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Marlins' Fernandez homers, wins in return from Tommy John surgery
MIAMI
This winter, after the Miami Marlins made various moves to upgrade their roster, the expectation was ace Jose Fernandez's return from Tommy John surgery would be a midseason boost. As long as the club stayed afloat, he would be the welcomed push for a possible postseason run.
On Thursday afternoon, Fernandez toed the rubber again without slugger Giancarlo Stanton, third baseman Martin Prado and first baseman Michael Morse in the lineup. Miami entered 13 games below .500 and fourth in the National League East.
All that negativity went away on #JoseDay as Fernandez tossed a quality start and catalyzed the decisive four-run fifth inning with a solo homer in a 5-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
The 22-year-old right-hander, who admitted to waking up at 6 a.m. and playing with his cat because of excitement, got emotional before his first pitch: a 94-mph fastball for a strike to Gregor Blanco. He had last pitched on May 9, 2014 in San Diego.
"'It's actually here, it's right now,'" Fernandez said of his thoughts as he walked onto the mound. "'This is what I've been hoping for the last 14 months.' I couldn't stop thinking about it, that life had given me another chance to be on the mound. It's given me another chance to do what I love. I almost teared up before I threw the first pitch. That's why it took me a little while."
San Francisco quickly jumped out to a two-run lead in the first. Blanco singled and Joe Panik doubled. Fernandez reared back to get Matt Duffy looking on a 99 mph fastball on the outside part of the plate. Buster Posey drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to right before Brandon Belt's two-out RBI bloop single to left.
Fernandez required 21 pitches (14 strikes) to get out of the first. Over his next five innings, he needed just 68 pitches for a total of 89 (68 strikes). Fernandez allowed three total runs — the other on a solo shot to right for Blanco in the fifth — on seven hits with six strikeouts (four on offspeed).
The 2013 NL Rookie of the Year, All-Star and Cy Young finalist called it "a lot of hard work and a lot of mental work" to throw his curveball since it was responsible for his injury.
"Early I think there were a lot of people who questioned would he be a little amped up," manager Dan Jennings said. "Quite honestly, he wasn't amped up. From my look he was trying to be a little too fine, a little perfect. His two seamer and his changeup were running off the plate arm side. He ended up with 21 pitches that first inning. That second inning he settled down into his rhythm, his tempo picked up and I think you got a chance to see the real Jose Fernandez.
"The way the ball was coming out of his hand, the Defector — as we like to say — was certainly in place. Really fun to watch him go through those second through six frames."
Down 3-1 in the fifth, Fernandez led off with a solo homer to left — the second of his career — against righty Matt Cain, who also made his 2015 debut. Fernandez, whose grandmother told him to hit a long ball, listened and connected on a 91-mph fastball.
As he rounded the bases, fans held up the giveaway — Fernandez's face on a stick — and erupted into a standing ovation. Fernandez teased Stanton, who went on the DL over the weekend and sat in the dugout, about where the ball landed in the Clevelander.
Much to the delight of the 32,598 fans in attendance, Fernandez acknowledged them near the railing, including his family just to the right of the Marlins dugout.
"I was trying not to talk to them during the game, but it was really nice to look to my right and see my family there supporting," Fernandez said. "They've been there for me the longest. They've seen me for the last 14 months. They mean the world to me."
A different cast of characters, including rookies Miguel Rojas and Justin Bour, helped make #JoseDay a special one in front of the fifth largest crowd of the season in a matinee matchup.
Later in the frame after Christian Yelich walked and Adeiny Hechavarria singled, Bour blasted a three-run homer — his third straight game with a dinger — that turned out to be the decisive swing.
Rojas, acquired in the deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers last November, collected his first three hits as a Marlin. He felt the energy inside the clubhouse as soon as Fernandez arrived. He could sense how important the day was for the town.
"Great pitcher; an ace," Rojas said. "Clayton Kershaw for the Dodgers. He's Jose for the team. If he's healthy, he's MVP caliber, too."
Added Yelich: "We've been doing all right. It's good to have him back. It's a team, there's 25 guys here. We all got to do our part and chip in. Every fifth day it's going to be nice to have him take the mound."
Though his outing didn't meet his expectations because of a couple of mistakes, Fernandez felt confident with the movement in all of his pitches and how his arm recovered after the game. He recorded two perfect frames in the second and sixth.
For the first time in 21 starts at Marlins Park, Fernandez permitted more than two earned runs. Still, he improved to 13-0 with a 1.23 ERA. According to Stats LLC and Elias, he tied the modern record for home starts without a loss to begin a career, joining David Palmer (1979-84).
More importantly, Fernandez helped his club record its second sweep of the season and first since April 24-26 at home against the Washington Nationals. Miami has won four of its last five.
Asked how the wait will be until his second start next Thursday against the Cincinnati Reds, Fernandez laughed it off.
"Guys, I think I'm really patient now after 14 months," Fernandez said. "I think seven days is going to pass by fine."
You can follow Christina De Nicola on Twitter @CDeNicola13 or email her at cdenicola13@gmail.com.
