MIAMI _ The Miami Marlins' short three-game homestand started off in the worst way possible. Trevor Richards gave up a first-pitch, leadoff home run to San Francisco Giants second baseman Joe Panik when he hung a 90-mph fastball high in the strike zone, forcing the Marlins to play from behind from the start on Tuesday.
The game quickly turned in the Marlins' favor, though.
Richards settled down after that first-pitch mistake and the Marlins offense continued its recent hot streak _ highlighted by home runs by Jorge Alfaro, Garrett Cooper and Rosell Herrera _ to lead Miami to an 11-3 win over the Giants at Marlins Park. The Marlins (18-34) have now won eight of their last 11 games. The Giants fall to 21-32 and have lost seven of their last eight.
Richards retired 21 of the final 23 batters he faced after giving up the home run, allowing just a walk in the fourth inning and a single in the fifth. He threw 92 pitches over 7 innings of work and struck out five batters for his sixth quality start in 11 appearances this year.
The offense, meanwhile, quickly made up the early deficit. The Marlins tied the game in the second on a Miguel Rojas two-out RBI single that scored Starlin Castro from second base. Castro then gave the Marlins the lead for good with a two-run double in the third that scored Garrett Cooper and Neil Walker.
A Harold Ramirez RBI single in the fifth _ his second of three hits on Tuesday _ put the Marlins up 3-1 before Alfaro turned on an 88.6-mph fastball from Giants reliever Nick Vincent and sent it 438 feet to center field for his team-leading eighth home run of the season. Cooper followed with a three-run home run in the sixth. It was Cooper's third of the season
Herrera closed scoring with a pinch-hit home run to lead off the eighth. It was Herrera's first home run of the year and the Marlins' 15th over the past 11 games after hitting just 24 total through the first 41 games of the season.
The Marlins finished with 14 hits for their sixth double-digit hit game over the last 11 games. Every starter reached base at least once.
Elieser Hernandez threw the final two innings, giving up four hits and a pair of consolation runs in the ninth.
