Boston Red Sox pitcher Nick Pivetta had the Marlins’ number all day. The 31-year-old pitcher tallied 10 strikeouts and two walks in seven innings and was close to making history on July 4th.
With just one out remaining in the bottom of the seventh inning, Pivetta hadn’t allowed a hit all game. If he could pull off the no-hitter, it would have been the first against the Marlins since Jordan Zimmerman’s no-no in 2014.
“It didn’t look good for seven innings,” said Marlins manager Skip Schumaker. “Pivetta was outstanding today. His fastball at the top, slider/sweeper combo and big curveball gave us a lot of trouble today. [He] did really well to keep us off-balance.”
It appeared like Pivetta would roll through the Marlins lineup a couple more times, on his way to making the top of SportsCenter. But on his first pitch to Jesus Sanchez with two outs in the seventh, Pivetta left the ball in the outer middle of the plate.
Instead of attempting to pull the ball like he might have done earlier in his career, Sanchez hit it opposite field. The ball traveled over the head of Red Sox center fielder Jarren Duran and ricocheted off the bottom portion of the wall in left-center field. Sanchez, running as fast as his 222-pound frame would allow him, made it to third base safely, giving the Marlins momentum in a game in which they had none.
While the triple didn’t result in any runs, the hit marked a turning point for the Marlins during the game despite their eventual 6-5, 12-inning loss. During the next inning, center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. and designated hitter Bryan De La Cruz drove in two runs to tie up the game.
During the ninth inning, after hitting a double to right field, Sanchez almost scored the game-winning run, but was called out on a controversial call at home plate when Duran made a clean throw home to catcher Reese McGuire, who the Marlins thought was blocking the plate. Schumacher challenged the play but the call stood.
“I thought [the catcher] was potentially blocking the plate,” Schumaker said. “That’s why we challenged it. But [the umpires] said he gave him a lane.”
Then, when Miami found themselves down two in the bottom of the eleventh inning, Sanchez homered to center field to tie up the game once again.
While the game ultimately ended in a loss and series sweep, Sanchez’s bat has continued to be the most consistent in the Miami lineup. Since May 29, the 6-3 right fielder has hit .280, accumulating seven home runs, eight doubles and 15 RBI.
“Last month [he’s] been really good,” Schumaker said. “Maybe the overall numbers don’t show what he’s been doing lately, but it has been really good. He’s driving every single pitch [whether] it’s off-speed [or] fastball.
According to Sanchez, keeping a relaxed attitude has paid dividends toward his play on the field.
“I’m just trying to enjoy the game as much as I can,” Sanchez said after the game. “You know, even on days I don’t want to smile, I force myself to have a big smile over there. I’m enjoying the game every time and that’s what I want to do.”
Sanchez has seen a noticeable dip in his pull percentage since the start of his career. In 2022, he possessed a pull percentage of 41.9 percent. Entering Thursday’s game, that number had dropped to 28.4 percent.
“He was going the other way more last year,” Schumaker said. “Our hitting guys started challenging him not just to be a one dimensional type of hitter because he can go the other way with ease.”
“My mentality is always middle out,” Sanchez said. “Anytime I’m hitting and there’s something inside and you see me pulling, it’s just full reaction. But always my mentality is middle out.”
Sanchez made his major league debut during the shortened 2020 season, and because of his short tenure in the league, Schumaker emphasized that the right fielder still has a lot of room to grow.
“He could be a really good hitter,” Schumaker said. “He’s still developing in this league. He’s only a third or fourth year player and I still think he can even be better, especially against lefties.”
