Nick Gordon scored the go-ahead run on an error in the seventh inning to fuel the visiting Miami Marlins to a 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday.
Otto Lopez recorded his second straight two-hit performance and scored on Gordon’s infield single for the Marlins, who have won five of their last seven games.
Miami evened its best-of-three series at one victory apiece heading into the finale on Wednesday afternoon.
Vinnie Pasquantino had an RBI single among the four hits for the Royals, who have lost 12 of their last 16 games.
Kansas City starter Seth Lugo was denied in his bid for the majors-leading 11th win despite allowing just two hits over six scoreless innings. He was relieved by Carlos Hernandez (0-1), who saw Lopez rip a one-out double in the seventh and advance to third on a groundout before scoring on Gordon’s infield single.
Ali Sanchez’s single chased Hernandez, and Gordon scored after incoming pitcher Will Smith’s throwing error following a hard liner off his glove by Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Hernandez was saddled with the loss after allowing two runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning.
The modest offense was enough to make a winner out of A.J. Puk (2-8), who struck out two batters without allowing a hit in 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. Two relievers bridged the gap to Tanner Scott, who worked around a one-out single in the ninth inning to secure his 10th save of the season.
Maikel Garcia led off the first inning with a walk against starter Yonny Chirinos. Garcia promptly stole second and third base before trotting home on Pasquantino’s RBI single.
The Marlins threatened to answer after Lopez recorded his team’s first hit of the game with one out in the fifth inning. Lopez stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch from Lugo, who responded by striking out Tim Anderson and inducing Gordon to fly out to end the inning.
–Field Level Media