MIAMI (AP) - For the first time in a while, Jacob Turner pitched like the pitcher the Marlins believe he can be. He even got a win for it.
Turner won for the first time in 18 starts, pitching 6 1-3 scoreless innings to help the Miami Marlins beat the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 on Saturday.
“I hope it reaffirms the fact of how good of stuff that he has and that he can pitch and win at this level,” Marlins manager Mike Redmond said.
It was the best outing of the season for Turner (1-2). He struck out two and walked one while allowing eight hits. It was only the second time in six starts this season that the 23-year old former first-round draft pick has not allowed at least four runs.
“I feel like I’ve been pitching well the last three or four times out,” Turner said. “The results are the results, but I’m feeling confident out there and I feel like each time out I’m getting better.”
Turner’s last win was on July 10, 2013, against Atlanta. He had lost nine consecutive decisions.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jeff Baker drove in the runs for the Marlins, who have won three of four.
Steve Cishek recorded the final four outs for his 10th save in 11 chances.
Brewers starter Wily Peralta (4-4) allowed one run and six hits in six innings.
“It was a tough loss,” Peralta said. “When you pitch like that you want to win.”
Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun was in the lineup after missing Friday’s game with tightness in his right side and went 1 for 4.
A day after the teams combined for a Marlins Park-record seven home runs, runs were scarce.
“After last night’s game where the ball was flying out of here—that’s the beauty of baseball, you come out here and it’s a 2-1 game, every out is big, every at-bat is a big at-bat,” Redmond said.
Carlos Gomez, who had a pair of hits for the Brewers and is 9 for 14 in his last three games, was thrown out at third base to end the sixth inning when trying to advance from first on a base hit by Mark Reynolds. Braun was on his way to score easily from second, but left fielder Christian Yelich’s throw to third got Gomez before Braun crossed home plate preserving a 1-0 lead for the Marlins.
“I knew there wasn’t going to be any play at home and I knew Gomez was pretty aggressive on the bases,” Yelich said. “…I decided to make a throw at third and see what happened and I ended up getting him before the run scored.”
Home plate umpire Brian O’Nora immediately called off the run and took 40 seconds to review the play, which was upheld.
“A perfect throw,” Redmond said.
The Marlins scored in the bottom of the seventh for a 2-0 lead when Adeiny Hechavarria led off with a base hit, stole second, and then scored on a base hit by Baker.
Jonathan Lucroy’s RBI double off the right-field wall in the eighth cut the deficit to 2-1. Gomez struck out on a ball in the dirt, but reached second base on Saltalamacchia’s errant throw down to first base.
With runners on second and third, Cishek came on to strike out Scooter Gennett to end the inning.
“It was the perfect time to bring him in and he did a great job,” Redmond said.
Cishek allowed a two-out infield hit to Elian Herrera in the ninth before striking out Jean Segura for the final out.
“We got some hits today,” Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. “We didn’t get them until a little bit later on, but we did get some hits and we had base runners. We had a couple of chances; we missed the one with Gomie when he was thrown out. We didn’t score on that so that hurt obviously.”
Saltalamacchia provided the Marlins’ first run with an RBI double in the second inning scoring Casey McGehee.
NOTES: Roenicke is now 5-4 in challenges this season after losing the call in the sixth. … Before the game the Marlins placed LHP Brad Hand on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained right ankle and recalled LHP Dan Jennings from Triple-A New Orleans. … After the game Brewers SS Jeff Bianchi was outrighted to Triple-A Nashville to make room for RHP Jimmy Nelson, who will start on Sunday. … Miami will counter with LHP Randy Wolf as both Wolf and Nelson will be making their first starts of the season.
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