SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jesus Aguilar snapped a tie with a two-run homer that sparked a four-run ninth inning and the Miami Marlins beat the San Francisco Giants 5-2 on Saturday night.
Aguilar lined an 0-1 pitch from Gregory Santos (0-1) into the left-center stands after Magneuris Sierra’s leadoff walk to give Miami a 3-1 lead. A day earlier, Aguilar hit a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth after an error extended the inning.
“I just tried to not be over-aggressive,” Aguilar said. “I thought it was going to be a double but the ball (went). I hit it good but it was kind of low. We got lucky the ball went out.”
Santos struck out two in one inning when he faced the Marlins in his major league debut Thursday. The results were much different for the 21-year-old rookie Saturday.
“One of the lessons that our younger, inexperienced pitchers are going to have to learn is their stuff plays,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said.
Jon Berti also went deep after making an error earlier in the game to help the Marlins break out of their collective slump. Miami had been held to three hits or fewer in three of its previous five games and was shut out in Thursday’s series opener at Oracle Park.
Corey Dickerson added two hits for the Marlins, including an RBI triple in the ninth.
Dylan Floro (1-1) retired three batters to get the win. Yimi Garcia allowed a pair of hits in the ninth, including Mike Yastrzemski’s one-out homer into McCovey Cove, but got Alex Dickerson on a fly ball to end it.
Alex Dickerson doubled and scored for the Giants.
Berti homered on an 0-1 pitch from Kevin Gausman in the seventh, a towering solo shot into the left-field stands. The Marlins third baseman, who dropped Alex Dickerson’s high infield popup for an error in the second, added a sacrifice fly in the ninth.
“Berti’s home run was huge just to get us back,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “That homer just kind of changed the whole direction of the game. That was a big hit.”
Marlins starter Pablo López pitched well in his second start against the Giants in seven days. López had seven strikeouts in six innings and allowed two hits – none until Alex Dickerson’s leadoff double in the fifth.
Gausman pitched two-hit ball over eight smooth innings and matched his career high with 11 strikeouts. He allowed one run and walked one.
BELT LOVES MIAMI
San Francisco first baseman Brandon Belt had two hits and has reached safely in 31 games against the Marlins dating to July 19, 2014.
DAZZLING DEFENSE
The Giants backed Gausman with a pair of defensive gems. Center fielder Austin Slater made a leaping grab at the wall to take away potential extra bases from Garrett Cooper leading off the second. Second baseman Tommy La Stella followed with a diving stab to knock down a one-hop liner and throw out Aguilar to end the fourth.
“That was huge from a momentum standpoint,” Gausman said. “Those are the type of plays that you see when a pitcher really does something special.”
Sierra made a spectacular diving catch in center to take a hit away from Gausman in the sixth.
WELCOME TO THE BIGS, KID
Miami infielder Jose Devers struck out three times in three at-bats of his major league debut. Devers is the fifth-youngest player in Marlins history to make his major league debut. Devers was acquired from the New York Yankees as part of the Giancarlo Stanton trade in 2017. He started at second base and batted seventh. “(Didn’t) really tell him anything,” Mattingly said before the game. “Obviously, he’s a guy we like. Let him go play. I’m interested to see how he handles it.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: SS Brandon Crawford was a late scratch because of right quad tightness. Mauricio Dubón started in his place. … RHP Johnny Cueto is continuing a throwing program on his way back from a Grade 1 right lat strain. … 3B Evan Longoria (hamstring) is day to day. … LHP Jarlin Garcia was placed on the 10-day IL with a left groin strain.
UP NEXT
Giants RHP Logan Webb (0-1, 5.87 ERA) faces the Marlins on Sunday. Webb is coming off his roughest outing of the season as a starter after allowing four runs in four innings against the Phillies on Tuesday. Mattingly had not announced a starter for Miami and didn’t rule out using an opener.
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