Janson Junk, pitching for the first time since May 25, earned the win as the streaking Miami Marlins defeated the visiting Seattle Mariners 8-4.
Miami has earned six straight victories, matching its best streak of the season. The Marlins have also won 16 of their past 18 home games.
The Mariners, who have lost three consecutive games, were led by Randy Arozarena and Dominic Canzone, who both homered.
Miami All-Star Otto Lopez went 1-for-3 with a two-run triple. He has 127 hits — the most ever by a Marlins player prior to the All-Star Game.
Junk (4-5), who had suffered a shin injury in May, lasted five innings, allowing three hits, four walks and two runs (one earned) while striking out five.
Bryce Miller (4-3) took the loss as his ERA rose from 1.71 to 2.18. He allowed season highs across the board — nine hits, four walks, six runs, four earned — in five innings.
Seattle scored an unearned run in the second inning without hitting the ball out of the infield. Josh Naylor started the one-man rally with a pop fly that fell between third baseman Leo Jimenez and shortstop Lopez for an odd single.
Naylor then stole second. After that, Naylor appeared to be picked off between second and third. However, Junk threw the ball over Jimenez’s head, allowing Naylor to score.
Griffin Conine tied the game on the first pitch of the bottom of the second by jumping on a 95-mph fastball and lofting a 373-foot homer to right.
The Marlins took a 2-1 later in the inning as Jakob Marsee singled and scored on Liam Hicks’ double down the first-base line.
Miami extended its lead to 6-1 in the fourth inning. Marsee walked, advanced on Jimenez’s single and scored from second on a throwing error by rookie shortstop Colt Emerson. Lopez then grounded a two-run triple down the third-base line, and Kyle Stowers capped the rally with an RBI single.
Seattle cut its deficit to 6-2 in the fifth on Arozarena’s 414-foot homer to center.
Miami pushed the lead to 8-2 in the seventh as Marsee hit a run-scoring single, and Jimenez added an RBI groundout.
The Mariners came right back on Canzone’s two-run dinger in the eighth, making it 8-4, but that was their last rally.
–Field Level Media
