIEGO _ When Ichiro Suzuki stepped to the plate in the top of the eighth inning Saturday night, the Petco Park crowd cheered in delight at seeing the future Hall of Famer in action in person. Forgive the San Diego Padres in the dugout and on the field if they, too, cheered the moment.
Ichiro pinch-hitting meant right-hander Dan Straily was, finally, done for the night. He toyed with the Padres for seven innings in a 6-foot-3, 11-inning win, striking out a career-high 14 batters and allowing only four hits and no walks.
The Marlins took the lead for good in the 11th, when Dee Gordon _ with Justin Bour on first _ sent a dribbler down the first-base line. San Diego reliever Jose Torres fielded and fired into the right-field corner. Bour scored easily, and Gordon was right behind him. Giancarlo Stanton's home run to left added two more.
The only runs on Straily's ledger came when Austin Hedges hit a two-run home run. Manuel Margot also had a pair of hits, but other than that Straily dominated.
It was just the 10th time a Marlins pitcher struck out at least 14 batters in a game. The last one do it before Straily was Jose Fernandez last September against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Straily joined Fernandez as the only individuals to do so while not issuing a walk.
Straily's previous career high was 11 strikeouts, accomplished twice, most recently last May for the Cincinnati Reds against the Dodgers.
Straily struck out every Padres starter except Margot at least once. In his first three games as a Marlin, Straily fanned a combined 10 batters.
The Marlins' early runs came on solo homers, from Stanton in the second and Martin Prado in the sixth. Prado's was his first extra-base hit this season (four games).
Prado saved the game for the Marlins in the bottom of the 10th with back-to-back diving defensive plays. First he dove to his left, snagging a Margot shorthop and getting a force out at second. On the next pitch, Prado dove to his right, catching Erick Aybar's line drive and sending the game to the 11th.
