Early home runs steer Marlins past Brewers

Bryan De La Cruz and Jake Burger homered during a three-run first inning on Friday as the visiting Miami Marlins beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-2 in the opener of a three-game series.

Josh Bell added a solo shot leading off the ninth for Miami to close the scoring. Bell, De La Cruz, Burger and Nick Fortes each had two hits for the National League-worst Marlins, who have won three of their past four games.

Miami left-hander Trevor Rogers (2-9) limited Milwaukee to two runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out one without walking a batter.

Anthony Bender pitched 1 2/3 hitless innings in relief before Huascar Brazoban tossed a perfect eighth.

Tanner Scott worked around a single and a walk in the ninth inning to wrap up the Marlins' win.

Rhys Hoskins hit a solo home run for the NL Central-leading Brewers. Jackson Chourio and William Contreras had two hits apiece as Milwaukee fell to 4-2 since the All-Star break.

De La Cruz and Burger connected in the first against Brewers starter Freddy Peralta (6-6), who was charged with five runs, three earned, on six hits over 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander walked five and fanned four.

The Marlins went up 2-0 when De La Cruz cranked his 18th home run to left field two batters after Jazz Chisholm Jr. drew a leadoff walk. Burger bashed his 13th homer just as deep into the left field bleachers with two outs to make it 3-0.

Miami added two more runs in the third inning on shortstop Willy Adames' two-out error.

With the bases loaded, Adames bobbled De La Cruz's routine chopper and threw late to first base. Fortes scored from third, while Chisholm raced around from second to make it 5-0.

Milwaukee scored its first run on Hoskins' 16th homer, leading off the bottom of the third. Gary Sanchez's sacrifice fly in the fourth inning pulled the Brewers within 5-2.

Bender pitched the Marlins out of the sixth after Rogers allowed a leadoff double to Chourio.

Jesus Sanchez kept Miami up by three an inning later when made a snowcone catch against the right field fence on Jake Bauers' long drive with a runner on first.

--Field Level Media