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Cardinals @ Marlins 7.31 recap: Marlins walk off to salvage split

Cardinals tied it in the eighth, but Marlins walk it off in the 9th to split four-game set and regain the second wildcard spot

By WyoCardsFan
Dietrich walked it off
Dietrich walked it off
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

St. Louis Cardinals @ Miami Marlins

Carlos Martinez vs. Andrew Cashner
12:10 p.m. CT
Marlins Park - Miami, Florida

Today's Lineups -


Some News -

  • There's a new Cardinal.  Outfielder Charlie Tilson was traded for White Sox lefty Zach Duke.  He'll be activated Tuesday, along with, hopefully, Brandon Moss and Jhonny Peralta- STLToday.com

  • Pittsburgh/Milwaukee - MLB.com
  • Seattle/Chicago - MLB.com
  • Cincinnati/San Diego - MLB.com

Things that happened -

Top halves -

New Marlin Andrew Cashner, in the first inning, hit Aledmys Diaz in the hand/thumb/wrist area.  The trainer checked him out - he went to first, and was then erased in a double play to end the inning.  Diaz didn't take the field in the bottom of the first, with Tommy Pham checking in at center, and moving a bunch of people around to cover the positions.

Yadier Molina knocked a one-out double into right center field (extending his hitting streak to 15 games).  Gyorko singled, sending Molina to third.  Kolten Wong reached on a fielding error, Chris Johnson just  straight up missing a grounder.  That scored Molina.  Marlins up 3-1.

Greg Garcia is awesome and hit an awesome leadoff homer to center field in the third.  Michael Wacha took over the water-splashing duties for Martinez.   Marlins up 3-2.

Cashner had a quick and easy fourth.

Wong reached again on an error, this time by Dee Gordon on a single under the glove of Dee Gordon.  Martinez did the butcher-boy thing, and almost got a hit over the head of Ozuna in center, but Ozuna got there just in time.  A couple more hard lineouts (Garcia, Pham) ended the inning.  Wong also stole second in the inning.

Cashner 1-2-3'd the Cards in the sixth.  That was it for him.  His final line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 83 pitches thrown.

In the seventh, old friend Kyle Barraclough had a nice inning, retiring the three he faced.

In the eighth, Fernando Rodney took the mound for the Marlins.  He led things off with a walk to Randal Grichuk.  Pham grounded into what could have been a double play, but Pham beat the throw at first, which turned out to be a big deal.  Stephen Piscotty drove in a run when he doubled to the corner in left.  Then, on the play, Hechavarria threw an airmail over everyone at the plate, allowing Piscotty to come around and score to tie the game!  Adams singled, but that was all the scoring in the inning.  Game tied 4-4.

On to the ninth.  AJ Ramos pitched for the Fish.  Jedd Gyorko walked with one out, but otherwise Ramos was pretty dominant in keeping things tied.

Bottom halves -

Dee Gordon worked a leadoff walk - but Martin Prado grounded it back to Martinez, who started the double play.  But then more control problems - Carlos walked Christian Yelich, and then hit Giancarlo Stanton in the back with a 95 mph fastball.  Danny Mac thought there might be some purpose behind the HBP, but Tim disagreed.  We may never know.  Either way, Marcell Ozuna made Carlos pay.  He knocked a long, high double off the wall in left-center, plating Yelich and Stanton.  JT Realmuto tacked on another, singling in Ozuna. Realmuto tried his hand at stealing second base, but Yadi wasn't havin' it.  Marlins up 3-0.

Martinez had a much easier second.  He retired the bottom third of their order 1-2-3 style.

Carlos walked Gordon again, this time leading off the third.  He again got a gift from Prado, another groundball for a double play.  It was a remarkably quick turn by Wong.  He struck out Yelich to end the frame.

Stanton smashed a double off the wall.  And he hit it hard.  Ozuna grounded out, moving Stanton to third, and then Realmuto drove him in, a hard hit ball up the middle.  Johnson flared one to center, a single moving Realmuto to third.  A couple fly ball outs got Martinez out of any more damage.  Marlins up 4-2.

Gordon reached base once again, this time via single.  But once again, Mr. Prado gifted another GIDP!  Poor guy.  Yelich lined out.

Jeremy Hazelbaker caught a couple lineouts in left field in the sixth, including a very nice diving catch on an Ozuna batted ball.  Martinez walked Realmuto, too, but he was left stranded, when Carlos struck out Johnson with a nasty breaking ball.

The seventh was Martinez' last, but it was a fine inning.  He gave up a single to Adeiny Hecavarria to lead off the frame, and then a throwing error on a pickoff throw moved him to second, but he was stranded there.

Martinez' final line: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 102 pitches thrown.

The eighth was Kevin Siegrist.  He was great, retiring the three batters he faced, the meat of the Marlins' order.

Matt Bowman in the ninth.  He got two outs quickly, by way of a foulout and a groundout.  But then things went wrong.  Hechavarria made up for his error by singling up the middle, winning run now on base.  Derek Dietrich pinch hit and came through.  He hit a fly ball into left center field.  It probably could have been caught by either Pham or Hazlebaker, but both let up slightly.  In the end, Pham went into a sortof slide to try to catch it, but he didn't get there, and the Marlins walked it off.  Hazelbaker was probably the guy that should have taken charge and caught it, but alas. Marlins win 5-4.

Final Notes -

  • Valid point, Dan

  • The Cardinals had a whole bunch of lineouts to outfielders early in the game.  The type where said outfielders didn't even need to move.


  • Fangraphs
  • Game notes: Cardinals | Marlins

Looking ahead -

Tune in Tuesday as the Cards make the trip to Cincinnati to take on the Reds.  Adam Wainwright will be opposed by Dan Straily.  The action starts at 6:10 CT.

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