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Fernandez Helps Marlins Snap Royals' 9-Game Winning Streak

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MIAMI (AP) — Jose Fernandez pitched seven innings and appeared to avoid a serious injury when he tweaked his right leg on his final pitch Wednesday night, helping the Miami Marlins beat Kansas City 3-0 to snap the Royals' nine-game winning streak.

Fernandez (13-7) pulled up after striking out Christian Colon to end the seventh, and rubbed his right knee before limping to the dugout.

The Marlins pinch-hit for him in the bottom of the seventh, and no injury was announced. Fernandez was laughing with teammates in the dugout in the ninth inning and joined in the postgame celebration on the field.

His nine strikeouts increased his season total to 213, breaking the Marlins record of 209 set by Ryan Dempster in 2000. Fernandez allowed six hits and won for the first time since July 23 to snap his three-game losing streak, a career worst.

Fernandez also had the Marlins' first two hits, hiking his average to .286, and improved to 27-2 at Marlins Park.

Christian Yelich broke a scoreless tie in the sixth with a two-run single.

The Royals went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position against Fernandez. They loaded the bases in the second, but Fernandez escaped by retiring Paulo Orlando and Colon. Their first two batters singled in the sixth, but Alex Gordon struck out and Alcides Escobar bounced into a double play.

Orlando struck out in all four at-bats against Fernandez.

Fernando Rodney pitched around two singles and walk in the ninth for his 25th save and eighth with Miami. He was helped by a spectacular leaping catch by shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria to rob Escobar.

Dillon Gee (5-7) allowed only two of the first 18 batters to reach — and both times it was Fernandez. He had an infield single in the third and another single in the sixth, when Gee proceeded to unravel.

The Marlins collected four consecutive singles, the last of them Yelich's hit off reliever Peter Moylan. Marcell Ozuna followed with a sacrifice fly.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Marlins: LHP Wei-Yin Chen (sprained elbow) threw a bullpen session for the first time since being sidelined July 20, and he's on schedule to return in mid-September. ... Ozuna was back in the lineup after leaving Tuesday's game to be with his pregnant wife, who became ill and was briefly taken to the hospital. She and the baby were doing fine Wednesday, Ozuna said.

Royals: LHP Mike Minor, who has not pitched in the majors since 2014 after suffering a torn labrum in 2015, is being shut down for the year after struggling in several rehab starts.

UP NEXT

RHP Edinson Volquez (9-10, 5.04) is scheduled to face Marlins RHP Tom Koehler (9-8, 3.82) in the series finale. Volquez is 6-0 in seven career starts against Miami. Koehler is 3-0 over his past six starts with a 1.62 ERA.

(© Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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