Giancarlo Stanton’s season is in jeopardy due to a groin strain and he will be absent when the Marlins visit the Cincinnati Reds for the opener of a four-game series on Monday.Stanton was injured on the last play of Saturday’s 8-7 loss to the Chicago White Sox, and an MRI on Sunday revealed a Grade 3 strain of the groin. The 29-year-old suffered the loss against San Francisco on Wednesday despite surrendering one run in five frames and has scattered nine hits across 14 1/3 innings in his last six appearances.
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Stanton, who went 3 for 5 on Saturday night, leads the Marlins in home runs (25) and RBI (70).
The Marlins won without Stanton on their first try when Yelich threw out pinch-runner Carlos Sanchez trying to score from second base on a two-out hit in the ninth inning.
It took an additional run-scoring single by Marcell Ozuna off former Marlin Jacob Turner to provide the winning margin as Tim Anderson hit a solo homer off Fernandeo Rodney in the ninth.
Chris Sale (14-6) allowed five runs in 6 2/3 innings.
“When I saw it looked like he got shot”, Mattingly said. “It’s frustrating. It would be frustrating for anybody”. Last June, Stanton fractured his left hamate bone, limiting him to just 74 games.
Miami trailed 2-0 before scoring three times in the fifth, thanks to four consecutive singles and an RBI bunt by Ichiro Suzuki that caught the White Sox napping.
Andino started at second base Sunday for Dee Gordon, who was given the day off to rest according to Mattingly.
Sale said he was guilty of a brain cramp.
“I’ve got to be at home plate for that”, Sale acknowledged. The hit raised Koehler’s average to.103.
The Marlins attacked the White Sox starting pitchers on Saturday and Sunday, but they couldn’t come through on Friday.
Andino’s first hit since May 21, 2013 sparked a three-run fifth inning when the Marlins rallied from a two-run deficit.
With runners at first and second, Tyler Saladino singled to left, but Yelich charged to field the ball on one hop and threw on the fly to catcher Jeff Mathis, who blocked the plate and tagged Sanchez for the game-ending out.
Melky Cabrera, the Sox’s most consistent hitter, was on deck, but McEwing said he would “take that chance every time” and manager Robin Ventura agreed.
If the Marlins did sign A-Rod, he would play first base in place of Bour although he has only played first base once in his entire 22-year career. “It was a great throw”.
The victory averted a series sweep and provided a morale boost for the Marlins, who put Stanton and left-hander Adam Conley on the disabled list before the game.
On top of the groin injury, Stanton has dealt with a hip injury this season.
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Koehler allowed three runs in six innings. Phelps is 1-2 with a 3.43 ERA and 18 strikeouts in his career against the Reds.
