Five strong innings from Janson Junk and a big-time hit by Connor Norby help Miami tie the series at one game apiece.
Despite receiving just 3.1 innings from their starting pitcher, the Miami Marlins emerged victorious Saturday night, defeating the Los Angeles Angels 6–1 at Angel Stadium.
Cal Quantrill, the lone Major League free agent signed by Miami this offseason, delivered a serviceable outing in his eighth start of the year. Entering the game with a 6.37 ERA across 41 innings, the Canadian right-hander had shown signs of improvement in his previous start on May 18 (5 IP, 1 ER). On Saturday, Quantrill kept the Marlins in the game once again, allowing just one earned run on three hits over 3.1 innings, with no walks and two strikeouts.
He was lifted after 46 pitches in the fourth inning following a double and a walk—an early hook by manager Clayton McCullough. “We got to a point early in the game where we felt might be a turning point and given all the arms we had out in the bullpen, we felt it was the right time to get Ronnie in the game.”
Ronny Henriquez took over in relief and successfully escaped the jam, preserving the 1–1 scoreline.
Earlier in the day, Miami selected the contract of right-hander Janson Junk, who had been excellent in the Triple-A Jacksonville rotation with a 2.78 ERA over 45.1 innings. The 29-year-old made a strong Marlins debut, tossing five innings of one-run ball to earn the well-deserved save.
“He was terrific,” McCullough added. “He continued to pound the strike zone with his deep arsenal, which is what he was doing in Jacksonville as well.”
Unlike Friday night, when Miami tallied 14 hits but managed only two runs, the offense capitalized on its opportunities Saturday. RBI singles from Ronny Simon and Eric Wagaman gave the Marlins a 3–1 lead before Connor Norby delivered the decisive blow. With two runners on and two outs in the seventh, Norby launched a 1–2 changeup from Angels reliever Caden Dana over the left field wall for a three-run homer, extending Miami’s lead to 6–1.
“This is a really good team and a really fun offense,” Norby said postgame. “We feed off each other every single night and that’s what makes it fun.”
The win ends the Angels’ eight-game winning streak and gives the Marlins a chance to take the series in Sunday’s finale. Right-hander Edward Cabrera is slated to start for Miami, with first pitch scheduled for 4:07 p.m. ET.