MIAMI – Garrett Cooper and Jean Segura homered, newly acquired relievers Jorge López and David Robertson played key roles and the Miami Marlins beat the Detroit Tigers 8-6 on Sunday.
López (5-2) got the last two outs in the seventh and Robertson closed with a perfect ninth in his Marlins debut for his 16th save.
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“I’m trying to continue doing what I’ve been doing all season long,” said Robertson, acquired from the New York Mets late Thursday.
Garrett Hampson had a double, two singles and two RBIs, while Avisáil García tripled and singled for the Marlins. Miami’s Luis Arraez went 0-for-3 with a walk and his major league-leading batting average dropped to .377.
Tigers star slugger Miguel Cabrera doubled and walked in his last appearance in Miami. The 40-year-old Cabrera, who will retire at the end of the season, played his first five seasons with the Marlins. He was replaced for a pinch-runner after reaching on a walk in the seventh and received one final round of cheers.
“Oh, it’s unbelievable,” Cabrera said of the ovations throughout the series. “I want to appreciate everybody, want to say thank you because they gave me something special in my career to remember all my life. It’s gonna be in my top-five moments of my career.”
Cooper’s two-run shot in the seventh put the Marlins ahead 7-6. He drove a 1-2 pitch from Tigers reliever Tyler Holton (0-2) over the wall in left-center for his 13th homer.
“He threw a curveball that kind of laid in there with two strikes,” Cooper said. “I kind of sped up my bat and put a good swing on it.”
The Marlins increased their lead on Segura’s solo blast in the eighth.
The series win was the Marlins’ first since the All-Star break, when they had an NL wild card-leading 53-39 record. The Marlins returned from the break and lost eight straight before winning four of their last six.
“We needed to win that series,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “I never say ‘must win’ but heading into a big series against Philly and a 13-game stretch, this is a big homestand. Getting on track of winning the first series was important.”
Detroit squandered an early four-run lead and regained the advantage on Kerry Carpenter’s two-run single in the seventh to make it 6-5.
The Marlins erased a 4-0 deficit with a four-run fifth against Tigers starter Tarik Skubal. Yuli Gurriel hit an RBI-single and scored on Nick Fortes’ double. Hampson then added a game-tying two-run double that culminated a nine-pitch plate appearance.
Skubal’s outing ended after he retired Arraez on groundout for the second out in the fifth. The left-hander had faced the minimum through the first 4 1/3 before he gave up four runs and six hits.
“Overall, up and down the lineup, a really good job by the offense to come back after what looked like might be a long day,” Schumaker said.
Cabrera hit a two-RBI double that capped a four-run third against Marlins starter Jesús Luzardo and put Detroit ahead 4-0. Spencer Torkelson and Javier Báez had run-scoring singles in the early outburst.
Luzardo was lifted after 4 2/3 innings. He gave up four runs, seven hits, walked three and struck out three.
BUSQUETS THROWS FIRST PITCH
Former Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets threw the ceremonial first pitch before the game. Busquets joined Inter Miami FC shortly after the MLS club signed his ex-Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi.
ROSTER MOVE
The Marlins activated García from the injured list and optioned OF Dane Myers to Triple-A Jacksonville. García had been inactive because of left back tightness since April 28.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: OF-DH Jorge Soler was given the game off. Soler, who leads the club in homers with 24, is on a 12-game homerless skid that includes 18 strikeouts.
UP NEXT
Tigers: Have not announced a starter for the first of a three-game road series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday.
Marlins: RHP Edward Cabrera (5-6, 4.74) will start the opener of a four-game home series against Philadelphia on Monday. The Phillies will go with Taijuan Walker (11-4, 4.06).