Miami

Comeback Effort Falls Short as Miami Marlins Drop Game to Arizona Diamondbacks

What to Know

  • Wei-Yin Chen (2-5) allowed one run and five hits in six innings for the Marlins, who was held to just three hits.
  • Starlin Castro's homer was his fifth of the season and second in as many days.

Robbie Ray looked like he was in All-Star form while making his first start in nearly two months.

Ray returned from the disabled list and pitched six scoreless innings to help the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Miami Marlins 2-1 on Wednesday night.

"That was about as good as it could have been," Ray said.

Ray (3-0) allowed two hits and issued two walks.

"I know there was one inning where his pitch count climbed, but aside from that I know it was vintage Robbie Ray," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said.

Ray struck out six while throwing 56 of his 83 pitches for strikes in his first game since April 29. Ray had been on the disabled list with a strained right oblique.

"He turns into a different animal the day that he is starting and I saw it throughout his entire outing so it's good to have him back," Lovullo said.

Ray has won a career-long nine consecutive decisions over his last 15 starts since Aug. 24, 2017.

Daniel Descalso homered and Deven Marrero knocked in a run for the Diamondbacks, who have won six of seven.

Brad Boxberger allowed Starlin Castro's leadoff homer in the ninth and walked the ensuing batter before retiring the next three for his 19th save in 23 chances.

Wei-Yin Chen (2-5) allowed one run and five hits in six innings for the Marlins.

"I pitched well, but the pitcher on the other side pitched better than me," Chen said through a translator. "He was successful in putting down our offense."

Miami was held to just three hits.

The Marlins threatened in the fourth when Ray issued walks to the first two batters, but he calmly retired the next three, including the final two on strikeouts.

"I'm pretty tough on myself so I just took a step off the mound and told myself that, 'You're better than this, you shouldn't be walking these guys, make them put it in play like you have been, get back in the zone, and get your outs,'" Ray said. "And I was able to get my focus back and get out of it."

Ketel Marte doubled to lead off the fifth and scored on Marrero's base hit.

Descalso hit a pinch-hit home run to lead off the eighth off Adam Conley in a battle of lefties. It was his sixth career pinch-hit homer and his ninth home run of the season.

"I don't care if it's righty, lefty, my job is to go up there and get a hit," Descalso said. "I feel like I've always had a pretty good approach against lefties. Conley is a tough lefty, his numbers are really good, but he fell behind there 2-0 and I was looking for something over the middle and he left a fastball that I could handle pretty easily."

Castro's homer was his fifth of the season and second in as many days.

"He always gets his hits," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "We saw a little bit of power the last two nights. Hopefully, he can keep riding that."

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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