Trevor Rogers’ stellar outing leads Miami Marlins over Diamondbacks to begin series

Trevor Rogers handed the ball to manager Skip Schumaker and started making his way to the dugout. The Miami Marlins’ left-handed pitcher’s start had come to an end after allowing back-to-back hits to start the seventh inning, the only time he had allowed multiple runners to reach base in an inning on Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

As Rogers walked off the field, the loanDepot park crowd gave him a rousing ovation. He tipped his teal cap back.

Rogers’ effort in the Marlins’ 5-1 win Friday to begin a three-game series with the Diamondbacks — and to put Miami at .500 with a 7-7 record — was one more reminiscent of his 2021 season when he was an All-Star and the runner-up for the National League Rookie of the Year than it was his 2022 season when he struggled more than he succeeded.

“It’s huge for him,” catcher Jacob Stallings said. “If we get the Trevor that he’s capable of being, it’s a huge weapon for our team. He’s just really good and he showed it tonight.”

On Friday, Rogers gave up just one run over six-plus innings on five hits and a walk. He struck out seven and landed 65 of his 96 pitches for strikes.

Rogers allowed no more than one baserunner in each of his first six innings of work and never allowed a runner to get into scoring position in that span. He struck out multiple batters in three of those innings and got strikeouts on three different pitches — three with his sinker (a new pitch this year) and two apiece with the changeup and four-seam fastball.

Schumaker on multiple occasions since the season started has stressed the importance of Rogers filling up the strike zone. He did that Friday, and it paid off.

“I know I have good stuff and if I’m not in the zone, it’s not going to play,” Rogers said. “I think you can say that for every pitcher. I think it’s just a trust factor. That’s probably the biggest thing for me: Really trusting my stuff and knowing how good it plays in the zone and being confident to put it in the zone consistently.”

Huascar Brazoban relieved Rogers in the seventh and allowed just one of the two inherited runners to score, with Longoria making it home on a Gabriel Moreno RBI fielder’s choice.

Dylan Floro pitched a scoreless eighth and A.J. Puk capped the game with a scoreless ninth.

Rogers and the Marlins’ pitching staff got all the run support they needed in the fourth inning, when Miami strung together four consecutive two out hits to plate all five of their runs, all against Diamondbacks starter Madison Bumgarner.

It started with a Jacob Stallings single up the middle that scored Avisail Garcia from second base. One pitch later, Garrett Hampson hit an RBI double to left that barely missed clearing the wall. Two pitches after that, Jon Berti hit a two-run double. And five pitches after that, Garrett Cooper capped scoring with an RBI single to center field.

Cooper and Bryan De La Cruz each had three hits.

Arizona falls to 8-6.

Schumaker talks Archie Bradley

The Marlins on Wednesday signed veteran relief pitcher Archie Bradley to a minor-league deal, a move that Schumaker is excited about.

Bradley, 30, has a career 3.92 ERA, 480 strikeouts and 32 saves over eight MLB seasons spent with the Arizona Diamondbacks (2015-2020), Cincinnati Reds (2020), Philadelphia Phillies (2021) and Los Angeles Angels (2022).

He only made 21 appearances in 2022 before breaking his elbow when he fell over a railing during a benches-clearing brawl during a late June game between the Angels and Seattle Mariners.

“He’s good,” Schumaker said. “A former closer. When you have former closers in your bullpen, that’s what really good teams have in their bullpens — former closers throwing in the sixth, seventh, eighth innings. They’ve been there before, been in leverage spots, pressure situations. I feel like he got a raw deal with the injury and bench clearing brawl. Maybe lucky us, you know. We’ll see how he does. He’s been building up the right way and he’s ready for an opportunity. We’ll see how he looks in the minor leagues as far as being built up, but anytime you can add a former closer, it can only help you.”

Injury updates

▪ Second baseman Luis Arraez, who injured his left index finger on a slide into home plate in the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies, was not in the starting lineup Friday out of precaution. The anticipation is that he will be back in the lineup Saturday.

▪ Right-handed pitcher Sixto Sanchez (right shoulder) is scheduled to throw in an extended spring game on Saturday.

▪ Right-handed pitcher Johnny Cueto (right biceps) is scheduled to throw a bullpen in Jupiter on Saturday.

▪ Left-handed pitcher Steven Okert (left adductor) is scheduled to make his third rehab appearance with Triple A Jacksonville on Saturday.

▪ Right-handed pitcher JT Chargois (right oblique) is still not throwing.

▪ Infielder Joey Wendle (right intercostal) is hitting off a tee and taking part in defense drills.