CHICAGO — Jesus Luzardo’s pitch count started to run high and his leash was probably getting short. He had lost an 11-pitch battle with Patrick Wisdom with one out in the seventh inning when pitching Mel Stottlemyre Jr. made a quick visit to the mound.
At that point, Luzardo once again buckled down. He got Nico Hoerner to pop out in foul territory before striking out Ian Happ on four pitches.
Luzardo punched his left hand into his glove twice and let out a yell of excitement as he walked back to the dugout with his best start since joining the Miami Marlins — and arguably the best start of his young MLB career — completed.
