MIAMI (AP) — Connor Norby homered, doubled and singled, and the Miami Marlins snapped a five-game losing streak with a 7-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.
Jesús Sánchez also went deep and Jonah Bride had two hits for the Marlins, who began Sunday with an NL-worst record of 46-83.
Acquired from the Baltimore Orioles at the trade deadline on July 30, Norby has extra-base hits in his first six games since being called up from Triple-A on Monday.
“I’m just trying to keep it simple now, stick to my plan and approach,” Norby said. “Trust my work that I put in. Try to play team baseball. The more you focus on the team, I think it takes pressure off you individually.”
Marlins starter Adam Oller allowed one run and four hits over 5 2/3 innings. Oller (1-1) retired 11 straight before Cody Bellinger’s one-out walk in the sixth. Called up from Triple-A on Monday, Oller walked two and struck out six.
“It’s just a focus on getting ahead and attacking the zone,” Oller said. “First two innings I was trying to be a little too fine with certain things, which ran the pitch count up. The next three had to be a little quicker and it worked.”
Javier Assad (6-4) limited Miami to three runs and six hits in a season-high seven innings. The right-hander walked one and struck out three.
The Marlins broke it open with a four-run eighth against reliever Julian Merryweather. Bride hit an RBI single and Otto López and Kyle Stowers followed with run-scoring doubles. Derek Hill capped the outburst with an RBI single.
Another run was prevented by Chicago when Sánchez failed to touch first after he was intentionally walked to load the bases. The Cubs successfully appealed after Merryweather threw to first baseman Michael Busch.
“When guys don’t know the rules, that’s on me,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “That’s 100 percent my fault. If a player does not know or understand the rules then I have not delivered it. I’m assuming it won’t happen again now that it was exposed to him.”
Schumaker sent Cristian Pache to pinch run for Sánchez before the out was called.
“I had Pache go out there pretty early,” Schumaker said. “A lot of it is, too, is he saw Pache come out there. He probably thought, ‘I’m out of the game.’ But it’s not on him.”
A day after reaching .500 for the first time since June 5, the Cubs dropped to 65-66.
“It’s a good series, it’s a road win series, but had a chance to make it a great series today and couldn’t finish it,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “But winning series is a good thing and have to keep doing that.”
Homers from Norby and Sánchez in the first put the Marlins ahead 2-0. Norby homered for the second straight game as his leadoff drive cleared the wall in right.
“I was just trying to be aggressive early and that’s just kind of who I am as a hitter,” Norby said. “These guys are too good up here to hang around in at-bats.”
The Cubs narrowed the deficit on Christian Bethancourt’s RBI single in the second.
Miami regained the two-run lead in the third on Sánchez’s RBI groundout.
Chicago’s Patrick Wisdom was ejected by plate umpire James Jean after he argued a called third strike that ended the fourth.
Before the game, Miami Heat star center and two-time U.S. Olympian Bam Adebayo threw the ceremonial first pitch. Adebayo’s toss from the pitching rubber reached the plate and was caught by Marlins’ pitcher Sandy Alcantara.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cubs: LHP Jordan Wicks (oblique) threw 4 2/3 scoreless in his second rehab outing with Triple-A Iowa on Sunday. Wicks is scheduled to make another appearance with the minor league club before a possible return in September.
Marlins: INF Xavier Edwards (lower back discomfort) sat out his second consecutive game. ... Transferred OF Dane Myers (left ankle fracture) to the 60-day injured list. ... Selected the contract of LHP Jonathan Bermudez from Triple-A Jacksonville and optioned Jonathan Ramirez to the same minor league club.
UP NEXT
Cubs: RHP Jameson Taillon (8-8, 3.77) will start the opener of a three-game series at Pittsburgh on Monday.
Marlins: Begin a four-game series Monday at Colorado and RHP Edward Cabrera (2-5, 5.65) will start the opener.
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