MIA 3, NYM 2: Rojas Delivers Late

Elieser finishes strong, bats rally in the 8th to give Miami a late-season victory.

In a game with zero playoff implications, all the Marlins could hope to do was wind down the 2021 season playing strong baseball.

But for the 7-plus innings of this third of four games against the New York Mets, this narrative was headed in a different direction.

New York starter Taijuan Walker – whose 7.74 ERA ranks third-worst among pitchers with at least 40 innings pitched since the All-Star Break, a stretch in which Walker has allowed 49 ER in 57 IP – shutout Miami through the first 7.1 innings pitched, striking out 5 while allowing just 2 hits. A leadoff double for Lewin Díaz and one-out walk for Eddy Alvarez would signal the end of Walker’s night and season.

The Fish would breakthrough later than inning when Alex Jackson brought home Díaz on an RBI double. Shortstop Miguel Rojas, whose 2022 option was picked up following his 500th plate appearance earlier this month, gave the Marlins the lead with a two-run single, a lead they’d hold onto in a 3-2 victory.

Making his final start for the club in what an injury-shortened season, Elieser Hernández allowed 2 runs in his 5 innings of work, striking out 6.

Right fielder Michael Conforto opened the scoring in the 4th with a 469-foot home run, the second longest of his career trailing only a 472-foot blast hit in Chicago 2018.

The Mets would add a second run in the 5th thanks to an RBI double off the bat of Brandon Nimmo, who now owns a .404 OBP in 88 games played this season.

The Marlins will play their 81st and final road game of the season tomorrow when they return to Citi Field in search of a series split.

Still searching for his first big league win, Edward Cabrera will make his 7th and final start of the season as he opposes 41-year old Rich Hill, in what could be the veteran left-hander’s final career start in what will be a 7:10 Eastern start.

Baseball-Savant