Marlins set franchise record with 11-run 5th inning, shut out Brewers in series opener

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Garrett Cooper had two hits and scored twice during Miami’s franchise-record, 11-run fifth inning, helping the Marlins pound the Milwaukee Brewers 16-0 on Tuesday night.

Cooper matched a career high with four hits and scored four times, leading the way as last-place Miami rolled to its 12th win in its last 17 games. Cooper, Starlin Castro and Brian Anderson homered, and rookie Harold Ramirez continued his hot start with two hits and two RBIs.

Every player in Miami’s starting lineup had at least one hit, scored at least once and drove in at least one run. Even pitcher Pablo López got into the act, hitting an RBI double in the fifth that drew a hearty round of boos from the Miller Park crowd of 25,364.

Milwaukee had won five of seven. But it was shut down by López (4-5) and three relievers, finishing with six hits in its worst loss of the season.

It was already 4-0 when Chase Anderson (3-1) was pulled after four ineffective innings. And it only got worse for the Brewers from there.

Miami collected three doubles and six singles while sending 15 batters to the plate in the fifth. After Castro struck out, nine consecutive batters reached safely before Ramirez grounded out for the second out.

Cooper, a sixth-round draft pick by the Brewers in 2013, led off with a single and scored on Ramirez’s double. He also singled in López and scored on Castro’s double, making it 13-0.

When the inning ended on Jorge Alfaro‘s strikeout against Corbin Burnes, Milwaukee’s second pitcher of the inning, the crowd cheered sarcastically. Brewers manager Craig Counsell turned to Hernán Pérez for the ninth, and the utilityman worked a perfect inning in his sixth career pitching appearance.

López matched a career high with seven strikeouts in six innings. The right-hander allowed three hits and walked one.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins: OF Peter O’Brien (bruised left rib) and INF-OF Jon Berti (strained left oblique) have started throwing and hitting programs. … C Chad Wallach remains in the concussion protocol.

Brewers: INF Travis Shaw (right wrist strain) was activated from the injured list. He started at third and went 2 for 3 with a walk.

UP NEXT

Jimmy Nelson starts Wednesday for Milwaukee in his first major league appearance in almost two years. The right-hander is coming back from shoulder surgery after he got hurt in September 2017 on a dive back into first after rounding the base on a single. Sandy Alcantara (2-5, 4.08 ERA) pitches for Miami.