Home|Sports|‘Jazz’ goes deep on Mother’s DaySports
Marlins lose on dramatic walk-off three-run home run by Padres’ pinch hitter
Sheldon LongleySend an email2 days ago 343 3 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email
The spectacular sophomore season of Bahamian professional baseball player Jasrado ‘Jazz’ Chisholm Jr. in the majors continued on Sunday as he belted his fifth home run of the year, giving the Miami Marlins a 2-0 lead against the San Diego Padres in Southern California, but they couldn’t hold on as they fell 3-2 on a dramatic walk-off three-run home run from Jorge Alfaro.
The Marlins were an out away from salvaging the final game of a four-game set with the Padres as a shutout was in order for the second day in a row, but Alfaro had other plans. The Padres’ pinch hitter jumped on the first pitch he saw, with two out in the bottom of the ninth, an 85.4 miles per hour (mph) slider from Marlins’ right handed reliever Cole Sulser, and deposited it over the wall in left center field for the dramatic three-run walk-off home run.
Up until that blast, Marlins’ pitching were shutting out the Padres at Petco Park in San Diego with scattered hitting through eight and two third innings, and the Padres hadn’t scored in the series for 20 consecutive innings. Still, the Padres managed to win the weekend series three games to one and trailed the Los Angeles Dodgers by just a game in the standings in the National League West Division of Major League Baseball (MLB) up to press time. They have a 19-10 win/loss record, while the Dodgers were 18-7 up to press time, with a game against the Chicago Cubs pending.
The Marlins (13-15) dropped to third in the National League East Division, six games behind the front-running New York Mets (20-10) and just percentage points behind the World Series Champions Atlanta Braves (14-16). They suffered three hurtful one-run losses to the Padres over the weekend, 2-1 on Thursday, 3-2 on Friday and 3-2 again on Mother’s Day on Sunday on Alfaro’s walk-off home run. They won 8-0 on Saturday.
As for Chisholm, the Bahamian now has an 11-game hitting streak, and has hit safely in each of the Marlins games in May. In his last 13 games, Chisholm is batting .340 – 18-for-53 with two home runs, nine RBIs and 10 runs scored.
In the series over the weekend, he batted .235, going 4-for-17 at the plate with one home run, two RBIs (runs batted in) and three runs scored. On Mother’s Day on Sunday, Chisholm finished with a solo home run in four at-bats.
The flashy Bahamian was adorned in pink paraphernalia in celebration of Mother’s Day on Sunday, as all MLB players were. For the season, the 24-year-old left-handed slugger is batting .310 with five home runs, 21 RBIs and 16 runs scored.
Chisholm’s first at-bat wasn’t a good one on Sunday as he struck out on three pitches. He struck out again in the top of the third before connecting for his fifth home run of the year in the top of the sixth. In his final at-bat of the day, one inning later, Chisholm flew out to Padres’ center fielder Trent Grisham.
Chisholm is among the leaders in a number of offensive categories in the majors.
The Marlins’ leadoff hitter leads the league in triples at three, he’s tied for sixth in steals with six, tied for sixth in slugging percentage (SLG) at .621, eighth in on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) at .975, in a four-way tie for eighth in RBIs at 21, and he’s top 20 in batting average at .310.
Chisholm’s unique combination of power, speed, hand-eye coordination, athleticism and overall game awareness has him recognized as one of the more impactful players in Major League Baseball. His name is now a household one across the United States, excelling in America’s favorite pastime.
The Bahamian was recently recognized as the most electrifying player in the majors by Ben Verlander of FOX Sports and as the best second baseman in the game by National MLB Columnist Joel Reuter. He is already a frontrunner for a spot in the 2022 MLB All-Star Game, the 92nd edition of the classic, on Tuesday July 19 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.
On the field,Chisholm is just as flashy as he is at the plate. He has 43 putouts and 58 assists in 103 total chances this season. He has helped turn 14 double plays and has a fielding percentage of .981.
It was hurtful loss for Chisholm and the Marlins on Sunday, but now they have to put that behind them and prepare for the Arizona Diamondbacks who they face in a three-game series, stating this evening at Chase Field, in Phoenix, Arizona. They will be off on Thursday and then return to LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, for a nine-game homestead – three against the Milwaukee Brewers, three against the Washington Nationals and then three against the Braves.