Marlins All-Star Kyle Stowers drove in five runs and hit a pair of home runs — including a walk-off two-run blast in the 10th inning — to lead the host Miami Marlins to an 8-7 win over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.
Royals left fielder John Rave, a 27-year-old rookie, had a big game with his first two career homers and four RBIs. Adam Frazier, acquired from the Pirates on Wednesday, added a two-run, two-out, pinch-hit double in the top of the 10th that was soon overshadowed by Stowers.
Miami is 20-10 over its past 30 games.
Stowers slugged a two-run homer and blooped an RBI single in his first two at-bats. Stowers’ third-inning single improved him to 8-for-8 with four homers, four singles, one hit-by-pitch, one walk and nine RBIs over consecutive 10 plate appearances.
He finished Friday’s game going 3-for-5 with five RBIs. He is the first player in Marlins history to hit five homers in a two-game stretch.
Neither starter earned a decision.
Miami’s Sandy Alcantara allowed eight hits, two walks and four runs in six innings, striking out two.
Kansas City’s Seth Lugo allowed eight hits and five runs — both season highs — in six innings. He struck out five without walking anybody.
There was a scary moment in the third inning as Agustin Ramirez hit a deep drive to left-center. Rave caught the ball a split-second before center fielder Kyle Isbel undercut him, and the two players collided.
Both remained in the game, however.
Miami opened the scoring in the first as Jesus Sanchez clubbed a solo homer on a high sinker, and Stowers slugged his two-run shot following a Ramirez single.
The Marlins increased their lead to 5-0 in the third. Xavier Edwards started the rally with a leadoff double that one-hopped the wall in left-center. Otto Lopez drove him in with a one-out double that bounced high off the wall in left-center before Stowers capped the rally with a two-out bloop RBI single.
The Royals got on the board in the fourth as Maikel Garcia and Salvador Perez opened the inning with singles. With one out and runners on the corners, Nick Loftin picked up an RBI with a chopped single to third that bounced about 20 feet high.
Four pitches later, Rave slugged a three-run homer, cutting Kansas City’s deficit to 5-4.
Rave homered again in the ninth, tying the score 5-5 and resulting in Calvin Faucher’s blown save.
After Frazier’s big hit in the top of the 10th off Lake Bachar (5-0), the Marlins scored three of All-Star closer Carlos Estevez (4-3), with Ramirez singling home Derek Hill before Stowers’ winning blast.
–Field Level Media
