Sánchez hits leadoff homer and game-ending triple to lift Marlins over Cubs 8-7

MIAMI (AP) — Jesús Sánchez hit a leadoff homer and a game-ending triple, finishing with three hits and four RBIs as the Miami Marlins came back to beat the Chicago Cubs 8-7 on Monday night.

Rookie catcher Agustín Ramírez also went deep in the first inning for the Marlins, who squandered two leads before Sánchez’s two-run triple won it with two outs in the ninth.

Miami was down to its last strike against reliever Daniel Palencia (0-1) when Derek Hill doubled on an 0-2 count and Javier Sanoja walked. Sánchez then hit a hard smash past first baseman Michael Busch and into the right-field corner, sending both runners home for the Marlins’ sixth walk-off win of the season.

After the Cubs took a 7-6 lead in the sixth, Valente Bellozo (1-2) threw three scoreless innings of relief for the win.

Miguel Amaya homered, doubled and drove in five runs for the NL Central-leading Cubs.

Recalled from Triple-A earlier in the day, Matt Shaw hit an RBI double that capped a four-run sixth against Marlins reliever Jesús Tinoco and gave Chicago a 7-6 lead. Moisés Ballesteros hit a run-scoring single and scored on Amaya’s two-run double.

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Cubs starter Ben Brown retired 12 straight until the Marlins chased him with a four-run fifth. Liam Hicks hit an RBI triple and Sanoja, Sánchez and Otto López added run-scoring singles.

Brown gave up six runs and seven hits while striking out seven in 4 2/3 innings.

Amaya’s three-run homer off Marlins starter Edward Cabrera in the fourth erased a 2-0 deficit.

Cabrera completed five innings of three run-ball. He allowed five hits and struck out seven.

Consecutive homers from Sánchez and Ramírez in the first put Miami ahead 2-0. Sánchez’s 409-foot drive to right-center was the first leadoff homer of his career.

Key moment

The Cubs threatened against Bellozo in the ninth on Seiya Suzuki’s one-out walk and Dansby Swanson’s two-out single. But he retired Nico Hoerner on a flyout to center.

Key stat

The four runs charged against Tinoco ended a string of 16 scoreless innings by Marlins relievers.

Up next

Cubs RHP Jameson Taillon (2-3, 4.53 ERA) starts Tuesday against Marlins LHP Ryan Weathers (1-0, 1.80).

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb