MIAMI -- The Marlins wouldn't be one of the Majors’ surprise teams without production from their rookies.
Twenty-two rookies have appeared in a game for the Marlins this season, one shy of the Athletics for the most in MLB. Thirteen have debuted in 2025 -- also one behind the A’s.
It was more of the same in Miami's 6-4 victory over Houston at loanDepot park on Wednesday, as Heriberto Hernandez and Graham Pauley homered while righty Lake Bachar collected the save.
Though Miami had its stretch of six consecutive series wins snapped, the ballclub avoided its first sweep since June 2-4 vs. Colorado, and has gone 33-20 during this span.
The Marlins now embark on an 11-game, three-city trip, beginning on Thursday in Atlanta.
“We're going to go down there and put the foot down,” Pauley said. “Today was a big win. You don't want to have a sweep and then get swept. We won the homestand, went 4-2, and I think we're going to go down there and just do the same thing we've been doing, play good baseball and do little things right.”
Miami’s lineup featured six rookies in Wednesday’s series finale, and nearly all of them contributed in some way.
Agustín Ramírez produced a sacrifice fly in the second, singled and stole a pair of bases in the fourth, walked in the fifth and singled again in the eighth. Liam Hicks hit a ground-ball RBI single in the first. Marlins No. 10 prospect Jakob Marsee doubled, walked and picked up his first career steal.
During Miami’s three-run, six-hit first inning, Hernandez capped the scoring with an RBI single. He added a solo shot in the third, sending righty Spencer Arrighetti’s four-seamer over the left-center wall to make it a 5-2 ballgame. Hernandez also walked in the fourth to load the bases.
Hernandez has flown under the radar this year, belting six homers and tallying 20 RBIs in 42 games.
In a crowded outfield, with All-Star Kyle Stowers in left, Marsee starting every game in center since being called up last Friday and a revolving door in right, Hernandez is vying for playing time.
With Stowers serving as the club’s designated hitter on Wednesday, Hernandez got the start in left and took advantage of the opportunity.
“The support is coming from different directions: from coaches, the players as well,” Hernandez said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “Around this clubhouse, we support each other a lot. We're trying to find our best version and improve ourselves every day. So every day, it's pretty much like a good day to have a good one.
“I think that connection started with Spring Training. Of course, for many of us, it was the first time meeting each other. It was a connection that happened immediately. There's many of us [that] also played together in Triple-A, so again, it's something that is [a] good connection, and all we think is to win games. That's our mentality.”
After Houston scored a run against righty Janson Junk in the fifth, Pauley took righty Héctor Neris deep to right-center to open the bottom half of the frame.
Pauley, who has been starting on a near-daily basis with third baseman Connor Norby sidelined, didn’t miss Neris’ four-seamer for his second homer since last week.
“I made a few swing changes,” Pauley said. “I think one thing is, just confidence going into each and every at-bat. Try not to make the moment bigger than what it is. Not chase as much, put good swings on pitches that I should, and I think that's helped a lot.”
After eighth-inning defensive heroics from Calvin Faucher and Xavier Edwards maintained a two-run lead, Bachar entered to pitch the ninth. Manager Clayton McCullough had already used high-leverage relievers Faucher, Anthony Bender (sixth) and Ronny Henriquez (seventh).
Bachar worked around Jose Altuve’s two-out single by striking out Christian Walker to pick up his second career save.
“Every day up here, every experience they gain, they just store it away,” rookie manager McCullough said. “One, it helps solidify their belief that they know they can play here, and that's on an individual basis. ‘I know I can come up here and I can compete.’ And then from a team standpoint, a game like today is great, and we had a big weekend. [The] last couple days, we just got beat in a lot of areas.
"And then today, to come back and do enough on the mound, make some really good defensive plays and offensively, to have a much better performance than we had, is a great sign.”