Miami Wins Inner City Field of Dreams Game At loanDepot Park

Box Score

Monday morning’s contest between the Hialeah Thoroughbreds and the Miami Stingarees was far from an ordinary baseball game, and not just because of the early start time. Participating in the Inner City Field of Dreams Game, the two teams faced off at the home of the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Behind the strength of a big day at the plate, Miami stormed to a 9-2 victory.

The Stingarees (12-4) jumped right into the lead with three runs in the first, and then pulled away with a five-run second inning. Hialeah (8-6) answered back with two runs in the bottom of the second, but the Thoroughbreds were unable to draw any closer. Miami then tacked on one final run in the fifth.

Getting the chance to take first swings in an environment such as this proved to be an advantage for the Stings, as the first three batters all reached base. Justin Miranda led off with a walk, Jonathan Barban stroked a double to center and then Darvin Linarte got his team out in front for a lead it never surrendered with an RBI single to center.

Linarte had a monster day, going 3-for-4 with four RBI and two runs.

A sac-fly RBI off the bat of Bryan Avellan plated Miami’s second run, as courtesy-runner Marlon Malianos tagged up and scored. Jhuseph Mejias then stroked a shot to center and turned on the wheels for an RBI triple and a 3-0 advantage.

It was Miranda who got things going again an inning later, as he singled up the middle with one out. Barban followed with a single, and then it was Linarte who earned a triple on a liner to left field that drove in both base runners. Walks to Avellan and Mejias loaded the bases, and Arriaza also worked a free pass that pushed across another run. Avellan came in on a wild pitch, and Samuel Bort-Batista also came through with an RBI walk.

Hialeah averted the shutout with both their runs with their next swings. Jack Cabrera legged out an infield single and Jordan Ricardo reached on a bunt single. Joel Castano then sacrificed his bat and moved both runners into scoring position, where David Suarez rewarded that sacrifice by putting the ball in play and reaching on an error that allowed both runners to cross the plate.

Miranda collected his second hit of the day in the fifth, before coming home on an RBI single from Linarte that closed out the scoring.

Santiago Espana went the distance on the mound to earn the win for Miami. The freshman allowed four hits and a walk, while recording seven strikeouts.

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