Alfaro’s 4 RBIs help carry Marlins over Padres 9-3

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jorge Alfaro homered, doubled and drove in a career-high four runs for the Miami Marlins, who beat the San Diego Padres 9-3 on Sunday in a game delayed 28 minutes after a swarm of bees settled on a microphone on the netting near the home dugout.

Trevor Richards (3-5) held San Diego to one hit in five scoreless innings while striking out eight for the Marlins, who won two of three. Miami outscored San Diego 18-6 in the final two games.

With the Padres trailing 9-1, they had rookie third baseman Ty France pitch the ninth and he allowed just a single. Austin Hedges, who got the day off from catching, played third.

Hunter Renfroe homered twice for San Diego and drove in three runs.

With Padres rookie Josh Naylor about to bat with two outs in the third, players began scattering because of the bees. Alfaro headed to the dugout and umpire Gerry Davis moved back from the plate.

Eventually all the players left the field. An exterminator in a beekeeping suit climbed a ladder and sprayed the bees. He then used a shop vacuum cleaner to remove the dead bees and the grounds crew tidied up the area.

Naylor flied out to end the inning.

There was bee delay of 52 minutes on July 2, 2009, against the Houston Astros at the downtown ballpark, which opened in 2004.

Harold Ramirez had three hits and two RBIs, and Brian Anderson had three hits and scored twice.

Alfaro hit a two-run homer with two outs in the second, his ninth, off left-hander Matt Strahm (2-5). He added a two-run double in the fourth.

Garrett Cooper hit a solo homer with two outs in the third, his fourth.

Strahm hit Garrett Cooper with a pitch and allowed Brian Anderson’s single before being pulled. Matt Wisler came on and allowed Starlin Castro’s sacrifice fly and Harold Ramirez’s RBI single.

The Marlins added on in the seventh on Castro’s RBI double and Ramirez’s run-scoring single.

Strahm allowed seven runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings, struck out five and walked none.

Renfroe homered off Wei-Yin Chen with one out in the seventh and added a two-run shot in the ninth off Jeff Brigham. Renfroe has 17.

UP NEXT

Marlins: RHP Pablo Lopez (3-5, 4.99) is scheduled to start Tuesday night in the opener of a series at Milwaukee, which is due to counter with Chase Anderson (3-0, 3.31).

Padres: LHP Eric Lauer (4-4, 4.45) is scheduled to start the opener of a three-game home series against the Philadelphia Phillies, who are expected to counter with RHP Aaron Nola (6-0, 4.18).