MIAMI — Jesus Aguilar hit a go-ahead two-run single in the seventh inning to lift the Miami Marlins to a 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres on Saturday while backup starting pitcher Braxton Garrett had a career day on the mound. The Marlins are now 42-57 on the season. The Padres are 58-43.
Aguilar, with the bases loaded and one out, lined a 92.3-mph sinker from Padres reliever Tim Hill to center field. Magneuris Sierra, pinch-running for Sandy Leon, scored from third. Miguel Rojas, scored from second. Aguilar was thrown out trying to get to second after Padres center fielder Trent Grisham threw to home plate in an attempt to get Rojas out. Aguilar now has 71 RBIs on the season, the most in the National League and the fifth-most in Major League Baseball.
Rojas scored the Marlins’ first run of the game in the fifth inning on a Manny Machado throwing error.
It backed up the best game of Garrett’s career. The 23-year-old left-handed pitcher, ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the Marlins’ system according to MLB Pipeline, struck out 10 batters over seven innings — both career-high marks — while holding the Padres to a pair of solo home runs by Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ryan Weathers.
Garrett is the fourth Marlins pitcher to record at least 10 strikeouts in a game this season, joining Zach Thompson (11 on June 26), Trevor Rogers (10 on April 10) and Sandy Alcantara (10 on April 6).
Garrett threw 85 pitches over the seven innings. He had 37 called strikes or swings and misses while mixing in all five of his pitches (21 sinkers, 20 curveballs, 18 change-ups, 14 sliders and 12 four-seam fastballs).
