Soler homers in 5th straight game, Marlins beat Angels 8-5 in 10 innings

By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Although the Miami Marlins survived Shohei Ohtani’s latest start and traded the lead with Los Angeles down the stretch, they were pretty much out of relief pitchers when they headed into the 10th inning.

Thanks to two big hits and two bad defensive plays by the Angels, the Marlins had just enough pitching to keep up their recent road surge.

Jorge Soler homered in his fifth consecutive game, and pinch-hitter Garrett Cooper had a tiebreaking double during the Marlins’ four-run 10th Saturday night in their 8-5 victory over Ohtani and the Angels.

Cooper hit a long fly to left-center off Jaime Barria (1-2), and Mickey Moniak couldn’t make the tough catch after sprinting to get under it. Miami scored another run when video review determined catcher Matt Thaiss hadn’t touched home plate while turning an inning-ending double play, and Garrett Hampson added a two-run single to punctuate the Marlins’ third win in four games.

“It’s a testament to what we’ve been preaching all year,” Cooper said. “We’re never out of games. It’s a different dynamic this year. It’s a different feel.”

Dylan Floro (3-2) pitched the ninth, and Bryan Hoeing finished it despite allowing a run in the 10th for the Marlins, who have beaten the Angels in consecutive games for the first time ever. Floro pitched in his third straight game, and Hoeing appeared in his fourth in a row.

“We were going to be in trouble, honestly, if it got past that inning,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “I don’t know what we would have done.”

Soler’s go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh was his 17th of the season — second-most in the majors — and 12th in May, tying Miami’s team record for the month. He is one game shy of Giancarlo Stanton’s franchise record of six consecutive games with a homer, set in 2017.

“It’s like Barry Bonds right now,” Cooper said. “If I was a betting man, I’d be putting a lot of bets on this guy.”

Gio Urshela hit a tying solo homer in the eighth and added an RBI double and an RBI single for the Angels, who have lost two straight after winning six of seven. Ohtani struck out 10 and gave up one earned run in six innings, but finished May with one victory in five starts.

Angels manager Phil Nevin lamented his team’s mistakes, but not Moniak’s drop in deep left-center with Mike Trout right next to him.

“Those are two of the best outfielders in the game, so I’m not going to beat on that one,” Nevin said. “We made plenty other mistakes that cost us tonight … and we didn’t score enough runs in regulation to get there.”

Ohtani had his fourth 10-strikeout start of the season while yielding six hits, all singles, but the two-way star still struggled with his control at key moments, yielding three walks. He also made a throwing error in the first inning that led to a run.

“He was great,” Nevin said. “Uncharacteristically threw the ball way in the first inning. … Once in a while, some things are going to happen. I thought he rebounded and he threw the ball very well.”

Ohtani went 0 for 4 at the plate with a walk and his seventh stolen base of the season.

Edward Cabrera pitched four-hit ball into the sixth inning for Miami, but walked four.

JOYCE ARRIVING

Nevin revealed after the game that he didn’t use Matt Moore because the reliever strained an oblique muscle Friday. He is headed to the injured list. The Angels are recalling 22-year-old Ben Joyce — a 6-foot-5 reliever who set a college baseball record last year by throwing a 105-mph fastball — for his major league debut.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins: LHP A.J. Puk threw a 20-pitch bullpen in Anaheim for his next step back from a left elbow injury. He’s been out since May 10.

Angels: 3B Anthony Rendon ran sprints to test his injured groin, which has sidelined him for two weeks. He will travel on Los Angeles’ upcoming road trip.

UP NEXT

Patrick Sandoval (3-3, 3.47 ERA) takes the mound Sunday for Los Angeles in the series finale. Miami’s 20-year-old Eury Pérez (1-1, 2.79), the 6-foot-8 rookie, makes his fourth career start after taking his first loss Tuesday in Colorado.

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