Marlins beat Orioles 8-7 to complete stunning 4-game sweep

BALTIMORE (AP) — Jonathan Villar hit a first-pitch leadoff homer to spark a robust offensive performance by the Miami Marlins, who beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-7 Thursday night to complete a startling four-game sweep and make Don Mattingly the winningest manager in franchise history.

Villar had three hits and Brian Anderson drove in three runs for the upstart Marlins, who emerged from a team-wide coronavirus outbreak to dominate the Orioles and forge the best winning percentage in the big leagues.

Miami is 6-1 and in first place in the NL East despite putting 18 players on the injured list before the series opener Tuesday.

The Marlins were the “home" team because this was a makeup of a July 28 game that was to be held in Miami but postponed in the wake of the Marlins’ COVID-19 outbreak.

Batting in the bottom of the seventh, the Marlins broke a 6-6 tie with a sacrifice fly by Jesús Aguilar off Evan Phillips (1-1) and an RBI triple by Anderson.

That was enough to earn Mattingly his 282nd win with Miami, passing Jack McKeon on the team's career list.

In their first three wins in the series, Miami relied on exceptional pitching in victories by scores of 4-0, 1-0 and 2-1. In this one, the Marlins won with their bats.

Villar's homer sparked an 11-hit attack, and Miami needed almost every one of them because starter Jordan Yamamoto gave up three one-run leads and Jorge Guzman, in his major league debut, yielded successive solo homers to Dwight Smith and Renato Núñez to create a sixth-inning tie.

But Mike Morin (1-0) pitched two shutout innings and Brandon Kintzler worked the ninth for his third save.

Baltimore wasted four home runs, including two by Núñez and Chance Sisco's first of the year.

Although the Marlins haven't immediately suffered for their time off,...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Marlins-beat-Orioles-8-7-to-complete-stunning-15465723.php