Anderson pitches Diamondbacks past Marlins, 6-1
MIAMI (AP) Chase Anderson worked diligently to improve his two-seam fastball during spring training and he used it to keep the Marlins' hitters off-balance.
Anderson allowed four hits in a career-high eight innings and the Arizona Diamondbacks dealt Miami its sixth straight loss with a 6-1 victory on Wednesday night.
''Chase did a wonderful job tonight,'' Arizona manager Chip Hale said. ''He mixed his pitches. I thought early in the game his fastball was electric. He was feeling it.''
David Peralta drove in three runs and A.J. Pollock stole second, third and home, finishing with three of the Diamondbacks' six stolen bases. He had three hits and scored four times.
''If it's there, we'll take it,'' Pollock said of the steals.
Anderson (1-1) picked up his first win of the season in eight starts. He walked one while striking out two. Anderson pitched into the ninth and left the bases loaded with nobody out, but Brad Ziegler was able to finish off the Marlins allowing just one run to score.
''I just attacked the strike zone,'' Anderson said, crediting his fielders.
''They're such a good defense. When you utilize those guys, getting ahead on strikes and the guys putting the ball in play, you get a lot of outs that way.''
The Marlins have lost nine of 10 overall and all three games under new manager Dan Jennings.
''This is going to turn, but we're in a storm right now,'' Jennings said. ''It's frustrating.''
David Phelps (2-1) allowed four runs, five hits, and three walks in five innings.
''No one in this clubhouse signed up to lose so you're not going to see any smiles on faces when we're losing,'' Phelps said. ''We're ready to start winning some games.''
The retractable roof was open for the second straight night. Miami is 1-3 with the roof open.
''(Chase) was really sweating the whole game,'' Hale said. ''I kept telling him, `Go change your jersey. Go change your undershirt.' He wouldn't do it. I think he felt that he was home back in Texas with the humidity.''
A groundout by Peralta opened the scoring and Nick Ahmed doubled down the third-base line with the infield in to give Arizona a 2-0 lead. Anderson's groundout scored Ahmed.
The Diamondbacks pushed the lead to 4-0 after Pollock stole home as Phelps (2-1) threw to first in an attempt to pick off Peralta, who was on his way to second base. First baseman Michael Morse's throw home was late.
''That was a mistake,'' Hale said. ''That was not a plan. It looked great because we scored a run, but that was a mistake.''
Pollock said: ''It was worth the risk and I'm glad it worked out.''
Pollock also stole second and third base and scored on a sacrifice fly by Peralta in the seventh. Pollock is the first Arizona player to steal second, third, and home in a game.
The six stolen bases for Arizona off of catcher Jhonatan Solano were the most since they had six against Atlanta on Aug. 3, 2000.
''We were stealing off their pitchers,'' Hale said. ''The catcher didn't have anything to do with it.''
Peralta's RBI single in the ninth capped the scoring for Arizona.
The Marlins' Dee Gordon had his batting average dip below .400 for the first time since April 27 following an 0-for-3 night. Gordon is now hitting .395.
Martin Prado singled to start the fifth for the Marlins' first hit.
LOOKING FOR SPECIAL RECIPE
Jennings made changes in the lineup, notably with Marcell Ozuna batting second and Prado hitting in the cleanup spot to help spark a struggling offense.
''Sometimes you've got to move pieces here or there until you get the right formula,'' Jennings said. ''I'm sure the colonel tried a lot of recipes before he came up with his secret one for the chicken so we're going to keep working it until we find ours.''
TRAINER'S ROOM
Diamondbacks: RHP David Hernandez (elbow) is now planning on making two rehab appearances with Double-A Mobile this weekend, delaying his return to the big league club.
Marlins: RHP Mat Latos (left shin contusion) still plans on making his next start on Thursday after leaving Saturday's game following a line drive off of his shin. ''I've had two or three conversations with him, he feels good, he's strong, bullpen went well,'' Jennings said. ''He'll be ready to roll.''
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks: RHP Archie Bradley (2-1, 3.27 ERA) will take the mound in Thursday's series finale. Bradley will be looking to get back on track after taking a comebacker of his face on April 28. He allowed four runs in two innings on May 16 at Philadelphia in his return from the injury.
Marlins: Latos (1-4, 5.54) is 4-1 with a 2.61 ERA in eight career starts against Arizona.