Miami, FL – Mark Buehrle went eight innings, Hanley Ramirez and Donnie Murphy both hit a two-run homer and the Marlins downed the Cubs, 9-1, on Wednesday.
Buehrle (1-2) allowed one run on six hits, did not issue a walk, struck out five and added an RBI single for the Marlins, who have won a season-high three straight, including the first two of this three-game series.
Murphy finished with three RBI and Gaby Sanchez went 3-for-5 with an RBI double.
Matt Garza (1-1) allowed six runs on seven hits over five-plus innings in defeat. Ian Stewart knocked in the lone run for the Cubs, losers of four straight.
Garza was in the midst of a career-high five-game winning streak which dated back to last season, but Murphy followed a John Buck walk with a blast to left in the third and Ramirez belted a two-out, two-run homer to left-center in the fifth. It marked Ramirez's fourth home run of the season and his third in as many games.
Sanchez scored Giancarlo Stanton and chased Garza with a double in the sixth. Later in the frame, Buehrle singled off of Lendy Castillo, scoring Sanchez and Jose Reyes added a sac fly, making it 7-0.
Jeff Baker began the seventh with a double, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Stewart's groundout, but Murphy pushed another across with a sac fly in the bottom half. Reyes then led off the eighth with a triple and crossed the plate on Chris Coghlan's groundout to cap the scoring.
Game Notes
Garza's win streak dated back to August 30 of last season...Buehrle finished 1-for-4 at the plate. Reyes went 2-for-4.
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