Following a rough start on Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds in which he surrendered six runs in five innings, Miami Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco rebounded with a solid performance against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday afternoon.
Nolasco worked eight innings surrendering one run on five hits, striking out 11 batters with a commanding curveball that he was able to locate across the plate. Perhaps his best start of the season, Nolasco cemented a 2-1 victory for the struggling Marlins.
Despite a record of 3-5, Nolasco has served as one of the bright spots for the last-place Marlins squad, boasting a solid 50/14 strikeout to walk ratio and a respectable 3.96 ERA in 61.1 innings of work.
Miami right fielder Marcell Ozuna broke the game open with a two-run double in the sixth-inning, scoring Adeiny Hechavarria and Derek Dietrich and giving the Marlins a 2-0 lead.
The victory snapped a seven-game losing streak for Miami, who have lost eight of their last ten games. Miami owns the worst record in the NL at 12-32, sitting 13 games behind the NL East division leading Atlanta Braves.