MIAMI _ Jose Urena didn't make the Miami Marlins' starting rotation out of spring training. He is becoming more entrenched at every turn since getting the opportunity in early May, seemingly on the brink of something special.
For the second consecutive outing the Dominican right-hander rolled through six scoreless innings Friday. Urena held a rampaging Cubs offense that pounded Miami pitching for 11 runs the previous night to five scattered hits (four singles) in a 2-0 victory at Marlins Park that evened the four-game series with the defending champions to a game apiece.
Unlike Sunday in Atlanta when allowing back-to-back hits to open the seventh led to two runs and an eventual walk-off loss, Marlins manager Don Mattingly came out and got Urena after 93 pitches before the Cubs could pull the rug out on a solid performance.
Also unlike that excruciating defeat to the Braves, the Miami bullpen got the job done in the late innings. Kyle Barraclough, David Phelps and A.J. Ramos (11th save) didn't allow a hit over the final three innings.
Phelps, who allowed the two runners Urena left on base in Atlanta to score and gave up two additional runs, avoided trouble in the eighth by inducing a double-play grounder and catching clean-up hitter Addison Russell looking to end the inning.
Ramos gave up a single to Javier Baez but got Albert Almora to hit into a game-ending double play.
Giancarlo Stanton provided the primary support with his 19th home run, a shot into the faux water on the right side of the home run sculpture with two outs in the third. Stanton yanked a John Lackey curveball on the outside corner 458 feet, registering 112 mph off the bat, according to Statcast.
Though it only accounted for one run, it was a Stanton classic, a frozen rope that peaked at 69 feet on a low trajectory. Although the Marlins slugger sometimes grouses about the generous dimensions of Marlins Park, he has hit 13 of his homers at home this season.
This ballpark will never be mistaken for a bandbox, but homers have been more prevalent in Little Havana this season than ever before.
An average of 2.25 a game have been hit this season, the first time the pace has been close to 2 since the park opened in 2012 (a mere 1.04 a game were hit in 2013). This season's hi-octane output still ranks only 25th in the majors and 12th in the National League, as homers are up everywhere.
The Marlins' power numbers are largely driven by the triumvirate of Stanton, Marcell Ozuna (20) and Justin Bour (18).
"Our Big Three as far as home runs, they hit them anywhere. If those guys catch it they're going to go," Mattingly said Friday afternoon.
"But there has been a lot of balls flying out here it seems like compared to last year and what I heard the year before. Still see some balls out there in the middle that don't go. But the ball's definitely flying."
As to speculation there may be something different with the baseballs, Mattingly said, "I've heard that. I'd just be guessing," adding, "The ball is going out."
Urena did an admirable job keeping the Cubs in the park a night after they belted three homers. He stranded two runners in three consecutive innings.
In the third he got Ian Happ looking at changeup that may have dropped a bit below the zone.
In the fifth he froze Russell with a high slider. Russell, batting clean-up, had a career high three extra-base hits in Thursday's series opener including a homer.
Urena dodged a leadoff single in the sixth by getting Almora to hit a made-to-order double-play bouncer to second.
The Marlins gave him some cushion with an unearned run in the sixth that was driven by the speed of Dee Gordon, who stole second and continued on to third when Miguel Montero's throw bounced into center field. Christian Yelich brought him home on a sacrifice fly.
The Marlins had a chance to cash in early after Stanton doubled to left in the first. But with two runners on, Ozuna popped out and Bour struck out on a diving off-speed pitch.
