Orioles use 9th-inning walk to beat depleted Marlins 8-7

BALTIMORE (AP) — Ryan McKenna drew a bases-loaded walk from Steven Okert to force in the winning run in the ninth inning, and the Baltimore Orioles got home runs from Trey Mancini and Pedro Severino in an 8-7 comeback victory over the depleted Miami Marlins on Wednesday night.

Baltimore erased an early 5-0 deficit and battled back from a 7-5 hole in the eighth to end Miami's modest three-game winning streak.

Jesús Aguilar homered, had three RBIs and scored three runs for the last-place Marlins, who before the game beat Friday’s trade deadline with a pair of deals appropriate for a team planning for the future. Late in the afternoon, general manager Kim Ng sent outfielder Starling Marte to Oakland for left-hander Jesús Luzardo, a 23-year-old with 31 games of major league experience.

Then, in a swap announced a few minutes before the first pitch, the Marlins shipped closer Yimi Garcia to the Houston Astros for Triple-A outfielder Bryan De La Cruz and right-hander Austin Pruitt.

“These are some of the first steps we’ve got to take (in rebuilding),” Ng said. “It was a good day.”

But not a good night. After Miami starter Jordan Holloway failed to get out of the third inning, six relievers followed. With Garcia unavailable, Okert (0-1) stumbled in the ninth.

Cedric Mullins drew a leadoff walk, advanced on a wild pitch and took third on a sacrifice bunt. Two intentional walks followed to load the bases for McKenna, who looked at a low pitch on a 3-2 count.

Those kind of things are bound to happen to a team without its starting center fielder, no closer and with all of its focus on building for the future.

“Trading a player of Starling’s caliber is always difficult but you have to think of the future of the Marlins,” Ng said. “It was difficult on a lot different fronts but I think we are happy with the return.”

After Baltimore used an unearned run and an RBI single by Maikel Franco to tie it in the eighth, Tanner Scott (4-4) held Miami in check in the ninth.

The Orioles have won three of four to improve to 7-4 since the All-Star break.

Aguilar doubled in a first-inning run, hit a two-run homer in the second and walked and scored to make it 7-5 in the fourth. His three RBIs lifted his NL-leading total to 75.

HOT BAT

Mancini has hit in 10 straight games and has an extra-base hit in the last six. The runner-up in the All-Star Home Run Derby, Mancini leads the Orioles with 19 homers and 60 RBIs.

“He’s just taking really good at-bats. He feels good,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Even during the Home Run Derby, that probably helped him in a positive-feeling standpoint. Just a dangerous, dangerous hitter.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins: OF Garrett Cooper (elbow) was moved to the 60-day injured list and will soon undergo season-ending surgery on his non-throwing arm. Ng said Cooper has a UCL sprain and a tear in his left elbow and will be sidelined for five months.

Orioles: LHP Keegan Akin and OF Anthony Santander have completed COVID-19 protocol but must wait a while before returning to the active roster. “We want to get them on the field, get them moving around, see how their legs are and make a decision on them the next couple days,” Hyde said. “Taking a week off and then ramping up to play right away is unrealistic.” Akin (0-5, 8.19 ERA) last pitched on July 16 and Santander hasn’t played since July 20.

UP NEXT

Marlins: After taking Thursday off, Miami faces another AL East foe, hosting the New York Yankees in a three-game weekend series.

Orioles: Rookie LHP Alexander Wells (1-0, 4.35 ERA) makes his second career start Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series in Detroit against the Tigers.

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