The Miami Marlins have been waiting for that breakthrough moment with Jesus Luzardo, the game where he finally puts it all together and has a dominant performance.
They just might have gotten it on Sunday.
Luzardo tied a career high with eight strikeouts over six shutout innings as the Marlins beat the Cincinnati Reds 2-1 at loanDepot park to clinch the three-game series and win four of six overall on the homestand. Miami improves to 55-76 on the season while the Reds fall to 71-61.
Luzardo, a 23-year-old lefty who graduated from Parkland’s Stoneman Douglas High and was acquired by the Marlins from the Oakland Athletics in the Starling Marte trade on July 28, gave up a leadoff double to Jonathan India and walked Tyler Stephenson before retiring 18 of the final 20 batters he faced. The only other two to reach: Tyler Naquin on a Jazz Chisholm Jr. fielding error in the second and Joey Votto on a hit by pitch to lead off the seventh and end Luzardo’s night.
Five of Luzardo’s eight strikeouts came on the curveball. Two more came on the changeup and one on the four-seam fastball.
Outside of the results, there were a couple other noticeable differences Sunday.
First: Luzardo wore glasses on the mound.
Second: Sandy Leon was Luzardo’s catcher on Sunday after Alex Jackson caught him for his first five starts.
Luzardo got all the run support he needed from Jesus Sanchez, who belted out a two-run home run in the first inning. Sanchez also hit a first-inning home run in Saturday’s win over the Reds.
Anthony Bender threw two scoreless innings and got a pair of double plays before Dylan Floro earned his seventh save of the season by holding the Reds to one run in the ninth.
