The Miami Marlins attained their fifth win of the 2014 regular season, and it was achieved on the back of the team's two stars, as Jose Fernandez and Giancarlo Stanton delivered in an impressive 5-0 win over the San Diego Padres.
The Miami Marlins currently have a 5-1 record after tonight's 5-0 victory over the San Diego Padres. Last season, the Marlins won only eight games in April. This year, they have almost matched that mark by the end of the first week. The Fish won yet another game and secured the series win over the Padres thanks to the ability of the team's two stars. Both Jose Fernandez and Giancarlo Stanton contributed in large part to delivering this latest victory to the Fish.
Jose Fernandez put up yet another fantastic performance on the mound for the Fish, limited only by the fact that he had reached a slightly strenuous pitch count. Fernandez went longer this time around, almost getting out of the seventh inning before being pulled for A.J. Ramos after his eighth strikeout was dropped at the plate and reached base. Fernandez whiffed eight batters versus just two walks, which is not as impressive as his work on Opening Night but is still highly commendable. Aside from a bases-loaded situation in the third inning, he more or less cruised through the game. Fernandez never allowed more than one baserunner beside that third inning, during which he walked two batters and loaded the bags before a one-pitch, inning-ending double play bailed him out of trouble.
Giancarlo Stanton delivered at the plate as well, picking up two hits in five plate appearances and drove in two runs. He delivered the first run of the night in the pitcher's duel between Fernandez and Andrew Cashner, singling in the third inning and plating Fernandez. Stanton's second hit came later in the night, as he doubled with a line drive shot that drove home Christian Yelich for the third run of the night.
Stanton's additional insurance RBI added a nice touch to a solid evening of offense for the Marlins. The Fish gathered up 10 hits and five walks one the way to their five runs. Yelich, Derek Dietrich, and Casey McGehee each picked up two hits, and Yelich and McGehee both drew an additional walk and reached base three times. Miami's hot streak at the plate continued despite Cashner's excellent six innings.
Miami will look for the sweep tomorrow afternoon with Nathan Eovaldi on the mound.
Source: FanGraphs