Marlins sweep

Marlins Sweep Orioles, Improve to 6-1

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The Miami Marlins completed a four-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night. The 8-7 victory felt different than the pitchers’ duels earlier in the series, but the Marlins completed the sweep thanks to timely hitting and great work from the backend of the bullpen.

The unlikely nature of this win streak comes as the team has reshaped their roster coming off of an 8-day quarantine in Philadelphia. The Marlins have won five games in a row, including the four-game sweep, despite making 36 different roster moves this week.

Bullpen Has Been Key

In 2019, the Marlins featured one of the worst bullpens in MLB. Miami relievers posted the fifth-worst ERA (4.97), strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.11) and save percentage (55.1). Their WHIP (1.45) was seventh worst. Relievers blew 22 save opportunities and surrendered a .235 batting-average-against and .343 on-base percentage.

It’s been a very different story thus far in 2020. The new-look Marlins bullpen has looked good. In the four-game series versus the Orioles, Marlins relievers surrendered just three earned runs and gave up seven walks over 18.2 IP. They registered 15 strikeouts over that span. The bullpen is 4-for-4 in save situations this season.

The pitching staff in total posted solid performances almost across the board. The Marlins limited Baltimore to 3-for-25 with runners-in-scoring-position. Marlins pitchers combined for 31 strikeouts over the 32 innings of the sweep.

Jordan Yamamoto struggled in his 2020 debut, but he did not issue a walk. Yamamoto’s problem seemed to be location, which led to several hard hits including a pair of home runs. Intriguing pitching prospect Jorge Guzman made his MLB debut and finished his first inning of work cleanly on six pitches. But his second inning of work saw him surrender two home runs, a walk and a hit-by-pitch.

Timely Hitting

The Marlins offense stayed relatively quiet through the first three games of the series but woke up on Thursday night. The team posted eight runs on 11 hits. Miami managed to go 4-for-12 with runners-in-scoring position and answered each Baltimore rally with one of their own.

Brian Anderson continued his hot start to the season going 2-for4 with a triple and three RBI. Jonathan Villar posted his first three-hit night as a Marlin, starting with a lead-off homer. It was Villar’s seventh career lead-off blast and the 14th time in club history that a Marlins home run came off the first pitch of the game.

Monte Harrison collected his first Major League hit. He reached base on an infield single in the sixth inning, and immediately registered the first stolen base of his career right after.

Speed and Versatility

The Marlins rolled out maybe the fastest outfield in franchise history with Harrison, Lewis Brinson and Magneuris Sierra to start the game. And that speed came in clutch throughout, as they were able to track down hard-hit fly balls and save runs.

Harrison’s running grab in the second limited the Orioles to just one run that inning. The Marlins took the lead back the following half-inning when Sierra’s sac-fly scored Brinson, who’d walked and reached third on a Logan Forsythe double.

Sierra flashed his speed in the fourth. After a HBP, Sierra scored from first on a soft single to right by Villar. His speed from first-to-third pressured Orioles RF Anthony Santander into a throwing error, and Sierra scored.

Marlins Sweep Orioles, but What’s Next?

The Marlins traveled to New York overnight ahead of a three-game set against the division rival Mets (5-8). The Mets have won two of their last three after dropping five in a row. They have some injury issues though, as Robinson Canó, Jeff McNeil and Amed Rosario have all missed games recently. This after Yoenis Cespedes opted out for the 2020 season.

Miami are scheduled to face RHP Michael Wacha (1-1, 6.00 ERA), LHP David Peterson (1-1, 3.86 ERA), and ace RHP Jacob DeGrom (1-0, 2.12 ERA) in the series.

The Marlins have yet to name their starter for Friday’s game, though recent call up LHP Daniel Castano (27-24, 3.76 ERA, 335 K, 59 minor league starts) could get the nod. Another option could be taxi squad player RHP Humberto Mejia (13-16, 240 ERA 268 K, 43 minor league starts).

The Marlins have five games remaining on this road trip and have a real shot to be at least 8-4 coming home. Prior to the season, Marlins manager Don Mattingly said: “In a 60-game season, there’s a lot of momentum. You go 8-4 out of the gate, you’ve played 20 percent of your season, and you put pressure on teams.”

Mattingly passed Jack McKeon on the all-time wins list for Marlins managers after securing his 282nd win with the Marlins sweep.

He downplayed tying McKeon for wins record prior to Thursday’s game.

“Jack did a tremendous job with the Marlins, coming in and getting a world championship. Jack’s the man. I can’t take it too serious knowing that our win percentage has not been very good while I’ve been here.”

Mattingly noted he’s been with the Marlins a while (this is his fifth season).

“Hopefully I’ve been through the worst,” Mattingly said. “I was happy Derek wanted me back this year because I wanted to finish the job, knew what kind of talent we had coming. I think continuity is part of creating consistency.”

Marlins win streak

5 Reasons For Unlikely Marlins Win Streak

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The Miami Marlins suffered through a week-long quarantine and eight-day hiatus from on-field baseball activities. The COVID-19 outbreak ripped through the clubhouse, particularly the bullpen, and ultimately required 18 players to be moved to the IL. This forced management to turn over the roster with waiver claims, free agent signings and prospect promotions. And despite all of that, the Marlins have resumed their season with an impressive three-game win streak (and four straight overall).

“Good to put some wins on the board,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said after the doubleheader on Wednesday. By sweeping the doubleheader, Mattingly pulled even with Jack McKeon for the most wins as a manager in franchise history (281).

Mattingly, in his fifth season with the franchise, started the season tied with Fredi Gonzalez at 276 wins on the all-time list. McKeon finished his career with a 281-257 record (.522) and a World Series title in 2003. A win Thursday would give Mattingly sole possession of the all-time mark for manager wins with the Marlins and push the team’s winning streak to five games.

The Marlins win streak has been a feel-good story for the club after an incredibly difficult week. Here’s a look at five reasons for the Marlins’ unlikely win streak.

Great Pitching

The COVID-19 outbreak decimated the team’s pitching staff. Eight of 12 bullpen arms and three starters were lost. President of Baseball Operations Michael Hill and his staff scrambled over the last week-plus to assemble a competitive staff with waiver claims, trades and free agent signings.

But the piecemeal pitching staff has been impressive.

The Marlins shut out the Orioles for the first 21.2 innings of the three games, including a pair of shut-out wins.

“It started with Pablo in the first game, he set the tone for the whole staff,” said Sterling Sharp, who made his MLB debut on Wednesday, throwing 1.2 innings. “We just fed off that. It’s a real contagious feeling once you see guys go out there putting up zeros. You want to match that.”

Pablo Lopez tossed five shutout innings with seven strikeouts on Tuesday in his season debut. Four bullpen arms followed, giving up just one hit and one walk, striking out four over four innings.

On Wednesday, Elieser Hernandez nearly matched Lopez’s performance. He pitched 4.1 scoreless, striking out five and didn’t surrender a hit until a one-out double in the fifth inning. Three relievers finished the game, allowing just one hit and one walk over the final 2.2 innings.

The nightcap of the doubleheader was entirely a bullpen game for the Marlins. Six pitchers combined to hold the Orioles to one run on four hits and four walks with seven strikeouts over the seven innings.

Josh A. Smith made the start in his Marlins debut and Sharp followed with his MLB debut. Brian Moran and Justin Shafer also appeared, with Shafer surrendering the lone run. And Stephen Tarpley closed the game with a save to extend the Marlins win streak to three.

“The bullpen,” Matting said. “What a day.”

Even position players have marveled at the performance.

“Our pitching has been incredible,” said Brian Anderson. “I don’t know how they go from throwing into a mattress and going out and getting big league hitters out like that. But whatever they’re doing, we’ve got to keep doing it.”

New Additions Hitting

While the pitching has been the story during this Marlins win streak, there’s been some timely hitting as well. Miami did just enough in the doubleheader to get the wins, after posting four runs on Tuesday night.

On Tuesday, catcher Francisco Cervelli started the scoring with a solo home run in the fifth inning. Jonathan Villar singled and scored, Corey Dickerson doubled and Jesus Aguilar hit his third home run of the season. He became just the third Marlin to hit three home runs in his first four games with the club, joining Derrek Lee (2002) and Cliff Floyd (1998).

On Wednesday, Anderson provided all the scoring for Game 1 with his solo homer. In Game 2, Villar scored on a sac-fly from Aguilar, and Jon Berti scored on an Anderson RBI single, all in the first inning. From there, the pitching held on.

It took the Marlins five games to connect on eight home runs this season. In 2019, the team didn’t hit their eighth until the ninth game of the season.

Veteran Leaders

The Marlins turned over much of their roster heading into 2020, then had to do so again after three games thanks to COVID-19. Many clubs could have folded under the pressure, but this team has not. Even prior to the shutdown, the Marlins fought back from a five-run deficit in Philadelphia after losing three teammates to the virus.

“In the clubhouse, you could feel the vibe from all the new guys,” Sharp said Wednesday. “They’re just coming in and they want to contribute. We’ve got a good vibe going. Everybody is excited. We want to push forward.”

Veterans like Cervelli and new closer Brandon Kintzler have stepped forward to mentor the younger players on the roster. Lewis Brinson mentioned Dickerson as being particularly useful source of hitting knowledge.

Miguel Rojas is the club’s unofficial captain. Even in quarantine, Rojas has been an uplifting presence for the team. And one of the other holdovers from the 2019 roster, Anderson, has also taken on a leadership role.

“All it’s about for us is trying to get wins,” said Anderson. “Just piecing them together any way we can.”

Defensive Versatility Helps Marlins Win Streak

Anderson demonstrated his leadership and versatility by taking on a new challenge in the second game of the doubleheader. Anderson started at first base for the first time in his MLB career. He said the only time he played first base was in an emergency situation while playing in the Arizona Fall League in 2016.

“We looked at our options at first and Andy was the best one,” Mattingly said. “He did a good job. Andy’s pretty athletic. Obviously, we’ve seen him at third. We’ve put him in right and he looks good. You put him in that crease out there in right-center in the shift and he looks good there. He’s good everywhere.”

This emergency situation necessitated Anderson’s move to first. With Garrett Cooper already on the IL, newly signed infielder Logan Forsythe unavailable and Aguilar taking DH, the Marlins options were limited.

Anderson’s multi-positional flexibility mirrors that of several other players on the roster. Villar can play 2B, SS, 3B and CF, and has appeared at three different positions in six games (as well as DH). Berti has similarly manned three different positions thus far. And newly promoted Eddy Alvarez took two different positions over the doubleheader.

Forsythe can play throughout the infield, and the team can plug Magneuris Sierra in any outfield spot. Once they’re back from the IL, Cooper, Harold Ramirez and Sean Rodriguez all have positional flexibility as well.

This defensive versatility allows Mattingly to optimize the lineup on a game-to-game basis.

Internal Competition

On Monday, Derek Jeter joined the media via Zoom and said: “We expect to be competitive when we take the field.”

That much has proven true, as the Marlins win streak sits at four games. They’ve taken the first three from Baltimore and will look to complete the series sweep Thursday with Jordan Yamamoto starting.

With 18 players moving to the IL, Miami had to reshape its roster on the fly. The players acquired via waivers and trades, and those signed via free agency, were considered cast-offs. But these players have a new opportunity to breathe life into their MLB careers.

They know they need to perform to stick with the club, beyond when the roster is pared from 30 to 28 Thursday. The players who tested positive for COVID-19 are waiting in the wings for their spots as well.

“I expect them to come back. They expect to come back,” Jeter said. “Who knows what that timeframe is, but our players are looking forward to getting back on the field.”

This internal competition can push this group to excel on the field. And that’s already true within the starting rotation.

“Every time you see this rotation, I really get inspired to see the talent that they have,” Elieser Hernandez said through an interpreter on Wednesday. “I really wanted to join the rotation and help the team. Now that I’m here, that’s what we want to do — win some games.”

Despite in the internal competition, this group, 58 strong at present, has a singular goal: to win.

“A lot of new guys with the same goal,” Aguilar said of the new cast of players. “We’re pulling in the same direction. There are a lot of new faces, but the same goal.”

Marlins call up

5 Most Exciting Marlins Call Ups

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The Miami Marlins 2020 season resumes in Baltimore this week. They face the 5-3 Orioles for four games in three days after spending more than a week in quarantine. During a Zoom call with media yesterday, Marlins President of Baseball Operations, Michael Hill, made several roster announcements including a number of call ups.

The team’s baseball ops crew scrambled over the last week to piece together a competitive roster. But to fill all of the holes for the 30-man roster, Hill needed to promote from within. Here’s a look at five of the most exciting Marlins call ups.

Marlins Call Ups: Monte Harrison

The road to the big leagues for Monte Harrison has been a winding one. He’ll be the last of the four prospects received in the Christian Yelich deal to reached the bigs. Now 24, Harrison made his pro debut at the age of 18, forgoing a commitment to the University of Nebraska where he would have played both football and baseball.

Harrison comes in as the No. 9 overall prospect for the Marlins via MLBPipeline and his impressive spring/summer had fans clamoring for his MLB debut. At 6’3”, Harrison boasts a unique blend of size, speed and power. He’s a plus outfield defender and wields a cannon arm.

What’s limited him in the past has been inconsistency at the plate. Strikeouts have been an issue, including 215 in 2018 at Double-A Jacksonville. But the Marlins have worked to make mechanical adjustments to Harrison’s approach, including lowering his leg kick and shortening his swing.

At Triple-A in 2019, Harrison dropped his K-rate drop 36.8 (in 2018) to 29.5 percent. Overall, he slashed .274/.357/.451 with nine home runs, 24 RBI and 20 stolen bases. He then hit .300 and posted a .397 OBP in the Puerto Rican Winter League.

Over the summer, Marlins manager Don Mattingly praised Harrison’s work and said: “I think South Florida fans are going to love this guy.”

Harrison should be a fixture in the lineup for the time being, considering the Marlins wanted to have him play every day. This call up is particularly exciting because Harrison has the potential to be a 20/40 guy for the Marlins.

Lewis Brinson

The South Florida native Lewis Brinson was considered the headline prospect return for the Marlins in the Yelich deal. But after struggling for two seasons, Brinson could be on his last opportunity with his hometown club considering some of the other outfield options in Miami’s system.

Brinson struggled in 2019, posting a .197/.247/.263 slash-line with a 34.1 K-rate in 27 games. The team demoted him to Triple-A where he improved (.270/.361/.510 in 81 games) ahead of an August promotion. But his end to 2019 (160/.230/.200 ) was worse than the start.

Brinson is a plus defender with great speed and power potential but contact at the plate remains an issue. With the COVID outbreak, Brinson’s call up for the Marlins should see him patrolling the outfield.

In an interview former MLB OF Xavier Scruggs prior to Opening Day, Brinson called playing for the Marlins a “dream come true.” He admitted his first two seasons “weren’t ideal to start my career” but called this the “best offseason” of his life. Brinson focused inward and remains confident in his abilities. He wants to be “more consistent” and “a leader.”

Brinson said the Marlins are out to “prove people wrong.” He says, “a lot of people sleep on us, but we’ve got a squad.”

Marlins Call Up: Eddy Alvarez

With his call up to the Marlins, Eddy Alvarez is believed to be the first US Winter Olympian to become an MLB player. Alvarez, a Miami native who attended Christopher Columbus High School, won a silver medal as a short track speed skater at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Alvarez returned to baseball after his speed skating career and worked his way up through the minor league systems of both the Chicago White Sox and the Marlins. Last year with Miami’s Triple-A affiliate, Alvarez hit 324/.408/.559 with 12 home runs and 12 stolen bases.

The 30-year-old is yet to make his MLB debut, but made a strong impression at the Marlins’ summer camp workouts.

“I like the kid,” manager Don Mattingly said in July. “I think he’s got a chance to help us.”

As a switch hitter with speed and defensive versatility, Alvarez could prove to be a valuable piece for Mattingly off the bench.

When he learned of his call up to the Marlins, Alvarez reportedly drove down to Miami from Jupiter to tell his family in person. He didn’t go into the house, cautious of COVID-19, but yelled the news through the front door.

Jordan Yamamoto

2019’s roller coaster started fast for Jordan Yamamoto but slowed considerably. Yams began his Marlins career with a pair of seven-inning shutouts, posting 12 strikeouts, five hits and four walks in 14 IP.

But Yamamoto struggled in July and August, posting an 8.13 ERA during a seven-game stretch. He finished 2019 strong with a one-hit, 10-strikeout performance over six innings in his final start of the season.

All in all, Yamamoto posted a 4.46 ERA with a 25.2 percent K-rate. His walk-rate (11.1 percent) needs to come down though.

The 24-year-old was in the running for the fifth starter spot, but lost out to Elieser Hernandez. Miami optioned Yams to Jupiter because he doesn’t necessarily profile as a reliever. He sports a six-pitch arsenal, with his slider as his best offering.

With his call up, the Marlins now have three starters set: Pablo Lopez, Hernandez and Yamamoto. He’ll take the mound during Wednesday’s doubleheader after making 15 starts for Miami last season and posting 82 strikeouts and 36 walks over 78.2 innings.

Marlins Call Up: Jorge Guzman

During Monday’s Zoom call, Marlins president Michael Hill announced Jorge Guzman’s name among the team’s call ups. Guzman is considered the Marlins No. 19 prospect overall by MLBPipeline. The 24-year-old sports a live arm and can touch triple digits on the radar gun.

Guzman slots into a bullpen decimated by COVID-19. Eight of the 12 arms in Miami’s ‘pen have tested positive, so Guzman will initially fill one of those holes despite his pedigree as a starter. The Marlins acquired Guzman from the New York Yankees as part of the Giancarlo Stanton deal.

Mattingly didn’t rule out Guzman getting a turn in the starting rotation, though. “Our guys are going to have to be flexible,” Mattingly said, noting Guzman will “get the opportunity to pitch.”

The 24-year-old hasn’t pitched about Double-A, where the Marlins had him in 2019. With Jacksonville, he posted a 3.50 ERA with 127 strikeouts over 138.2 IP.

Guzman’s call up might surprise some Marlins fans who were expecting the arrival of top-end pitching prospects Sixto Sanchez or Edward Cabrera. The Marlins are being careful with both. Cabrera is dealing with an unspecified arm issue (that’s not being portrayed as serious). Sanchez did not make an appearance in Spring Training and Hill noted the team has “been incredibly cautious with him and his workload.”

Marlins Outbreak: On to Baltimore

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The Miami Marlins haven’t seen the field in a week and won’t do so again until at least Tuesday. We hope. The Marlins have been dealing with the league’s worst COVID-19 outbreak, and while some thought it was an isolated issues for MLB, other teams, like the St. Louis Cardinals, have seen their own issues with the virus crop up.

The Marlins hold first place in the NL East despite playing only three games this season. If they’re going to keep that position or challenge for a spot in the playoffs, they’ll need to navigate the coming days and weeks carefully. Here’s a look at the latest with the Marlins Outbreak.

Buses Home, On To Baltimore

With 21 members of the organization, including 18 players, testing positive for COVID-19, the Marlins outbreak seemed on the brink of cancelling their season. The team remained sequestered in two Philadelphia hotels this week, but on Friday, they finally got MLB approval to transport the sick players home via sleeper bus.

They’ve since arrived in South Florida, where they will be quarantined. Thankfully, none of those who have tested positive with the Marlins have reported major symptoms.

Harold Ramirez told Telemundo this week he doesn’t have a cough anymore and his body aches have gone away. Miguel Rojas took to Twitter on Thursday to thank fans and supporters and say he can’t wait to get back on the field to represent Miami.

While the recent round of negative COVID tests is good news, the Marlins remain in a holding pattern. The healthy Marlins are still in Philly, as MLB has postponed their games through the weekend.

The current plan is for the Marlins season will resume on Tuesday in Baltimore. They’ll play four games there in three days, then likely move on to play the New York Mets and then Toronto Blue Jays, who are playing home games this year in Buffalo, NY.

Don’t look now, though. Isaias might have other plans.

Trades!

One of those roster holes will be filled by LHP Richard Bleier. Miami acquired Bleier from the Baltimore Orioles for a player to be named later or cash considerations. The 33-year-old was born in Miami Beach and grew up in Davie. He attended South Plantation High School and Florida Gulf Coast University.

He made his MLB debut in 2016 with New York Yankees and has pitched the last three seasons with Baltimore. He owns a career 8-1 record and 2.99 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 177.1 IP working almost entirely out of the bullpen. This season, he’s appeared in two games and did not give up a run in three IP.

The left-handed pitcher relies on sinker and cutter, with a fastball, curve and slider, too. His ability to locate, induce ground balls at a 59-percent rate and surrender hard hits only 21-percent of the time, will help the Marlins bullpen.

Bleier said via Instgram: “I’m excited for the next chapter of my career heading home to Miami!”

On Saturday afternoon, the Marlins also acquired RHP James Hoyt from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for cash. The 33-year-old Hoyt pitched three years for the Houston Astros before joining the Indians in 2020. He sports a 4.16 career ERA with 104 strikeouts over 80 IP. Hoyt had been designated for assignment on July 28th.

Isan Opts Out

Isan Diaz informed the Marlins that he’s opting out for the remainder of the 2020 season. Here is Díaz’s full statement, posted to his Instagram Story:

“This has been a tough week to see so many of my teammates come down with this virus, and see how quickly it spreads. After much deliberation and thought, I have made the difficult choice of opting out for the remainder of the 2020 season. This has been a decision that I have discussed with my family, and I feel it’s the best one for me and my overall well-being. I will deeply miss my teammates and competing on the field. I wish my brothers the best and look forward to taking the field again with them soon!”

Diaz’s memorable debut came on Aug 5th when he homered off Mets ace Jacob DeGrom, much to the delight of his father who was being interviewed on camera by Fox Sports Florida’s Craig Minervini at that moment. However, it was an underwhelming 2019 for him in the MLB after tearing up Triple-A. Diaz finished slashing .173/.259/.307 with five HR and 23 RBI. He struck out 59 times in 201 PAs.

In 2020, Diaz went 2-for-9 with three strikeouts, but made solid contact on several at-bats.

Mattingly called Diaz the Marlins’ second baseman “now and of the future.” He’ll lose whatever development may have come this season, and if he’s not the one, there are a couple of intriguing prospects behind him. Jose Devers, the 20-year-old lefty who came over as part of the Stanton trade, is one and Joe Dunand, a 24-year-old Miami native who went to Gulliver Prep and the nephew of ARod, is the other.

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MLB Season on the Brink

MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported today there are no new Marlins positives from yesterday’s tests. They’re holding at 18 positives for now. But a new rash of positives have sprouted within the St. Louis Cardinals organization. The Cardinals have had six positive tests over the last couple of days, three players and three staff members.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told MLBPA executive director Tony Clark on Friday that if the sport doesn’t do a better job of managing the coronavirus, it could shut down for the season.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the conversation between Manfred and Clark was “not a threat but a reality check that was relayed to players — and has spread quickly among them: We — all of us — need to clean this up, because if we don’t, Major League Baseball in 2020 is going to be over.”

Manfred has since backtracked off that position some, saying he’s “not a quitter.”

This weekend is seen as a crucial juncture for the sport, both in terms of hoping for a limit of positive tests and in players abiding by protocols. The Marlins outbreak could be the defining development of the year.

Other Roster Moves

On Monday, the team announced the addition of two pitchers via waivers, RHP Justin Shafer and LHP Josh D. Smith. Shafer is a South Florida native and Smith pitched for the Marlins in 2019.

Shafer made 40 relief appearances for the Blue Jays over the last two seasons. He sports a 3.75 ERA with 41 K and 32 BB over 41 IP. Smith pitched six games for Miami in 2019 and posted an 8.31 ERA. He surrendered four earned runs over 4.1 IP.

A day later, the Marlins announced they claimed RHP Mike Morin off waivers from Milwaukee. Over a six-year MLB career, the 29yo Morin has appeared for five different clubs, posting a 4.65 ERA.

Free agent signings

Miami also signed minor league free agent outfielder Travis Snider, who last played in MLB in 2015. Over an eight-year career, 32yo Snider played 630 games and hit 54 home runs. His slash line in 2015, his last year in the Majors, is .232/.315/.350.

Wilkin Castillo’s signing signals the return of a former Marlin. Castillo spent most of 2019 with the Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate New Orleans, but he played two games for Miami. He went 1-for-7 with two RBI. His 6/22/19 start came nearly 10 years to the day (6/20/09) of his last MLB appearance.

Pat Venditte‘s signing brings back the “switch pitcher” after he was with the club in Spring. 35yo Venditte has the ability to work off the mound with either arm, depending upon the handedness of the hitter.

Venditte’s career ERA sits at 5.03 over 68 innings pitched. He’s another MLB-experienced arm to add to a Marlins pitching staff that must have been decimated by the COVID outbreak.

Pat Venditte

Marlins Roster Updates Amid COVID Outbreak

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The Miami Marlins haven’t played since last Sunday. The game, which has become the source of national consternation, went on despite the beginnings of the COVID outbreak and ended with an 11-6 Marlins win. According to reports, both MLB and the Phillies were aware of the positive tests and still elected to play the game.

The story of the Marlins COVID outbreak is now subject to both an internal team investigation as well as one by MLB. While there’ve been some wildly irresponsible accusations and speculation by some members in the media, no evidence of wrongdoing has come to light.

Good News Amid the Marlins COVID outbreak

As of the latest round of testing, a 17th Marlins player saw a positive result. In good news, though, one of the two coaches who had previously tested positive has since tested negative.

Additional good news came out last night when OF Harold Ramirez, during an interview with Telemundo, revealed experiencing just light symptoms. Ramirez went on to say none of the other players were experiencing symptoms.

“Thank God I feel a little better,” Ramirez said. “I don’t have a cough anymore. And my body aches have gone away.”

The team remains sequestered in a pair of hotels in Philadelphia, and should Thursday’s tests come back with no additional positives, they could begin the process of arranging travel back to South Florida.

Miguel Rojas took to Twitter Thursday to thank Marlins fans and reassure them he’s looking forward to getting back on the field.

The Phillies, meanwhile, are facing a potential outbreak of their own. Reports today revealed Philadelphia’s series with the Blue Jays has been postponed following a pair of positive tests for the Phillies (a coach and a home clubhouse attendant).

Initial Roster Moves

All of this will eventually lead to several roster moves by the Marlins. As of Thursday afternoon, the team had only moved C Jorge Alfaro, 1B/RF Garrett Cooper, Ramirez and SP José Ureña to the 10-day Injured List. SS Miguel Rojas and SP Sandy Alcantara have also been reported as players who’ve tested positive.

On Monday, the team announced the addition of two pitchers via waivers, RHP Justin Shafer and LHP Josh D. Smith. Shafer is a South Florida native and Smith pitched for the Marlins in 2019.

Shafer made 40 relief appearances for the Blue Jays over the last two seasons. He sports a 3.75 ERA with 41 K and 32 BB over 41 IP. Smith pitched six games for Miami in 2019 and posted an 8.31 ERA. He surrendered four earned runs over 4.1 IP. The Marlins have another Josh Smith, Josh A. Smith, in the 60-man player pool as well.

Miami also signed minor league free agent outfielder Travis Snider, who last played in MLB in 2015. Over an eight-year career, Snider played 630 games and hit 54 home runs. His slash line in 2015, his last year in the Majors, is .232/.315/.350.

 

A day later, the Marlins announced they claimed RHP Mike Morin off waivers from Milwaukee. Over a six-year MLB career, the righty Morin has appeared for five different clubs, posting a 4.65 ERA.

Marlins Latest Roster Additions

A busy day unfolded for the team on Thursday as well. The Marlins have reportedly signed utility infielder Logan Forsythe, as well as a pair of former Marlins in C Wilkin Castillo and RP Pat Venditte.

Forsythe is a 9-year MLB vet who’s played for five different teams. His career slash line is .246/.327/.360. In 2019 with the Texas Rangers, Forsythe struggled, posting a .227/.325/.678 slash line with seven HR and 39 RBI. He has 42 career steals in 58 attempts.

Defensively, Forsythe provided positional flexibility. He’s made 643 appearances at second base, 143 at third, 75 at first and 36 at shortstop. He has 21 appearances in the outfield as well.

Two Former Marlins Return

Wilkin Castillo’s signing signals the return of a former Marlin. Castillo spent most of 2019 with the Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate New Orleans, but he played two games for Miami. He went 1-for-7 with two RBI. His 6/22/19 start came nearly 10 years to the day (6/20/09) of his last MLB appearance.

Castillo’s primary position remains catcher, but he’s played every other position on the field during his career. He’s made five pitching appearances and has two career wins in the minors. He’s played at every position on the field as well. His addition provides depth at the position, considering prospect C Will Banfield remains on the IL.

For Venditte, his signing marks a return after parting ways with Miami earlier in the Spring. At 35-tears-old, Venditte remains one of the most unique players in MLB history. He’s a “switch pitcher,” meaning he has the ability to work off the mound with either arm, depending upon the handedness of the hitter.

Venditte’s career ERA sits at 5.03 over 68 innings pitched. He’s another MLB-experienced arm to add to a Marlins pitching staff that must have been decimated by the COVID outbreak.

These additions to the pitching staff could prove particularly valuable if and when the Marlins resume their season after the COVID outbreak is contained. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Thursday afternoon that the MLB and MLBPA on an agreement to adjust the length of double-headers to seven innings apiece. Double-headers will likely be a regular feature in any version of the schedule when the Marlins resume play.

This potential change comes on the heels of a change to the MLB’s protocols. The change to the protocol involves the use of surgical masks while traveling and the addition of a protocol compliance officer.

Marlins outbreak

Updates on Marlins COVID Outbreak

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The Miami Marlins are in uncharted territory. The team landed in Philadelphia last Thursday and haven’t left since. They could be there through Sunday considering MLB has paused Miami’s season as the Marlins deal with this COVID outbreak.

The details of this story continue to change, but here’s what we know so far.

15 of the 33 players on the Marlins roster, and two members of the staff, have reportedly tested positive for the virus. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported Miguel Rojas as one of the new positives. Rojas leads the NL with a .700 batting average, .750 OBP, 1.300 slugging percentage, 2.050 OPS and .476 OPS-plus.

The team remains quarantined in their Philadelphia hotel awaiting results of the latest round of testing. The Marlins took the opening series of the year against the Phillies 2-1. They won’t play again until at least next Tuesday.

MLB’s Statement

In a statement this afternoon, the league said: “Given the current circumstances, MLB believes that it is most prudent to allow the Marlins time to focus on providing care for their players and planning their Baseball Operations for a resumption early next week.”

MLB postponed this week’s series between the Phillies and the Yankees. New York will instead play the Orioles on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Marlins are scheduled to host the Phillies in Miami Tuesday, but it remains unclear whether they’ll be allowed to play.

Andy Slater reported earlier today that Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said the Marlins should follow the quarantine protocols (14 days) upon returning to South Florida. However, Florida governor Ron DeSantis put an exception in place for sports teams to travel in and out of the state without quarantining.

 

MLB said in their statement that more than 6,400 tests have been conducted since July 24th and, other than Miami, no franchise has seen a positive test. However, to think this will be unique to one club seems naïve.

Marlins Roster Moves

If the Marlins get to their game next Tuesday and have to play, they’ll need to fill out their roster. Over the last few days, the team has claimed three relief pitchers off waivers and signed a minor league free agent. All four of these new players have been added to the team’s 40-man roster.

The Marlins will need to move additional players to the IL in order to create more space on the 40-man. So far, only Jorge Alfaro, Garrett Cooper, Harold Ramirez and Jose Urena have been placed on the 10-day IL.

The players added so far are: OF Travis Snider, RHP Justin Shafer, LHP Josh D. Smith and RHP Mike Morin.

Snider last played in MLB in 2015. He signed as a minor league free agent and could play either corner outfield spot. Over an eight-year career, Snider played 630 games and hit 54 home runs. His slash line in 2015, his last year in the Majors, is .232/.315/.350.

Miami claimed a pair of pitches off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds. Shafer is a South Florida native and played collegiately at the University of Florida. Shafer made 40 relief appearances for the Blue Jays over the last two seasons. He sports a 3.75 ERA with 41 K and 32 BB over 41 IP.

The other Red added to the roster is a former Marlin. Josh D. Smith pitched six games for Miami in 2019 and posted an 8.31 ERA. He surrendered four earned runs over 4.1 IP. The Marlins have another Josh Smith, Josh A. Smith, in the 60-man player pool as well.

Morin comes to the Marlins via Milwaukee. Over a six-year MLB career, the righty Morin has appeared for five different clubs, posting a 4.65 ERA.

Possible Call-Ups

A number of position players at the team’s alternate training site in Jupiter awaited a call-up. Lewis Brinson has worked out after missing all of the summer camp due to COVID-related issues. He’s almost certainly to be among the call-ups.

The same can likely be said of Jordan Yamamoto. A surprise option to Jupiter, Yamamoto started 15 games for the Marlins in 2019. He had a blistering start to his career, with back-to-back starts of seven scoreless innings, but he struggled to end the year. He finished 4-5 with a 4.46 ERA and couldn’t win the fifth starter spot out of summer camp.

Monte Harrison could make his MLB debut. One of the last cuts of summer camp, Harrison sports power and speed as an outfield prospect. A wrist injury late in 2019 kept Harrison from joining the team last September.

Among the other position prospects on the 40-man roster are 1B Lewin Diaz, RF Jesus Sanchez and SS Jazz Chisholm.

Marlins CEO Derek Jeter’s Statement

On Tuesday, Marlins CEO Derek Jeter released a statement as well.

“We continue to take this entire situation very seriously. All of our players, coaches and staff are, understandably, having a difficult time enduring this experience. After receiving additional test results on our Major League team this morning, we reached out to the Commissioner’s Office with concern for the health and safety of our team as well as our opponents.

“We have moved to a daily testing schedule while we isolate and quarantine appropriately, along with enacting additional preventive procedures with our traveling party. We look forward to safely returning to Miami where we conducted a successful and healthy Spring 2.0 before departing on the road and experiencing challenges. For the time being, we will remain in Philadelphia and gather information in order to make informed decisions and prepare for our return to action next week.”

Beyond all of this, another frustrating element of the coverage has been the lack of respect for the Marlins. Both ESPN and Twitter have published content with Miami’s old logo. The team switched its logo and primary colors in November of 2018.

Check out our discussion on YouTube from this afternoon:

Marlins 2020 Schedule

Miami Marlins Covid-19 Outbreak Rocks Baseball

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With major league sports starting up again, Major League Baseball is at the forefront, but it re-started prior to the re-openings of the NBA, NHL or NFL seasons.

Unfortunately, the Miami Marlins are at the forefront as well, the site of the sport’s first Coronavirus cluster.

The Marlins’ home opener against the Baltimore Orioles has been canceled, after reports that as many as a dozen members of the organization have tested positive. The team is remaining in Philadelphia today.

The Marlins did play, and win, against the Phillies on Sunday, to go to 2-1 on the season. They did so even after a group of players tested positive and was removed from the lineup — and Jose Urena was scratched from his scheduled start. Marlins manager Don Mattingly said that the team “never really considered not playing.” Shortstop Miguel Rojas told the media on Sunday that the team did have a meeting to discuss whether to continue to play. Rojas said not playing was “never our mentality.”

Now, the fallout begins as the Marlins have provided Major League Baseball with a tricky situation.

Could the Marlins be stopped from continuing their season?

Could they be forced to call up more players from Jupiter, home of their temporary minor league camp?

And what now, after the Yankees’ Monday game with the Phillies was suspended as well?

What might not get much attention, regarding baseball, in Miami will get plenty in the Northeast, especially New York.

As one can imagine, there were several reactions and analysis from media members following these reports.

 

It will be interesting to see how this situation unfolds. With the NHL and NBA set to begin this week, this situation provides an interesting backdrop for major league sports.

And what is the NFL thinking, as it plans to resume its full-contact sport, with more players, and no bubble?

Marlins beat Phillies

Marlins Beat Phillies 11-6, Take Opening Series

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About 90 minutes before game time, a seismic rumble rolled through the Marlins clubhouse. Don Mattingly scratched Jose Urena from his scheduled start, and regular starters Harold Ramirez and Garrett Cooper were pulled as well. However, despite the uncertainty surrounding the club, the Marlins rallied to beat the Phillies, 11-6.

Miguel Rojas spurred the comeback, going 3-for-4 with a home run, triple, hit-by-pitch, three runs scored and four RBI. He fell a double shy of what would have been the first cycle for the Marlins franchise (4,306 games).

“It was a whole group of guys just relentless and not quitting,” said Rojas. “I’m so proud of the way we approached the day today. It was a weird day, a lot going on in the morning. This group of guys showed character.”

Rojas emphasized the team effort. “Everybody did their part to win the game.”

Marlins Bats Come Alive

The Marlins beat the Phillies thanks, in large part, to the bottom of the order. Rojas hit in the eight-hole. Isan Diaz (hitting seventh) went 2-for-5 with two runs scored. He made solid contact in two of his other at-bats in addition to the hits.

Magneuris Sierra, who made the 30-man roster over the likes of Monte Harrison and some of the other outfield prospects, demonstrated his value as well. Sierra (hitting ninth) went 2-for-3 with two RBI, a double, triple and walk. He played a great centerfield.

Most think Sierra made the team because his out of minor league options, but he does sport game-changing speed. Sierra hit .350 in 15 game after a September 3rd call-up last season.

New additions Corey Dickerson and Jesus Aguilar continued their hot start as Marlins. Dickerson went 2-for-5 with a towering home run in the sixth. He scored twice and drove in one. Aguilar hit his second homer of the season and finished 2-for-3 with two walks, an RBI and a run scored.

For the three game set, the Marlins hit five home runs, four doubles and two triples for 27 total hits and 17 runs.

Pitchers Played their Role

Robert Dugger made the surprise start in place of Urena. He learned about the change in the morning and called the moment “a shock. I had a little bit of time to mentally prepare. Everyone had confidence in me. You just got to adapt and be that guy for the team that day.”

Dugger surrendered a three-run home run to Bryce Harper in the first inning, but saw his teammates get all those runs back in the second. Dugger settled in to give up just one more run, ultimately going 3.1 innings.

Jordan Holloway, a 20th round pick for the Marlins in 2014, made his MLB debut. He walked his first batter but induced a deep fly ball out from Bryce Harper to register his first out. He gave up a pair of singles before coming out but did not surrender a run.

Holloway is the first pitcher to make the leap from Single-A since Jose Fernandez. He throws hard, working from 95-98 mph peaking at 100 with his fastball. In 2019, Holloway posted 93 strikeouts but 66 walks over 95 IP.

Seven pitchers went for Miami in this one. The Phillies managed baserunners often, but relievers only surrendered one run. Philadelphia loaded the bases in the fifth, six and eighth innings, but managed to push across just one run.

Walks continued to be an issue for the ‘pen, as they issued six free passes on the day. Luckily, none of the those walks came around to score for Philadelphia.

Marlins Beat Phillies Despite COVID Uncertainty

“It was a huge day for us,” Mattingly said. “Losing our starter, getting down four, the boys just bounced back. It would’ve been very easy to feel bad for yourself, so it’s was a big win from that standpoint.”

The Marlins changed their travel plans after the game and will stay in Philadelphia for the night. That decision is likely COVID-19 related, as the team awaits test results. Prior to the game Urena, Ramirez and Cooper were all pulled from the lineup, and while the team hasn’t confirmed this, several reports have surfaced that all three players have tested positive.

The Marlins already have Jorge Alfaro on the 10-day IL dealing with COVID related issues. Lewis Brinson and Matt Joyce did not work out with the team during summer camp and remain on the IL. Brinson has returned to workouts in Jupiter, as has prospect Jazz Chisholm, who also had a bout with COVID.

The team will fly home tomorrow to face the Baltimore Orioles. Pablo Lopez is scheduled to start for the Marlins. Asher Wojciechowski should go for Baltimore.

Since the Marlins beat the Phillies 11-6, they won the three-game series 2-1. It’s the first time since 2014 the Marlins have won the opening series of the season.

Marlins loss

Marlins Suffer Frustrating Loss to Phillies, 7-1

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The Miami Marlins came crashing down to earth after the high of Opening Day. Less than 24 hours after posting five runs on nine hits, including a homer and two doubles, Miami’s bats quieted against Zack Wheeler. The Marlins loss dropped them to 1-1 on the season.

Caleb Smith made his season debut but struggled to consistently find the strike zone. Smith labored through three innings. He surrendered six walks and a towering home run to Didi Gregorius. Of his 70 pitches, only 36 went for strikes.

Smith battled with baserunners all afternoon. He managed to minimize the damage with timely strikeouts, but his pitch total pushed him from the game after three.

“Obviously, not a lot was working,” Smith said via Zoom after the game. “Six walks in three innings is not acceptable. A horse-shit outing. I take full responsibility for that loss.”

Smith’s six walks matched a career high, but none of the batters he issued free passes to crossed the plate to score.

“He made some good pitches when he had to,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “The walks hurt us. Put us on our heels all day long.”

All told, Marlins pitchers issued nine free passes to Phillies hitters.

“It could’ve been a lot worse,” Mattingly acknowledged. “You walk nine guys in this ballpark, and it could’ve been a lot worse. All the walks put us in a bad spot all day long.”

The opposite was true for his opponent. Wheeler commanded the strike zone throughout, registering four strikeouts and inducing four inning-ending double plays.

“He was pretty dominant all day,” Mattingly said of Wheeler.

Every time the Marlins seemed to be a on the verge of making an offensive push, Wheeler worked free. His four-seam fastball averaged 96.8 mph and he induced inning-ending double-plays in the first, second, fifth and sixth innings.

Marlins hitters struck out seven times in total, managed only one extra base hit and went 1-for-5 with runner-in-scoring-position.

Three Marlins Make Debut in Loss

Despite the Marlins loss, one bright spot this afternoon was the different debuts. Nick Neidert and Alex Vesia made their MLB debuts, and Stephen Tarpley made his first appearance with Miami. Of the three, Neidert proved to be the most successful.

The 23-year-old righty stands as the Marlins No. 10 overall prospect according to MLBPipeline. He entered in the fourth and tossed 2.1 scoreless innings from there. He gave up a hit and walk but kept the Marlins in the game.

Afterwards, Neidert called the debut “a dream come true. I’ve dreamed of this day since I was five years old. It was an amazing feeling. We didn’t get the win, and there’s always tomorrow, but it was a dream come true.”

Veisa followed Neidert in the sixth. He started his MLB career with a strikeout of Didi Gregorius, but subsequently walked Scott Kingery and surrendered a two-run homer to Phil Gosselin.

Ryne Stanek made his season debut and served up a three-run homer to J.T. Realmuto. In the eighth, Gosselin added a solo shot off Tarpley, who the Marlins acquired in December from the New York Yankees.

Miguel Rojas and Brian Anderson both contributed at the plate during the Marlins loss. Rojas went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Anderson went 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored.

The Marlins will look to bounce back from this loss on Sunday afternoon. Jose Urena starts for Miami versus Vince Velasquez of the Phillies. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 PM.

Marlins win

Alcantara Dominates, Leads to Marlins Win on Opening Day

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The Miami Marlins hadn’t won on Opening Day since 2014. The last time they did, Jose Fernandez took the mound for Miami and struck out nine Rockies en route to a 10-1 win. For the 2020 season, Sandy Alcantara toed the rubber, becoming the youngest Opening Day starter for Miami since Fernandez. His seven strikeouts were also the most since Fernandez’s nine in 2014. Alcantara’s performance helped spur the Marlins win.

Alcantara entered the game with a 3-1 with a 2.81 ERA versus the Phillies, including a 2-0 mark with a 1.32 ERA at Citizens Bank Park. He’s a breakout candidate for the Marlins this season and his performance on Friday showed why.

Over 6.2 innings pitched, Alcantara posted seven strikeouts, surrendering just three hits, two walks and one earned run. He induced seven ground-ball outs including one double play. He relied mostly on a fastball-changeup-slider combination and kept hitters off balance all night.

Alcantara particularly flummoxed the middle of Philadelphia’s lineup. He dominated Rhys Hoskins, Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto, keeping them 0-for-8 with four strikeouts and just one walk.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly pulled Alcantara from the game in the seventh after 87 total pitches.

“I was ready [to finish it],” Alcantara said after the Marlins win. “I see [Mattingly come to the mound] and I’m thinking ‘Oh my God. I’m done, but I don’t want to give him the ball. I want to be on the mound.’ But I respect his decision.”

“His stuff is overpowering, when he stays aggressive and attacks the strike zone,” Mattingly said. “Then we were able to get him some runs, which takes the pressure off and gives us some breathing room.”

New Additions Contributed to Marlins Wins as well

The breathing room for Alcantara came thanks to the Marlins offseason additions. Jonathan Villar‘s sac-fly in the third inning drove in the first run of the year for Miami. Then Jesus Aguilar broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth inning when he deposited an 0-2 breaking ball from Aaron Nola 409 feet away in left-center.

Corey Dickerson helped chase Nola from the game when he lined a double to right field three pitches later. Dickerson finished the game 2-for-4, scoring a run on a wild pitch in the sixth.

Francisco Cervelli, subbing in for Jorge Alfaro who landed on the 10-day IL prior to the game, played well, too. He registered the first hit and scored the first run of the year. Cervelli finished 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored. He called an excellent game for Alcantara.

The addition of the DH to the National League also paid dividends for the Marlins. In what would have been the pitcher’s spot, Miguel Rojas went 2-for-3 with a walk, stolen base and run scored. Garrett Cooper manned the DH spot went 1-for-4 with a two-out RBI double in the sixth inning.

“It’s good to get on the board,” Mattingly said of the Marlins win. “Feels like a big win, to be honest with you.”

The Marlins are back at it this afternoon at 4:05 PM. Caleb Smith starts for Miami versus Zack Wheeler. Smith was 10-11 with a 4.52 ERA and 168 K in 2019. He surrendered 33 HRs, which is something he’ll need to improve upon in 2020. In four career starts versus the Phillies, Smith is 1-2 4.50 ERA with 19 K over 18 innings pitched.