The Marlins picked up their second win of the nine-game homestand with a tight 4-3 victory over the Dodgers on Saturday at loanDepot park.
MIAMI — In front of a sellout crowd of 34,814 Saturday at loanDepot park, the Miami Marlins fought back from an early 2-0 deficit to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3, setting up a rubber match Sunday.
The Dodgers (90-58) wasted little time putting Miami behind, as Mookie Betts and Max Muncy delivered back-to-back solo home runs in the first inning against Marlins right-hander Tyler Phillips.
The two quick shots gave Los Angeles an early 2-0 lead, but Phillips settled down nicely from there, holding the Dodgers in check over his next few innings and finishing with 3 2/3 innings of work.
The Marlins (73-76) answered in the fourth inning when Graham Pauley launched a two-run home run against Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow, erasing Los Angeles’ early lead and tying the game at 2-2.
Glasnow struggled to contain Miami’s offense, allowing four runs over four innings while walking four and striking out seven.
For Pauley, it was his third home run since being recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville, another encouraging sign for a young player trying to make an impact down the stretch.
The blast not only pulled Miami even but also gave the Marlins a much-needed jolt of confidence as the season winds down.
After Pauley’s two-run blast evened the game at 2-2, the Marlins continued to chip away at the Dodgers’ pitching.
Miami pushed across another run in the second inning to take a 3-2 lead, then added an insurance run in the fifth to make it 4-2. The four-run rally turned an early two-run deficit into a two-run advantage and put the Marlins in position to close out the comeback.
Los Angeles added a run in the ninth inning to cut Miami’s lead to 4-3, but it was too little, too late. The Marlins closed out the game from there, securing the one-run victory and sending the sellout crowd home happy.
The victory snapped the Dodgers’ eight-game winning streak and gave the Marlins a much-needed boost as the season winds down. Miami improved to 73-76 with the win, though the Marlins still have plenty of ground to make up in the playoff race.
Sunday’s rubber match at 1:40 p.m. ET now carries importance for both teams, and it will also be a special day for former Marlins pitcher Dontrelle Willis, who is set to be inducted into the Marlins Legends Hall of Fame during a pregame ceremony on the field.
