Aug 26, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez (6) looks on from home plate after scoring against the Boston Red Sox during the second inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Sam Navarro
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Otto Lopez took off from first base, looking to advance into scoring position to give Joe Mack a better opportunity to drive him in and extend the Miami Marlins’ early lead on the Boston Red Sox.
As Lopez slid into second base, Red Sox catcher Connor Wong’s throw bounced past shortstop Andruw Monasterio, off Lopez’s head and into the outfield.
The mad dash was on.
Lopez sprinted to third, rounded the bag and safely slid headfirst underneath a throw home from Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela.
Thirteen seconds of chaos and heads-up baserunning — something the Marlins had lacked at points the first two games of this series (and, because of their overall aggressive approach, a lot this season) — gave Miami an insurance run.
The Marlins held on to beat the Red Sox 4-0 on Wednesday at loanDepot park to avoid a series sweep and keep pace with the teams they are chasing in the National League wild card race as the season enters its final month. Miami is now 68-66 on the season and remains four games back of the San Diego Padres for the NL’s third and final wild card spot with 28 games left to play.
Lopez then experienced a bit of deja vu in the eighth, reaching on a single, stealing second again and getting to third on a throwing error. He scored one batter later when Boston first baseman Nick Sogard bobbled Owen Caissie’s ground ball. A Javier Sanoja two-out single later in the inning capped scoring.
It was a pair of needed big moments for Lopez, who has struggled as of late after a breakout start to the season led to him being named a first-time All-Star. Lopez entered Wednesday hitting just .228 with a .554 on-base-plus-slugging mark since the All-Star break after entering the break with an MLB-leading .334 batting average to go along with an .874 OPS. He has not hit a home run since the break.
And they came in one of the main areas where he has continued to be among the team leaders: Stolen bases. The steals were his 28th and 29th of the season (second only to Esteury Ruiz’s 29) and team-leading 11th and 12th since the All-Star break. Miami as a team stole six bases on Wednesday: two by Lopez, three by Sanoja, one by Heriberto Hernandez.
The Lopez runs put Miami up 3-0 on the Red Sox (73-60). Heriberto Hernandez opened scoring with an RBI single in the first that scored Kyle Stowers, who led off with a single and moved to third on a Griffin Conine groundout coupled with a Sogard throwing error.
It was enough support for a makeshift Marlins pitching staff, which had several relievers unavailable to pitch Wednesday. Ryan Gusto threw 5 2/3 shutout innings while scattering four hits, walking three, hitting two and striking out two. Victor Vodnik followed with 1 1/3 scoreless frames to get Miami through the seventh.
Marlins manager Clayton McCullough then went to Janson Junk, who has only been used as a starter all season and threw 4 2/3 innings on Sunday. Junk pitched a perfect eighth and Dax Fulton tossed a scoreless ninth to secure the Marlins’ 13th shutout of the season.
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Miami Herald
Jordan McPherson covers the Miami Hurricanes and Florida Panthers for the Miami Herald. He attended the University of Florida and covered the Gators athletic program for five years before joining the Herald staff in December 2017.