MIAMI (AP) – Jordan Yamamoto pitched seven innings to win his major league
debut, and Garrett Cooper hit a grand slam and the Miami Marlins broke a
six-game losing streak by beating the St. Louis Cardinals 9-0 Wednesday night.
Yamamoto, acquired last year in the Christian Yelich trade, allowed three hits
and two walks and threw 95 pitches. The rookie also earned an RBI with a squeeze
bunt.
Two relievers completed a three-hitter.
Yamamoto was recalled from Double-A Jacksonville to fill in for Jose Urena, who
went on the 10-day injured list with a strained lower back.
Cooper finished a double shy of the cycle, and pulled a two-out inside fastball
that was off the plate for a grand slam in the second inning against Miles
Mikolas (4-7).
An off-target throw to first cost the Cardinals a chance to turn an
inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. Curtis Granderson, batting .181, then drew a
two-out walk before Cooper hit his sixth homer and second career grand slam,
with both coming in the past three weeks.
Cooper tripled and scored in the first inning, and singled in the fifth. He
struck out in the seventh and eighth.
Mikolas gave up five runs in five innings and lost his fifth decision in a row.
Granderson hit a three-run homer in the eighth. The laugher was quite a change
for the Marlins, who totaled 10 runs during their losing streak.
Yamamoto mixed speeds and threw strikes, but the Cardinals had several hard-hit
outs against him. Their best threat came with runners at the corners and none
out in the fourth, when the rookie right-hander escaped with a foulout by
Marcell Ozuna and a double play grounder by Yadier Molina.
Yamamoto was acquired in January 2018, and Yelich went on to win the National
League Most Valuable Player award for the Milwaukee Brewers.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: RHP Ryan Helsley faced two batters in the sixth and then left the
game accompanied by a trainer. … Barring a setback, INF Jedd Gyorko (strained
lower back) is expected to be activated Tuesday, when he’s eligible to come off
the 10-day injured list.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: RHP Jack Flaherty (4-3) is scheduled to start Thursday to
begin a four-game series at the New York Mets. RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon (0-0)
is scheduled to make his second start of the season Friday as a
replacement for the injured Adam Wainwright.
Jacob deGrom (3-6) starts for the Mets Thursday night. First pitch is at 6:10
with the pre-game at 5:15 on KTLO-AM.
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