The Miami Marlins captured their first series win of the MLB season by beating one of the best pitchers in baseball.

With Clayton Kershaw on the mound in Los Angeles, Wednesday's rubber match with the Dodgers was expected to be a blowout for the reigning National League (NL) champions, but Miguel Rojas had other plans. 

Kershaw walked his fifth and sixth batters of the game in the fifth inning before Rojas came to the plate with two outs. Rojas connected with the first pitch he saw from Kershaw – a fastball – and blasted it over the left-field wall to give Miami a 3-0 lead.

The Marlins went on to win 8-6 as Trevor Richards out-pitched Kershaw by holding the Dodgers to just one hit over 4.2 innings with 10 strikeouts. Miami relievers did enough to hold the lead as Miami added a pair of runs in the eighth and ninth off Scott Alexander and Kenley Jansen. 

Kershaw was pulled after the fifth inning having allowed three runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and six walks. He still owns a 2.84 ERA this season but the Dodgers now sit one game below .500. 

TIGERS LIFT

The Detroit bats broke out in a big way in game one of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Pirates' Jameson Taillon. Six Tigers starters recorded at least two hits led by Miguel Cabrera and Nicholas Castellanos' four apiece. In all, the Tigers scored 13 runs on 20 hits while Francisco Cervelli kept the game interesting with six RBIs for the Bucs in the 13-10 result.

Jon Gray did not let Coors Field affect him in a 5-2 win over the Padres. The Rockies right-hander struck out 11 while allowing just three hits (all singles) and one walk over six shutout innings. 

POOR GIANTS

Nationals slugger Matt Adams plated six as Giants pitchers allowed a season-high 15 runs, the most runs the club has allowed since 2016 against the Rockies (17 runs). Of the Nationals’ 15 runs scored, 14 were scored with two outs. 

The Mets had an ugly string of events during the middle innings of a 9-1 loss to the Cardinals. Three errors lead to four unearned runs for starter Steven Matz.

ACUNA SHINES

Top prospect Ronald Acuna Jr. recorded his first MLB hit and scored his first big-league run in the Braves' 5-4 win over the Reds.

WEDNESDAY'S RESULTS

Seattle Mariners 4-3 Chicago White Sox
Houston Astros 5-2 Los Angeles Angels
Colorado Rockies 5-2 San Diego Padres
Washington Nationals 15-2 San Francisco Giants
Detroit Tigers 13-10 Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates 8-3 Detroit Tigers
New York Yankees 7-4 Minnesota Twins
Atlanta Braves 5-4 Cincinnati Reds
Tampa Bay Rays 8-4 Baltimore Orioles
Philadelphia Phillies 5-3 Arizona Diamondbacks
Boston Red Sox 4-3 Toronto Blue Jays
Cleveland Indians 4-1 Chicago Cubs
Miami Marlins 8-6 Los Angeles Dodgers
Texas Rangers 4-2 Oakland Athletics
Milwaukee Brewers 6-2 Kansas City Royals
St Louis Cardinals 9-1 New York Mets

DIAMONDBACKS AT PHILLIES

Matt Koch (0-0, 1.13 ERA) and Ben Lively (0-1, 4.64) will battle in Thursday's game, broadcast live on Facebook. Both pitchers are coming off one-run outings but Arizona tagged Lively for three runs last season.