By Zachary McMahon-
The Miami Marlins hosted the Arizona Diamondbacks in the series opener at LoanDepot Park in Miami, FL on Monday night. The Marlins spoiled a sweep from the New York Mets as they won 3-2 on Sunday, while the D-Backs were swept by fellow-Florida team the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Marlins designated Emmanuel Rivera for assignment, and selected the contract of right hander Adam Oller from Jacksonville to start in this game. Meanwhile Connor Norby was recalled to make his Marlins debut since being traded from the Baltimore Orioles on July 30, and sent George Soriano down to Jacksonville.
Ketel Marte was placed on the 10-day injured list for the D-Backs with a sprained left ankle, so Pavin Smith was recalled from Triple-A Reno.
Oller signed a minor league contract with the Marlins organization on July 9, six days after being released by the Cleveland Guardians organization for struggling at Triple-A Columbus with a 7.48 ERA. He made his debut with the Oakland Athletics in 2022, and then was released midway through the 2023 season after posting a 10.18 ERA in the majors. Oller made six appearances (three starts) for the Jumbo Shrimp where he had a 3-0 record with a 2.88 ERA. He had 4 2/2 innings pitched in his Marlins debut.
Oller did not allow a run in his first two innings of work, but the gates were swung open when Jake McCarthy and Loudres Gurriel Jr. were hit by pitches, and Smith walked. Rookie catcher Adrian Del Castillo, out of Miami, hit a grand slam for the D-Backs, as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead, he’s the eighth different player to hit a grand slam for the D-Backs this season, which includes fellow rookie Blaze Alexander. This is the second year in a row that two rookies have hit for the D-Backs as Corbin Carroll and Gabriel Moreno both hit them. Their eight grand slams tie for the second most in team history, in which they are tied with the 1999 season. Two years later, the D-Backs had nine grand slams as a team in their championship season in 2001.
Nick Fortes homered in the bottom half of the third, and then Joc Pederson brought it back to within four with a solo homer of his own in the fifth, as the D-Backs led 5-1.
In the bottom half, Xavier Edwards brought home Kyle Stowers on a groundout, while Stowers got the deficit to one run with an RBI single.
Del Castillo brought his RBI total to six with a two-run single in the seventh and McCarthy had a two-run homer in the eighth. He’s the second rookie ever to have six RBI in a game for the D-Backs, as former starting pitcher Micah Owings had six RBIs on August 18, 2007 against the Atlanta Braves, also that was the most RBIs by a pitcher in a game since Phillies pitcher Robert Person had seven RBIs against the Montreal Expos on June 2, 2002. Del Castillo has 14 RBI, which is tied for second most in a player’s first nine games in MLB history with Dale Alexander who did it for the Detroit Tigers in 1929. Mitchell Page had 15 in his first nine games for the Oakland Athletics in 1977. Del Castillo also got his first career stolen base in the seventh off Declan Cronin, who got two outs in the game, in which he now has 57.2 innings without allowing a homer to start the season, which is the longest streak in the MLB and the longest streak in Marlins franchise history.
Brett De Geus, who spent the second half of the 2021 season with the DIamondbacks relieved Oller in the fifth, for his fifth appearance for the Marlins since being called up on Aug. 9.
Kent Emmanuel had not allowed an earned run in his last four appearances, allowing the Del Castillo single in the sixth.
The Marlins tried to come back from a five-run deficit with a sacrifice fly by Fortes and an RBI double by Edwards, but it would not be enough as the Marlins lost 9-5.
The Marlins and D-Backs will play again tomorrow as Eduardo Rodrguez will go up against Edward Cabrera at 6:40 pm.
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