Jesús Luzardo pitched for eight innings without allowing any runs on just three hits, marking his longest career start as the Miami Marlins secured a 1-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. contributed to the sole run of the game with a home run, leading the Marlins to their third consecutive series win. The game wrapped up in a speedy 1 hour and 54 minutes.
Luzardo (2-3) recorded four strikeouts and retired 17 batters in a row until Gary Sanchez’s single in the eighth inning. Despite a late hit, Luzardo managed to maintain control, ending his strong performance by retiring Owen Miller with a fly-out to short right.
“For me, strikeouts aren’t the main focus,” Luzardo stated. “What’s crucial is pitching deep into the game, giving our team a chance to compete, and sparing the bullpen.”
In his three starts since returning from the injured list on May 11, Luzardo has only allowed two runs across 19 2/3 innings. He also emphasized that pitch accuracy matters more than fastball velocity.
“I’ve had conversations with experienced pitchers, and they’ve stressed the importance of pinpointing pitches over sheer speed,” Luzardo explained. “That’s what helps to secure outs efficiently.”
Tanner Scott handled the first two outs in the ninth inning before William Contreras got an infield single. However, Scott swiftly recovered, retiring Christian Yelich with a force out to secure his sixth save.
“It was a well-executed game, but Jesús was the standout,” praised Marlins manager Skip Schumaker. “He wasn’t just throwing pitches; he was pitching tonight.” The Marlins (17-34) have now achieved a 10-10 record for May.
“We’re not surprised by our recent wins,” Chisholm remarked. “We know we’re a strong team, and we need to continue playing solid and winning baseball, which is exactly what we’ve been doing over the past few weeks.”
