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MIA 5, PHI 4: Miggy-Ro 2-0

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MLB: Philadelphia Phillies at Miami Marlins
Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

Pablo returns as Rojas wins second game as acting manager to conclude a disappointing 2021 season.

The 2021 season wrapped up Sunday at loanDepot Park, and while the Marlins won’t be playing games late into October this go-around, the conclusion of a wildly disappointing season wasn’t absent of its plesantries.

Appointed acting manager for the second time in three seasons in the season finale, shortstop Miguel Rojas improved to 2-0 in his spaced-out managerial tenure as Miami wrapped up the season with a 5-4 win over the Phillies.

Encouraging to see was Pablo López’s return to the mound for the first time since July 11th. The right-hander, who sat 93-97 with his variety of fastballs, allowed one run – a Freddy Galvis home run – on 4 hits over his 1.2 innings, striking out 4, and generating 10 swings-and-misses.


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“Taking the ball from him (Pablo), and seeing his face again just made me so happy, especially knowing he’s healthy,” said Rojas postgame.

Getting the start today at second base, Eddy Alvarez opened the scoring in the bottom of the 1st with his first career triple, driving in Brian Miller.

Jazz Chisholm would increase the Miami lead to two with a single to drive in Alvarez. Chisholm would finish his first full big league season with 18 home runs and 23 stolen bases.

WIth suspicion surrounding the inevitability of the universal-DH amid the futility of pitcher’s hitting, Steven Okert, who, brought in on a minor league deal, finished with a 2.75 ERA in 36 innings pitched, drove in catcher Nick Fortes, albeit uncredited, to give Miami a 3-1 lead.

More on Fortes, who began his Major League career with 3 home runs in his first 13 games, gave the Fish all of the remaining offense they’d need with a two-run blast off of Héctor Neris.

Of Note

  • Both of Miguel Rojas’s two wins as acting manager have come in one-run victories over the Phillies. The previous such occurrence came on the final day of the 2019 season, a 4-3 win at Citizens Bank Park.
  • Phillies’ reliever Héctor Neris set the Phillies all-time record for strikeouts as a reliever, punching out Chisholm to set the mark at 520, surpassing Ron Reed.

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