Cooper smacks go-ahead HR, Robertson shuts door in win

MIAMI -- Manager Skip Schumaker hated to call the series-ending game against the Tigers a ‘must-win’ on Sunday afternoon. Yet with his Marlins in the Wild Card fight and the Phillies coming to town for a four-game set starting Monday, his squad certainly needed a victory.

It did not look good early -- or late for that matter -- but Garrett Cooper’s two-run homer in the seventh helped the Marlins pull away in an 8-6 victory over the Tigers at loanDepot park.

“With a long homestand,” Schumaker said, “winning the first series was important.”

Cooper’s shot with two outs in the bottom of the seventh gave the Marlins the lead back for good after Detroit had reclaimed it in the top of the frame. Jean Segura’s blast to center with one out in the eighth gave Miami an insurance run that closer David Robertson did not really need.

Robertson, acquired in a Trade Deadline deal with the Mets late Thursday night, got his first save with his new team in his first appearance with the Marlins.

“It’s fun being in a race like this,” said Cooper, whose team pulled back into a Wild Card position by taking two of three in the series. “Every day counts, every game matters and every win matters. The front office has shown they’re going to get some guys to help us and that makes us want to play better and make the playoffs and everything that comes with that.

“Coming off the All-Star break, perhaps guys were pressing too much for the first few games. To get this win, win the last one in Tampa, you can kind of get on a little roll.’’

Although many in the stands were cheering on Miguel Cabrera in his final series in Miami, the former Marlins star did some damage to his old team once more. Cabrera, who got two hits in Detroit’s 5-0 win on Saturday, capped a four-run second inning with a two-run double that gave Detroit a 4-0 lead off starter Jesús Luzardo.

Luzardo was pulled with two outs in the fifth down by that same score, only Miami roared back to life by scoring four of its own in the bottom of the inning as the Marlins finally solved starter Tarik Skubal. Skubal had faced the minimum through the first four innings but with one out in the fifth, Avisaíl García -- who was activated off the IL prior to the game -- tripled off the wall in right to get the Marlins going.

“First game back, huge triple to left,” Schumaker said of García. “You could feel the energy ignite us when he got the triple. It started a really big inning. … We needed to get something going and Avi was that spark plug.’’

Garrett Hampson tied it with a double before the Marlins eventually took a 5-4 lead in the sixth when Jon Berti scored from third after a wild rundown on a single from García.

“We are just a resilient team, love to fight back,” Luzardo said. “It’s great to see that we went down and they picked us back up. The hitters seem to always have our back and we are appreciative. We’re just trying to keep going.”

Although the Marlins had a number of good storylines come out of Sunday’s win, A.J. Puk’s continued struggles was not one of them. With Robertson replacing him as Miami’s closer, Puk was brought on with a one-run lead in the seventh.

After opening with a strikeout, Puk gave up a single and a double before walking Cabrera to load the bases. Kerry Carpenter’s single plated two Tigers to give Detroit the lead once more.

“I think he is going to be fine,” Schumaker said, “but we need him to be right because we’re really good when he’s right.’’

Jorge López, another Deadline acquisition, was able to put out the fire and picked up his first win with Miami. Up 8-6, Robertson came on and needed just 12 pitches to retire the Tigers in order. Robertson ended the game with a strikeout of Akil Baddoo -- who replaced Cabrera as a pinch-runner in the seventh.

“It was a big battle for us, a back-and-forth game the whole time,” said Robertson. “Started out down four and for this offense to take care of business, go out there and have great at-bats, drive each other in was fun to watch. It’s a good team. Hopefully we continue to do it.”