MIAMI — Jorge Alfaro hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning and Anthony Bender earned his first career MLB save as the Miami Marlins defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 on Monday to begin a four-game series at loanDepot park.
Alfaro’s home run, his third of the season, went a projected 424 feet to left-center field and gave Miami (36-47) the final run it needed after its makeshift bullpen on Monday nearly gave up the game. It also snapped the Dodgers’ nine-game win streak. The Dodgers are now 53-32 on the season.
Most of the Marlins’ primary relief pitchers were likely unavailable Monday after being taxed during last weekend’s series against the Braves, stemming in large part from the bullpen having to throw eight innings on Friday after Pablo Lopez was ejected after hitting Ronald Acuna Jr. with his first pitch.
Richard Bleier threw an inning each game in Atlanta. Dylan Floro threw 63 pitches over two innings Friday and Saturday. Yimi Garcia threw 49 pitches over two innings Saturday and Sunday. Ross Detwiler threw three innings on Friday. Anthony Bass threw on both Saturday and Sunday.
With that, the Marlins had to get creative with who they used while holding a two-run lead after Trevor Rogers only threw five innings.
Steven Okert and Zach Pop held the Dodgers scoreless in the sixth and seventh but Pop loaded the bases without recording an out in the eighth. David Hess, making his Marlins debut, gave up a pair of runs when he walked Gavin Lux and surrendered a sacrifice fly to Cody Bellinger. A walk to Mookie Betts re-loaded the bases but the three Dodgers runners were stranded on a Chris Taylor flyout and AJ Pollock strikeout.
Bender, who struck out eight of the nine batters he faced over three innings in Atlanta last weekend, recorded a scoreless ninth inning to preserve the one-run lead Alfaro gave him to earn his first save.
