Yamamoto dazzles in debut as Marlins beat Cardinals 9-0

Jordan Yamamoto pitched seven innings to win his major league debut, and Garrett Cooper hit a grand slam and the Miami Marlins broke a six-game losing streak by beating the St. Louis Cardinals 9-0 Wednesday night.

Yamamoto, acquired last year in the Christian Yelich trade, allowed three hits and two walks and threw 95 pitches. The rookie also earned an RBI with a squeeze bunt.

Two relievers completed a three-hitter.

Yamamoto was recalled from Double-A Jacksonville to fill in for Jose Ureña, who went on the 10-day injured list with a strained lower back.

Cooper finished a double shy of the cycle, and pulled a two-out inside fastball that was off the plate for a grand slam in the second inning against Miles Mikolas (4-7).

An off-target throw to first cost the Cardinals a chance to turn an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. Curtis Granderson, batting .181, then drew a two-out walk before Cooper hit his sixth homer and second career grand slam, with both coming in the past three weeks.

Cooper tripled and scored in the first inning, and singled in the fifth. He struck out in the seventh and eighth.

Mikolas gave up five runs in five innings and lost his fifth decision in a row.

Granderson hit a three-run homer in the eighth. The laugher was quite a change for the Marlins, who totaled 10 runs during their losing streak.

Yamamoto mixed speeds and threw strikes, but the Cardinals had several hard-hit outs against him. Their best threat came with runners at the corners and none out in the fourth, when the rookie right-hander escaped with a foulout by Marcell Ozuna and a double play grounder by Yadier Molina.

Yamamoto was acquired in January 2018, and Yelich went on to win the National League Most Valuable Player award for the Milwaukee Brewers.

NATIVE STATE

Yamamoto, born in Hawaii, wore jersey No. 50. When he notched his first strikeout, the stadium PA system played the theme from “Hawaii Five-0.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: RHP Ryan Helsley faced two batters in the sixth and then left the game accompanied by a trainer. … Barring a setback, INF Jedd Gyorko (strained lower back) is expected to be activated Tuesday, when he’s eligible to come off the 10-day injured list.

Marlins: 3B Martin Prado (tight right hamstring) pulled up while running out a groundout in the third and left the game. His status is day to day. … Ureña went on the IL retroactive to Sunday.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Jack Flaherty (4-3, 4.08) is scheduled to start Thursday to begin a four-game series at the New York Mets. RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon (0-0, 1.80) is scheduled to make his second start of the season Friday as a replacement for the injured Adam Wainwright.

Marlins: Following a day off, RHP Trevor Richards (3-6, 3.31) is scheduled to start Friday to begin a three-game series at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Richards is 3-1 with 1.09 ERA in his past four starts.

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