​Rewritten: MIAMI (AP) — Kyle Stowers launched a homer, Otto López continued his torrid pace with a 40th multi-hit game, and the Miami Marlins shut out the Seattle Mariners 2-0 on Wednesday night. Tyler Phillips (2-3) delivered five strong innings, permitting four hits on 71 pitches, as three relievers closed out Miami’s fifth consecutive win. The Marlins own the best record in the majors since June 1 at 25-8.
López finished 2-for-4, raising his average to .345 and becoming the first player since Houston’s Jose Altuve in 2014 to post 40 multi-hit games before the All-Star break. His fifth-inning double tied Luis Arraez’s 2023 mark for the most hits by a Marlins player before the All-Star break at 126. Xavier Edwards contributed an RBI triple on a two-hit night. Reliever Cade Gibson tossed two perfect innings, and Michael Petersen worked the eighth. Pete Fairbanks navigated past Josh Naylor’s one-out single in the ninth to earn his 13th save.
Stowers provided the early spark, leading off the second by driving the first pitch from George Kirby (7-8) over the center-field wall for his 12th homer. Edwards’ third-inning triple made it 2-0. López reached on a two-out single and sprinted home when Edwards lined a ball that caromed to the warning track in right.
Kirby allowed two runs and eight hits over six innings. He fanned seven and has yielded two runs in each of his last three starts. The injury bug also bite the Marlins, as slugger Owen Caissie, who turned 24 on Wednesday and is tied for second on the club with 12 homers, exited in the second with right calf tightness.
On the Mariners’ side, RHP Bryce Miller (4-2, 1.71 ERA) is slated to start Thursday as Seattle tries to avoid a three-game sweep. RHP Janson Junk (3-5, 4.80) will toe the rubber for the Marlins.