Graham Pauley delivered a big night at the plate, homering and tripling to drive in four runs, as the Miami Marlins defeated the Kansas City Royals 6-3 on Tuesday night.
Kyle Stowers also went deep for Miami, while Tyler Phillips provided a strong start on the mound as the Marlins continued their push for an NL wild card berth. Miami remains three games behind the San Diego Padres for the final National League wild card spot.
Phillips (4-6) was in control throughout his five innings, allowing just one hit while striking out four and walking two. Three Marlins relievers combined to surrender five hits while striking out two, with Tyler Zuber closing out the ninth inning.
Pauley, who was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville before the game for his fifth call-up of the season, immediately made his presence felt. The 25-year-old connected in the second inning for his second major league home run of the season, sending a two-run shot to right field to give Miami an early 2-0 advantage.
Stowers extended the lead in the fifth, launching a 412-foot home run to right field to make it 3-0. Pauley struck again in the seventh. His first triple of the season drove in two runs and ended the night for Royals starter Randy Dobnak, giving Miami a commanding 5-0 lead.
Javier Sanoja followed with a single to bring Pauley home, pushing the Marlins’ advantage to 6-0. Dobnak (2-3) lasted six-plus innings and allowed seven hits and six runs while striking out six and walking two.
Kansas City finally broke through in the eighth inning when Carter Jensen doubled home a run. Bobby Witt Jr. followed with a sacrifice fly, cutting Miami’s lead to 6-2.
The eighth inning also featured a bizarre sequence that led to Royals manager Matt Quatraro being ejected. Kansas City was initially awarded a run-scoring balk that would have made it a three-run game, but the umpires conferred and ultimately reversed the call. Quatraro was subsequently ejected while arguing the decision.
The Royals added one more run in the ninth when Nick Loftin homered, but Zuber closed the door before Kansas City could mount a serious comeback.
For Miami, the victory provided another important step in its postseason chase. Pauley’s power supplied the offensive spark, Stowers added another long ball, and Phillips’ five innings of one-hit baseball gave the Marlins the foundation they needed.
With the regular season entering its final stretch, Miami remains within striking distance of a playoff spot. The Marlins now turn their attention to the next game of the series as they continue their pursuit of San Diego and the final NL wild-card position.
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