Conine has 2 extra-base hits, outfield assist in 1st MLB start

DENVER -- Marlins outfielder Griffin Conine dwelled on his Major League debut, but he tried his best not to be too hard on himself as he replayed it over and over in his head.

Conine, who struck out against Rockies right-hander Tyler Kinley as a pinch-hitter during the ninth inning of Monday night’s loss, found himself in a similar situation less than 24 hours later.

With Miami trailing by four runs entering the ninth, Conine smacked a hanging slider to center for a double against Kinley. The next four batters also reached, culminating in Jesús Sánchez’s go-ahead three-run homer over the right-center-field wall vs. righty Angel Chivilli.

In a game the Marlins trailed by six after two innings, they chipped away at the deficit and then took the lead with a five-run ninth to rally for a 9-8 victory over the Rockies on Tuesday night at Coors Field.

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“Collectively, I think we're very young, a very young group of guys,” Sánchez said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “I think they're doing an outstanding job, they're doing a great job. I'm very happy for them, and I congratulate them, and looking into the future, I think we have a bright future with this group.”

Providing the spark was Conine, who made history in the process.

By collecting two extra-base hits and an outfield assist in his first big league start, Conine became just the fourth Major Leaguer since the expansion era (since 1961) to have had multiple extra-base hits and an outfield assist in their first MLB start, and the first since Scott Brosius (Aug. 7, 1991), according to Elias Sports Bureau.

“A really good all-around game,” manager Skip Schumaker said. “Almost threw out another guy at second base. That throw out at home [in the fourth] ended up being a pretty big play, winning by one run. It didn't look like it at the time, but it ended up being a really big play by Griffin. I think it started with the walk, honestly. He had a really good walk his first [at-bat today], kind of calmed him down. You could see him just kind of be able to breathe. …

“He's a strong kid, and you can hear how excited the clubhouse is for him. He's worked hard for this moment, and it's a game that he'll definitely never forget.”

The 27-year-old Conine’s first hit -- a sixth-inning triple off the right-field wall, which is 16 feet and 6 inches high -- would’ve been a home run at every other Major League ballpark.

“Yes and no,” Conine said of whether he thought it was a homer. “It was kind of like an out-front swing. Just kind of threw the bat out there, didn't smoke it. But at the same time, knowing we're at Coors and how the ball flies here, I thought it was a good chance. I was about ready to coast into second, and saw how far it kicked, and then I was like, ‘I’ve got to get to third on this.’ So big flurry of emotions there, rollercoaster sort of, but just glad I made it to third.”

Here are some other factoids from Tuesday’s victory:

• Conine connected on a curveball from righty Cal Quantrill, who had success against him last year in the Minors, for his first hit. Conine’s father, Jeff, faced Cal’s dad, Paul, in 19 plate appearances (17 at-bats) in the Majors (2-for-17 with two walks).
• With his outfield assist, Conine became the fourth Marlin to record one in his first career start, joining Jesus Tavarez, Mark Kotsay and Jerar Encarnacion. His dad orchestrated the most famous outfield assist in Marlins history to end Game 4 of the National League Division Series.
• Conine and Kyle Stowers became the 10th and 11th Major Leaguers to tally a triple and an outfield assist in the same game this season. The last Marlin to do so was Sánchez on Aug. 25, 2023.
• Since at least 1974, no teammates had each notched a triple and an outfield assist in the same game before this, per Sportradar.
• Stowers went deep for the first time as a Marlin in his 24th game with them.

• Jonathan Bermúdez’s Major League debut and Mike Baumann’s club debut extended the franchise record to 64 players appearing in a game for the Marlins this season.

• Miami is Baumann’s fifth club in 2024, which ties Oliver Drake (2018) for an AL/NL record.

• The Marlins are the second MLB team in the modern era to trail by four-plus runs in the ninth and come back to win three times in the same season, according to STATS.
• The Marlins are the second MLB team in the modern era to trail by four-plus runs in the ninth and come back to win twice vs. the same team in the same season, according to STATS.