New closer Robertson implodes in eighth inning as Marlins soil brilliant start by Perez, lose to Dodgers
Miami wasted a terrific performance by Eury Pérez, who struck out 10 while pitching six innings of two-hit ball.
LOS ANGELES — The Miami Marlins, five outs from clinching a win of their road series against the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers and having a chance to sweep the National League West’s runaway leaders on Saturday night, saw new closer David Robertson implode, allowing three runs as the Dodgers rallied for a 3-1 win.
The key hit was Mookie Betts’ two-run single in the opening game of a split-doubleheader.
The NL West-leading Dodgers bounced back nicely from an 11-3 loss on Friday night, improving to 16-2 in August. Ryan Yarbrough (6-5) pitched two perfect innings for the win, and Evan Phillips got three outs for his 19th save.
The doubleheader was scheduled by Major League Baseball out of concern over the forecast for Hurricane Hillary, which likely will cross into the southwest U.S. as a tropical storm. The twin-bill takes the place of the previously scheduled series finale on Sunday.
Miami wasted a terrific performance by Eury Pérez, who struck out 10 while pitching six innings of two-hit ball. The Marlins, fighting for an NL wild card, had won four of six.
Bryan De La Cruz hit an RBI double in the fourth against Ryan Pepiot, and Miami carried the 1-0 lead into the eighth. But it quickly fell apart from there.
James Outman drew a one-out walk against Robertson (4-4) and moved to third on Kiké Hernández’s single. Outman scored the tying run on Austin Barnes’ sacrifice bunt as first baseman Josh Bell’s throw from the side of the mound went past catcher Jacob Stallings, allowing Hernández to advance to third and Barnes to second.
Betts followed with a single to center. After Freddie Freeman doubled and Will Smith popped out, Max Muncy was intentionally walked to load the bases. But Amed Rosario grounded out, ending the inning.
A day after hitting five home runs, the Marlins were held to just five hits — only one for extra bases.
Miami put two runners on with two out in the first, but opener Caleb Ferguson escaped the jam by retiring Jake Burger on a fly ball to center.
The Marlins had two on with one out in the third, but Pepiot — making his season debut after recovering from an oblique injury that sidelined him for 3 1/2 months — got Bell to line into an inning-ending double play.
Pepiot struck out five in five innings. He allowed three hits.