MIAMI _ Less than 24 hours after the Miami Marlins lost a big piece of their bullpen in a trade, a few of their remaining relievers stepped up Sunday afternoon.
With closer Sergio Romo dealt to the Minnesota Twins on Saturday night, the Marlins' bullpen combined to throw five scoreless innings on the way to a 5-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks (53-53) at Marlins Park.
Relievers Jose Quijada, Trevor Richards, Nick Anderson and Jarlin Garcia combined to allow one hit while striking out seven in five scoreless innings. Quijada pitched the fifth and sixth, Richards pitched the seventh, Anderson pitched the eighth (and got out of a bases-loaded jam unscathed) and Garcia pitched the ninth.
With the score tied 1-1, the Marlins (40-63) scored the game-winning run in the fifth on a two-out liner from Harold Ramirez that bounced off the glove of left fielder David Peralta. The error allowed Miguel Rojas to score all the way from first base, which turned out to be the decisive run.
Brian Anderson gave the Marlins an insurance run in the sixth inning when he crushed an up-in-the-zone fastball from Diamondbacks starter Robbie Ray for his 14th home run of the season. The solo shot gave the Marlins a 3-1 lead.
Then Ramirez added two more runs, for good measure, with a two-run homer in the seventh inning to extend the Marlins' lead to 5-1. It's his sixth home run of the season.
Elieser Hernandez was solid in his first start since replacing Richards in the Marlins' rotation, albeit in a short appearance that lasted just 66 pitches as he makes the transition from reliever to starter. Hernandez, 24, allowed one run on three hits while striking out two and walking two in four innings of work, and retired the final five batters he faced.
In six starts, Hernandez is 1-3 with a 3.81 ERA over 30 2/3 innings this season. The righty owns a 4.93 overall ERA for the year.
The Marlins' team pitching performance was enough to outduel Ray, who allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits while striking out 11 and walking none in six innings.
Rojas was responsible for the first run, as he gave the Marlins a 1-0 lead in the first inning when he hit a leadoff home run for the second consecutive game. He's just the second player in Marlins history to hit a leadoff homer in back-to-back games, with Hanley Ramirez also pulling it off on July 17-18, 2006, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Rojas has gone 6 for 12 with two home runs over the first three games of the four-game series. Each of his three homers this season have been of the leadoff variety.
The Diamondbacks had an immediate response, as Nick Ahmed scored on a throwing error from Ramirez in left field to tie the game in the second inning. On an Alex Avila single, Ramirez tried to throw Ahmed out at third base but the ball instead ended up by the Marlins' dugout.
That was the only run the Diamondbacks would score.
The Marlins and Diamondbacks wrap up their four-game set Monday at 7:10 p.m. The Marlins have won two of the first three games.
