DETROIT _ The Miami Marlins put their season-long winning streak in jeopardy for six innings Wednesday until their offense finally came alive. For six innings in Detroit, the Marlins never mustered more than a single hit in a frame, so they went into the seventh with just one run, trailing the last-place Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.
Just a week ago, this was essentially the norm for Miami, which spent the first quarter of the season setting a historic pace for offensive futility. Not any longer. The Marlins connected for four hits in five batters to open the top of the seventh, erasing a two-run deficit and sending Miami on its way to a 6-3 win in front of 14,506 in Michigan.
The Marlins (15-31) opened the frame with three straight hits by outfielder Harold Ramirez, corner infielder Martin Prado and utility man Neil Walker to tie the game at 3. Two batters later, infielder Miguel Rojas laced another single to center to send Walker home and give Miami the lead for good at 4-3. With a second straight series win, the Marlins extended their season-best winning streak to five straight games.
The three-run sixth inning completed Miami's rally from down 3-0. Jose Urena started off shaky before regrouping to go six innings. The Tigers (18-28) needed only two batters to take a 1-0 lead, as middle infielder Gordon Beckham led off with a double and super utility man Niko Goodrum knocked him home with a single to center. In the second, an error by slugging third baseman Brian Anderson cost Urena (2-6) an unearned run, then the starting pitcher coughed up back-to-back two-out hits in the third to let Detroit extend its lead.
Although he allowed seven hits and two walks, Urena allowed only two earned runs and struck out seven to keep the Marlins within striking distance. Their reinvigorated offense took advantage of the opportunity.
Outfielder Garrett Cooper initiated the rally in the sixth, and for the second straight game Miami got to celebrate a player's first career home run. On Tuesday, Ramirez belted an opposite-field homer to extend an early lead for the Marlins. On Wednesday, Cooper's blast into the visitors' bullpen finally put them on the board in the top of the sixth and sent Miami into the seventh down 3-1.
Ramirez started another crucial rally Wednesday. The rookie led off with a single to left and Prado followed with another to put runners on the corners and set up Walker to tie the game. Walker launched a double off the wall in right-center to send Ramirez and Prado home, and tie the game. After catcher Jorge Alfaro struck out, Rojas delivered the go-ahead hit.
An inning later, Anderson provided some insurance with a two-run homer to right. On its five-game winning streak, Miami has scored at least five runs three times. The Marlins had only managed so many in a single game five times total in their first 41.
The extra runs made the task easier for the Miami bullpen. Relief pitchers Austin Brice and Tayron Guerrero both danced around a runner in scoring position in their innings, and pitcher Sergio Romo pitched a low-stress 1-2-3 ninth for his eighth save of the season.
