Dolphins stock up, stock down vs Patriots

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Welcome to my first annual Stock up, Stock down report. This will be a weekly article where I breakdown the good, the bad, and the ugly from Miami’s previous game.

This week, the Dolphins lost to the Patriots 21-11. There was some good, lots of bad, and even some ugly. Too much ugly, actually.

Stock Up

Brandon Jones

The two rookies that stood out the most (for drastically different reasons) were Brandon Jones and Austin Jackson. Starting with Brandon, he finished the first half with eight tackles (6 solos), which was the most tackles for a rookie in their debut. He continued to make plays in the second half totaling ten tackles (7 solos). Brandon flashed all over the field with his aggressive play, which did result in a roughing the passer penalty (really weak call, Brandon didn’t touch his head, in my opinion) but was a nice sight to see.

Austin Jackson

The other rookie Austin Jackson was impressive for the exact opposite reasons for Brandon. Whenever you get a rookie LT in their first start, they tend to make mistakes that could cost your QB their head, but today I felt no stress or anxiety. Not one time did I have to call his name, which is the ultimate compliment for an offensive lineman. As a team, we gave up only 1 the sack, which was a good development after the 58 sacks we gave up last year.

Christian Wilkins

Another player that flashed consistently was Wilkins. It was great to see Christian get his first sack of the year in week 1 instead of waiting till week nine like last year. Christian was disruptive all game long from his 3-4 end position and even kicked inside a couple of times to play Defensive Tackle. Christian ultimately ended up with six total tackles (5 solos) 1 sack two passes defended, and two tackles for losses. A welcomed sight from last year’s first-round pick.

Jerome Baker

Baker was our most impactful player of the afternoon. Lining up everywhere as Flore’s ultimate chess piece, we saw him drop in coverage, stop the run, and blitz on multiple times throughout the afternoon (getting his first sack of the year). Baker, after training camp last year, was expected to take a significant jump, especially in the pass rush department, which never really materialized, but today he put it all together. 16 total tackles (13 solo) the 1 sack and one tackle for a loss. My only negative on Baker was the late penalty he got after a big run by Edelman, which resulted in not just the long run but the additional 15 yards, which ultimately sealed the game for the Patriots.

 

Stock Down

Ryan Fitzpatrick

Ryan struggled all afternoon, but even more after the Devante Parker injury. For whatever reason, Fitz did not read the field well giving up three interceptions with one coming from a player he never saw coming. By all indications, Ryan will have a long leash this year, but how long can the coaching staff continue going to him when we are eventually going to have to see what we have in Tua? It is week 1, so overacting will do no one any good. So for now, we need Ryan to study what went wrong this week in practice to get ready for the Buffalo Bills (one of his old teams).

Wide Receivers

Devante Parker began the game right where he left off in week 17. He spent the early part of the afternoon giving Fitz his only target, who was fighting to get open AND to make the catch. As I spoke on my Top 5 things to Watch, an injury to any of our top 3 receiving options (Parker, Gesicki, and Preston) will show us our lack of depth at the position and unfortunately, we saw it first-hand today. Once DVP left the game with hamstring tightness, the entire pass offense went down the drain. We ultimately only ended up trying to force-feed Preston with 7 targets, which he only converted 2 for 41 yards. We need Jakeem and Isiah to step up regardless if DVP is out for an extended period.

Run Defense

I wanted to keep this report to specific players, but the entire defense failed to defend the run.  No single player deserves more blame than defense for the swiss cheese; it let itself become in the game. All afternoon long, the Patriots ran the ball at will against us. After only the 1 st quarter, the Patriots had amassed over 50 yards rushing and ultimately ended up with 217 yards rushing than the 87 we gained. The numbers in total show that in 42 carriers, we gave up 5.2 yards per rush and three touchdowns. Whenever those two numbers are what they are, it becomes next to impossible to give yourself a chance to play. I am looking forward to the All-22 on Tuesday to show whether coaching or player error caused us to get so gashed; it even caused me to stop and consider if our best run defender in Raekwon McMillan last season would have been able to help.

Coaching Staff

From the opening kickoff till the end of the game, it always felt like we were only reacting to the Patriots and what they were doing. Cam Newton, the whole game, ran it at will with the defense, making little to no adjustment that made a difference. On the offenses only touchdown of the day, it came on a 3 rd down run on the one after getting stuffed two times in a row. Ultimately, we did end up getting the touchdown to try and make it a game late but were 3 straight runs the best plays we had for the situation? We struggled to get the run game going all game, but it almost felt like we were not considering a different type of play for a crucial 3rd and goal. Lastly, we have an essential divisional opponent coming to town in the Buffalo Bills. This will require the coaching staff to construct an adequate game plan with room to be flexible and react correspondently to what the opponent is doing to us.

 

This article was written by Juan Cardona. Follow him on Twitter at @exclusvty

5 Comments from Media Session with Spoelstra, Stevens, Tatum, Walker

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Both the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics talked with media today after practice, one day before game one of the Eastern Conference Finals. Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker, and Brad Stevens had positive things to say about this Heat team, and basically denied the rivalry. Here’s what they all had to say today…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Erik Spoelstra spoke about Miami’s preparation for the Celtics once again today. He said, “You have to find a way to get to the competition and play more consistent basketball than the opponent.” And that right there is the best possible summary of this series. Miami absolutely will need to be the most consistent team, since Boston at times can be streaky on the offensive side of the ball. And Miami does have a bunch of guys that have shown constant consistency, including Goran Dragic, Jae Crowder, and Bam Adebayo. There are advantages in Miami’s favor that they will need to capitalize on, and there’s a good chance they will.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Coach Brad Stevens gave Miami some very positive comments talking with media today. He said, “Probably the closest team in the East that we’ve seen to the Warriors with regard to their cutting and shooting.” And well, Miami has the closest thing to the Splash Brothers right now with Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson. Stevens doubled down on his comment on Miami’s elite cutting abilities, calling them “one of the best cutting teams in the NBA.” A lot of that has to do with Bam’s ability to take opposing bigs out of the paint and utilize his elite play-making. He finished off saying that they must keep Miami off of the line, saying “easier said than done.”

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Kemba Walker touched on the history of the Boston and Miami rivalry. He said, “I’m just trying to play basketball…It’s going to be war. I’m looking forward to it.” It just truly isn’t the same rivalry as it has been in the past, since these teams have the utmost respect for one another. Kemba was complimentary of the Heat culture as well, saying “They play hard…I know those guys are going to be ready, but so are we. It’s going to be a fight.” It indeed will be a fight, and it might be most essential with who throws the first blow. And a lot of that will fall on the energy of Heat center Bam Adebayo.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Gordon Hayward’s status will become very important in this Heat series, which there was a bit of an update this afternoon. Brad Stevens and Jayson Tatum mentioned that Gordon “looked good,” but he’s not entirely sure of an exact return date. The absence of Hayward gives Miami a much bigger advantage over Boston than they would’ve had. The defensive match-ups for Miami wouldn’t be as favorable, and Miami’s bench would have issues with Marcus Smart coming off the bench. Stevens said that he’s “getting better,” and some say that he should return at some point in the series. But if Miami throws the first punch, it may be too late.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Jayson Tatum reflected back on the series with Toronto a bit, since he thinks there are some issues that can be fixed. He said, “We were a half-a-second from being up 3-0. We know we need to close out games when we can.” And when discussing closing games, there’s a question mark next to who is the go to closer for Boston. Is it Jayson Tatum? Is it Kemba Walker? Either way, Miami knows that the ball will be in Jimmy Butler’s hands on a final possession, which is important this far into the playoffs. And these games will be close down the stretch most likely, since Miami hasn’t been involved in one blowout playoff game yet. This truly will be very essential in this series.

Marlins Move to 2nd in East

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Six games later, the Marlins took a 4-2 series lead on the Phillies in this 7-game series, moving to 23-21 on the year. This pushes the Marlins to 8-2 in double-header games and propels them into the 2nd place spot in the division. Regardless, they are currently in a good playoff spot with only 16 games remaining this season. 

Oh boy, the pitching

On Sunday, we took another good look at Sixto Sanchez and our first look at Braxton Garrett. Wow. Sixto pitched a 1-run complete game en route to a 1-run win. What continues to impress me is his ability to pitch to contact in stressful situations. 100 MPH plus craftiness is in most cases untouchable. Sixto looks more like the future of Miami Marlins baseball every time he steps on the mound. Sixto’s dominance may have overshadowed Braxton Garrett’s first start, although it shouldn’t have. Braxton (our 2016 first-round pick) went 5 innings, allowing only 1 earned run on 3 hits, striking out 6. I have repeatedly mentioned both the current strength of this rotation, as well as the future strength. This outing hopefully signifies another addition to what is shaping to be one of the best rotations in baseball.

Can’t lose when the pitching allows 1 run

The pitching gave the hitting a big cushion most of these two games, whereas normally the opposite happens. Corey Dickerson and Starling Marte’s RBI singles were enough to get the job done in game 1, but the bats broke it wide open in game 2. The whole squad put together nice at-bats, with the icing on the cake being Chad Wallach’s first homer of the year. 

Special shoutout to Brian Anderson for making a Manny Machado-Esque play at third base. Braxton Garrett’s reaction was priceless. 

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Secure the bag.

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Looking ahead for the Marlins

The Marlins are now 2nd in the division, but obviously this could be short-lived as the Marlins play the Phillies today again at 4:10 pm. Pablo Lopez (3-4, 4.50 ERA) takes the mound for the Marlins against Vince Velasquez (0-0, 5.85 ERA) of the Phillies.

Winners and Losers from UFC Vegas 10

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No matter what the expectations anyone might’ve had going into this card, UFC Vegas 10 exceeded all of them. From top to bottom this card delivered anything one could’ve asked for. It had submissions, knockouts, underdogs, comebacks, and capped it off with Fight of the Night Main Event.

Let’s take a deeper look at who the winners and losers are coming out of this weekend.

 

Winners:

 

  1. Kevin Croom: Our biggest winner of the night has to be the man who came in on short notice of 2 days. He checked in as the biggest underdog of the night and was making his UFC debut. Even with all that riding on his back, Croom delivered the performance of a lifetime. He secured the fastest win for a debuting lightweight in UFC history. And on top of all that he ends up taking home a $50,000 performance bonus. With his name now on the minds of Dana White and UFC fans, Croom has the opportunity to make his journey to the UFC, which took 11 years, one that has significant impact.
  2. Michelle Waterson: After taking two straight losses in the UFC, Waterson was in jeopardy of falling down the ufc rankings and getting further and further away from a shot at the coveted strawweight championship. With this win tonight, she propels herself forward in the category of “2 fights away” from a shot at the belt. She would need to beat someone ranked 4-7 and then someone top 3 for her to secure that title shot. Getting this win was one that was key for the championship aspirations of the Karate Hottie.
  3. Bobby Green: For as long as a career that Bobby Green has had, it seems like its all coming together for him now. After last nights win, Green is currently on a 3 fight win streak, the longest of his career since 2014. Primarily known as a striker, he showed total domination in the wrestling department. He scored 4 takedowns which was a personal best while also stuffing 5 of 6 from Alan Patrick, a BJJ Black belt. For Bobby Green, winning this fight means getting himself close to the top 20 in the lightweight rankings. His potential seems to be hitting stride and with this streak we could see Green in the top 15 rankings with another 2 wins. 

 

Losers

  1. Mike Rodriguez: The biggest loser of the night was Slow Mike Rodriguez. He gets the biggest loser title because he was ROBBED from a win by the Referee and Ed Herman. Here’s the scene. Rodriguez has Herman in a muy thai clinch with his own back towards the referee. Rodriguez hits Herman with a knee straight to the solar plexus below the ribs, knocking the wind out of herman. After a few more punches to the face the ref comes and says the knee was to the groin which Sherman was pleased to abide by. He sells the groin strike and gets his 5:00 to recover from his near TKO. In the next round, after Rodriguez almost knocks Herman out, the referee doesn’t stop the fight and Herman gets a kimura lock to win. Huge mistake made by the referee and even Dana White said that it was a horrible job done by the ref. Fortunately for Mike even though he took the L, Dana was reluctant enough to give him his win money. 
  2. Angela Hill: Losing decisions are tough. Losing split decisions are even worse. For Angela Hill, she’s just lost her second split decision… in a row. Knowing that one judge had it scored where you won the fight is something that eats away in a fighters mental. With this loss, she’s in jeopardy of falling out of the top 15 rankings. And even though she seems to be improving in every fight, it seems that her skillset wont line up with her rankings. If she wants to get into the title picture, she seemingly would have to win 4 in a row at this point. Her striking is on point, it seemed like the ability to mix it up with the takedowns was the hole in her game. Her defense was on point when it came to the takedowns but she never threatened one herself. If she’s able to get a takedown game into her repertoire, she could definitely work her way back up the rankings. 
  3. Roosevelt Roberts: After winning 10 of his first 11, Roberts was looked at as a rising prospect in the UFC. Now losing two in a row, he sits at a record of 10-3. These last two losses for him were especially painful because it was two times in a row where he was caught in a submission quickly. As a brown belt in BJJ, he should’ve came in with much more awareness with defending the submissions. Now losing two in a row, he needs to do something to show out before he puts himself on the cutting board of the UFC. 

 

Other Winners and Losers:


Waterson def. Hill by split decision

Azaitar def. Worthy by TKO (punches) R1 1:33

Modafferi def. Lee by unanimous decision 

Herman def. Rodriguez by submission (kimura) R3 4:01 

Green def. Patrick by unanimous decision

Quarantillo def. Nelson by KO (punches) R3 0:07 

Eubanks def. Avila by unanimous decision

Croom def. Roberts by submission (guillotine choke) R1 0:31 

Romanov def. Martinez by submission (arm triangle choke) R2 4:22 

Turner def. Weaver by submission (rear naked choke) R2 4:20 

Barberena def. Ivy by unanimous decision 

Mazo def. Kish by submission (rear naked choke) R3 3:57 

 

You can follow Johnathan Ramlakhan on Twitter @ThreePieceCombo

 

Braxton Garrett

Meet the Marlins: Braxton Garrett

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The Miami Marlins roster crunch continued ahead of Sunday’s games with the Philadelphia Phillies. The team designated infielder Eddy Alvarez for assignment, transferred LHP Brandon Leibrandt to the 60-day IL and optioned RHP Dan Castano back to the Alternate Training Site in Jupiter. To fill the 29th-man roster spot for the doubleheader, the Marlins called up LHP pitching prospect Braxton Garrett.

After splitting the first four games of this pivotal seven-game series with the Phillies, the Marlins are looking to win at least two of the next three. A sweep today would guarantee a series win for the Fish.

The addition of Garrett provides Marlins manager Don Mattingly with another arm in the bullpen, which has been taxed of late. Garrett could start Game 2 if need be. The Marlins have RHP Sixto Sanchez taking the hill for Game 1.

Meet the Marlins: Braxton Garrett

The Miami Marlins drafted Braxton Garrett with the number seven overall pick in the first round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft. Garrett pitched out of Florence High School in Florence, Alabama, and had committed to pitch collegiately at Vanderbilt prior to signing with the Marlins.

At 23-years-old, Garret stands 6-foot-2 and is an elite left-handed pitching prospect. MLBPipeline lists Garrett as Miami’s No. 7 overall prospect.

The Marlins were high on Garrett and his potential to move through the system quickly. Entering his pro debut, Garrett featured a high-end curveball, considering one of if not the best in high school in 2016. Unfortunately, Garrett blew out his elbow after just four starts with the Greensboro Grasshoppers, the Marlins Single-A affiliate in the South Atlantic League. Garrett had Tommy John surgery in June of 2017.

Garrett missed all of the 2018 campaign rehabbing from the procedure but returned in 2019 and quickly found his old form. With the High-A Jupiter Hammerheads of the Florida State league, Garrett regained his momentum. He posted a 10.1 strikeout-per-nine-innings rate, which would’ve led the league if he hadn’t fallen just short of qualifying.

In 20 starts, he went 6-6 with a 3.34 ERA and 118 strikeouts over 105 innings pitched. He earned a promotion to Double-A Jacksonville late in the season.

Garrett’s pitching arsenal features a 90-93 fastball that can touch 96 mph. He has solid command of the pitch and comes at the hitters with a downward angle that could be troublesome.

He plays off his fastball with an above-average changeup, but his best pitch remains his curveball. The low-80s offering is an above-average pitch for him and he leans on it often to tally strikeouts. It works well against both left-handed and right-handed hitters.

The key for Braxton Garrett, like so many pitchers, remains location. He issued 40 walks in 106 innings pitched in 2019. That’s something he’ll have to avoid at the MLB level. As he continues to build his arm, Garrett could add more velocity to his arsenal. He’s yet another in the long line of potential stalwarts for the Marlins rotation in the future.

Marlins lose to Phillies 12-6

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The Marlins played in game 4 of a 7-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies last night. The game remained close until the end when the Phillies broke it open and ended up winning 12-6. The Fish have not been playing their best baseball through these 4 important games, and because of this, they are lucky to have come out with a split 2-2 record. This keeps them at .500, but more importantly, only 1.5 games back of the Phillies for 2nd in the division. 

Another pitching blip

 

For the Marlins, these slip-ups are becoming more and more common. Jose Urena didn’t pitch terribly after giving up a first-inning Grand Slam to Didi Gregorious. He went 4.1 IP allowing 5 ER on 5 hits. The hitting eventually brought the Marlins back into the game, but the bullpen couldn’t keep things under control. Richard Bleier and Josh A. Smith combined to allow 6 ER on 7 hits in the 7th and 8th inning. This put the game out of reach, handing Jose Urena the first loss of his young season.

Honestly, the Marlins bats look a lot better

 

Yes, the Marlins lost, but the level of quality at-bats, especially from younger players, is increasing on a daily basis. On any other night, if we were told the Marlins scored 6 runs on 10 hits, we would take it without even blinking. Aguilar and Anderson went deep, cementing a strong middle of the order. Miggy Ro struggled with a hand injury, comparing it to a jammed finger, which is interesting to note as he continues to serve as the Marlin’s most consistent hitter. If the pitching picks up their game, and the bats continue on this upwards trend, the playoffs look more and more within reach.

Looking ahead

 

The Marlins have 3 more games versus the Phillies. As aforementioned, these games become more and more important as the season comes to a close. The Marlins have Sixto Sanchez (2-1, 1.80 ERA) on the mound. The Phillies are yet to announce their starter.

 

5 Post-Practice Comments from Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic

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The Miami Heat are officially playing the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals starting Tuesday, after Boston took down the Toronto Raptors in game seven. Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic spoke about the match-up with the Boston Celtics with media today after practice. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Goran Dragic discussed Miami’s defensive match-ups with the Boston Celtics. He said, “We have a lot of guys who can guard multiple positions and I think we have the right guys who can defend their guys.” This mainly has to do with the amount of two-way wings that are on this current Heat roster, especially since they acquired Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala at the trade deadline. Boston’s biggest strength is the amount of versatile wings as well, but with Gordon Hayward out, it hurts that depth slightly. Goran also mentioned that he thinks they can still improve on the defensive side of the ball, which is something that Bam talked about yesterday.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Goran also touched on the planning for Jayson Tatum, as they did for Giannis Antetokounmpo. He said, “We cannot just throw the whole defense at him and forget about the other guys.” And that’s what they did against Milwaukee, since the Bucks role guys are not as offensively sound as Boston’s roster is. He also said, “They have a lot of guys who feed off of him and he’s proved he’s an all around player. It’s gonna have to be team defense.” And a lot of that is going to start with the defense of Goran. He is someone who struggles on the defensive end, which will allow Kemba Walker to attack and do what he does best. But since Boston runs a lot of stuff through a high pick and roll, it’ll allow Bam to step up on different guards, which is where he thrives. This is what Goran means when mentioning “team defense.”

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Jimmy Butler got asked about the talent on the Celtics roster, and he gave a very Jimmy like answer. He said, “They’ve got some really good players, as do we.” But not only does Miami have talent, they have dogs. Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard. That’s where Miami gains their advantage. Jimmy also mentioned that “We damn sure have to take it a game at a time.” This is what they’ve done all throughout the playoffs, which has led them to an 8-1 record, but now it’s even more important. Game one will be a clear indication on how Miami must play the rest of the series, but ultimately their going to try and prepare the same way they have all season.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Jimmy Butler also talked about the Eastern Conference Finals from a larger perspective. He said, “We all think that we’re the better team, we all think that we’re supposed to be here.” Many players say this about their own teams, but Jimmy actually means it sincerely. He has the ultimate amount of trust and confidence in himself and his teammates. He also said, “Going into these games, it’s about us. We control our destiny right now.” This is basically what Jae Crowder said yesterday, when he said the only way they can be stopped is from within. Jimmy knows they control their own destiny, and now it’s up to him to step up against Boston.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Jimmy Butler capped off his media session today talking about being underdogs. He said, “That’s a term that everyone else uses. I think we can have a chip on our shoulder…We’re supposed to be here. We’re not underdogs, we’re competitors.” Every player on this team likes to find an edge to give them a mental advantage, but ultimately Jimmy and others hold themselves to a higher standard. They’re “not embracing underdogs,” since they knew they’d be here. And this isn’t the final destination. A finals appearance isn’t the ultimate goal either. Winning an NBA championship is what they are aiming for, and they won’t be satisfied otherwise.

Marlins doubleheader Phillies

5 Takeaways from Marlins Doubleheader Split with Phillies

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The 5-day, 7-game series between the Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies stands as the most important series in recent Marlins history. Meaningful baseball in September is not something Marlins Park has witnessed lately. After a rousing walk-off win on Thursday, the Marlins split Friday’s doubleheader with the Phillies, taking Game 2 5-3 after a 11-0 Game 1 loss.

Here’s a look at five takeaways from the Marlins doubleheader split with the Phillies.

Dontrelle Willis in on Trevor Rogers

The Marlins have a bevy of young arms at their disposal. And while most of the headline these days have been reserved for Sixto Sanchez, Trevor Rogers has also impressed. Entering Friday’s doubleheader, Rogers posted a 3.00 ERA with 21 strikeouts over his first three starts at the Major League level.

Rogers, a former first-round pick by the Marlins, outdueled two-time Cy Young award winner Jacob deGrom. He then notched a career-high 10 strikeouts in his last outing against Tampa Bay. Perhaps most impressive is Rogers accomplishments come without a single start above Double-A prior to 2020.

Rogers piled up five strikeouts over the first two innings on Friday. Unfortunately, though, the potent Phillies lineup figured him out in the third and fourth innings, putting up nine runs (eight earned) and chasing him from the game. Rogers exited with 26 strikeouts over his first four career starts with the Marlins, matching the franchise record held by Dontrelle Willis.

During the game, Willis voiced his support for Rogers on Twitter.

 

“[Rogers is] a strike thrower with great life but teams can use that to be aggressive (which the Phillies did the second time around) and they swing at everything cause they know it’s going to be in the zone,” Willis said on Twitter. “I was effectively wild so they couldn’t do that to me.”

Rogers will have to make adjustments, like moving the hitters’ feet, which Willis mentioned, if he wants to continue his early-season successes. After Friday’s performance, Rogers’ ERA jumped from 3.00 to 6.50.

Run Differential Doesn’t Mean Much

Entering Saturday’s game, the Marlins team run differential sits at minus-28. That’s the fourth-worst run differential in the National League, but Miami currently sports the sixth-best record in the NL and holds the 7-seed for the playoffs.

Going into their final game in Atlanta earlier this week, the Marlins had an even run differential. What followed over the last four games pushed the run differential to negative-28.

That said, Miami is 2-2 in that span, despite being outscored 45-21.

Wednesday’s historic loss tilted the differential dramatically to the negative. Remove that contest, the Marlins would be minus-8 for the season. Take Friday’s 11-0 game off the ledger and Miami’s plus-3. And that’s just two of the team’s 41 games this season. Even eliminating the Marlins two most lopsided wins of the season (8-0, 8-2) would only move the differential to minus-8.

There’s only one non-playoff team in the NL that sports a better run differential figure at present (Mets, plus-9).

Run differential is often used when judging the likelihood of a team’s sustained success in a season. But with a 60-game sprint, the sample size may be too small. The last time that the team with the best run differential won the World Series was in 2016 (Cubs, plus-252).

Perhaps the most telling part of this might be the fact that Wednesday’s game in Atlanta should not have been such a historic blowout. A seemingly blown call by the umpires in the second inning turned what would’ve been a 2-1 Marlins lead heading into the third into a 11-2 deficit. After that call, and several other borderline ball-and-strike calls in favor of the Braves, the game got out of hand.

What’s more, the Marlins have been better than average in one-run games this season (8-7), after a terrible 2019 (16-28). Miami’s average margin of victory is 2.71, while it’s average margin of defeat is nearly double that at 4.25.

Brinson Breaking Out During Marlins, Phillies Doubleheader

The emergence of Lewis Brinson over the last few weeks has come as a surprise to some, but not to the 26-year-old outfielder.

“It’s not a fluke that I’m here and living out my dream,” Brinson said. “A lot of blood, sweat and tears over the past couple of years. This offseason has been big for me, mentally and physically, being able to trust myself and know that I’m here for a reason.”

Brinson’s third inning home run sparked the Marlins offense in Game 2 of the doubleheader.

“That was big,” Brinson said postgame via Zoom. “Tied the game up against a good lineup. Got momentum on our side a little bit. Obviously after that, we took off a little bit.”

In his last 15 games, Brinson has made strides at the plate. He’s hitting .313 over that stretch with a .989 OPS. In those games, he scored six runs, drove in five and connected on three homers.

“He’s coming along,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “We’ll keep going with him. He’s getting better. We’ll mix and match him a lot of different ways.”

There’s a Competition Brewing at Second Base

The return of Isan Díaz to the lineup this weekend is a welcome one, too. Considered the Marlins second baseman of the future, Diaz opted out for the season in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in July. However, after sitting out nearly two months, Diaz opted back in and has been welcomed with open arms.

Playing in his first games since July, Diaz’s RBI single in the fourth inning of Game 2 of the doubleheader put the Marlins up for good.

Prior to the game, Diaz said he’s “very excited to be here again.” He talked about how his decision to opt out was tough and personal. He went on to say he’s appreciative of both the organization and his teammates for welcoming him back.

His return comes after Jon Berti was placed on the 10-day IL. Jazz Chisholm has manned most of the games at second since.

Diaz called Chisholm “a stud” and said he’s “doing a phenomenal job” at second. Diaz revealed he took grounders at third base in Jupiter, something also seen at Marlins park prior to Friday’s games, and claimed he’s ready to play anywhere he’s needed.

Chisholm has manned both second base and shortstop this season. He’s hitting only .160, but in his last two starts, Chisholm has made strides at the plate. He’s 3-for-8 with a triple, a homer, two RBI and a walk in those most recent starts.

In his return, Diaz went 2-for-5 over the doubleheader, driving in one run.

“It’s a good feeling to come back into the clubhouse and see everyone, and see how focused everyone is,” Díaz said postgame. “It’s exciting. I’m ready to go, and I’m happy to be back.”

Is Yimi the New Closer?

Prior to the Marlins doubleheader with the Phillies on Friday, Yimi Garcia said it doesn’t matter to him when or where he pitches.

“I don’t believe in roles,” Garcia said pregame. “I’m ready to pitch from the first inning. I’m available for whatever Donnie needs me and to just get outs.”

Garcia posted a huge shutdown inning during Thursday night’s walkoff win, and on Friday, with Game 2 on the line, Mattingly turned to him rather than the team’s closer, Brandon Kintzler.

Kintzler wound up pitching in the sixth instead of closing. He started the season 9-for-9 in save opportunities but has blown the last two. That, coupled with a fingernail issue that he was having, which Mattingly revealed postgame, may have led to the backend change.

Prior to last night’s save, Garcia’s only other save in his career came with the Dodgers in 2015. His manager then? Don Mattingly.

Garcia surrendered his first run of the season, but shutdown the Phillies to record the save. He’s tallied 12 strikeouts with a 0.93 WHIP this season over 9.2 innings pitched. He certainly has the stuff to be a full-time closer for the Fish.

5 Comments from Media Session with Spoelstra, Crowder, Adebayo

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The Miami Heat closed out the series with the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, and are officially in the Eastern Conference Finals. Erik Spoelstra, Jae Crowder, and Bam Adebayo talked with some media today about the chance of a Finals appearance and more. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Erik Spoelstra talked about the improvements from all of their young guys while in the bubble. He said, “They’ve gotten better every single month…High pressure situations certainly helps their confidence.” When talking about the young guys, a lot is referring to Heat’s rookie Tyler Herro. He also mentioned that a big part of Herro’s improvement have come from the support of their veterans. I’ve mentioned quite a few times in the past that Goran Dragic has been a huge help for Tyler. We continually see more of Goran in Tyler’s game every game he plays.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Jae Crowder spoke about the chances of this Heat team reaching the NBA finals. He said, “Honestly I feel we have a great chance to do it. But it falls on us. We are the only team that can stop us right now.” This is indeed the truth. As I mentioned before, Miami must totally forget about the last two tough performances, and press the reset button. Since if they get into their own heads, that’s the only way they can be beaten. Jae Crowder knows what it takes to win playoff games, which is why he will be key in this next series.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Bam Adebayo spoke a little about the thing that Heat fans love to hear about. Heat culture. He said, “You can only understand it if you’re in it. So for the people trying to figure it out, you can only figure it out if you’re in it.” The thing about Heat culture is that they’re not formed into that mindset when they arrive. The guys they acquire have had that mentality their whole lives. That’s a big reason Pat Riley puts so much trust in John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats, since they hold their players to a high standard as well.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Bam Adebayo was also asked about some of the award voting that he’s been in the conversations of. He said, “I don’t care about Most Improved Player if we win a championship. Because I’ll have a ring.” This answer seemed sort of familiar. When Jimmy Butler was asked about his shooting struggles early in the bubble, he said that they won’t worry about that if he wins a championship. This is another clear indication of that Heat culture. This team shares a mutual mindset, and it’s a winning one.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Bam Adebayo finishes off the session talking about his main focus heading into the next round. He said that it’s mainly about cutting down the turnovers. This will be an absolute key for the series, since you can’t give a talented team like Boston or Toronto easy points. He also mentioned that they have the capability of getting to a whole other level defensively. He said, “I don’t think we’ve played a whole 48 minutes yet.” And now tonight’s the night Miami finds out their match-up, which Bam mentions he will be watching very closely, since he can see “some of their tendencies.”

Miami Marlins Season Recap (so far)

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Well, here we are. The Marlins are 2/3s of the way through the shortened COVID-19 style 2020 MLB season. They are sitting at 20-19 and are currently in the playoffs as a Wild Card and closing in on a top 2 divisional finish. It’s happening, but how? How have the Marlins gone from one of the worst teams in baseball to this? Can this team win in the playoffs?

 

A (shortened) Marlins season in review

 

From the first pitch of 2020, something seemed different. This team has survived a week off from COVID-19, almost half the roster being sidelined by COVID-19, and 100+ roster moves. And we still sit above .500 through 39 games. Since their early 7-1 start, the Marlins have been performing quite the balancing act around that .500 mark. To make the playoffs this year, they don’t need much more, so that is more than fine in the long run. 

 

Amazing pitching (now and future)

 

The starters, when healthy, can compete with anyone in the league which is something the Marlins haven’t seen in what feels like a decade and a half. The 5-man punch of Sixto Sanchez, Pablo Sanchez, Sandy Alcantara, Trevor Rogers, and Elieser Hernandez is scary right now. Just imagine 5 years. The bullpen of wily vets has been able to get the job done minus the exception of a few games in which they had no rest. The team has an ERA of 4.63, but if we exclude the 29 run slugfest in Atlanta, it is much more reasonable, reaching a rank of top 5 in the NL (7th with that game factored in). 

 

2-out hitting

 

The bats aren’t the strongest, and the lack of pop is most likely the main reason this team’s record is not way over the mark of .500. What has allowed this team to thrive, however, is their ability to hit with 2-outs. There are a handful of examples to choose from, but the two that top the list are 1. Starling Marte’s bases-clearing game-tying double in the 8th inning last night and 2. Jorge Alfaro’s walk-off single in the 9th inning last night. The team as a whole has struggled to play small ball and move runners over, especially when there are not 2-outs in the inning which is definitely something to keep an eye on. If the Marlins can start combining stellar pitching, small ball, and clutch 2-out hitting, the possibilities are endless.

 

Speaking of possibilities for Marlins

 

Now, I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but… The Marlins have made the playoffs twice. They have won the World Series twice. They were Wild Cards both of those years. We are Wild Cards now. Obviously this is a stretch, but can these Marlins make a deep run give the chance? Yes. I know that this take is extremely premature, and would probably hold validity in 2-3 years, but why couldn’t they? The Marlins have stellar pitching, especially out of the starting rotation. In a 5 game series against those 5 guys aforementioned, I don’t think there is any way the Marlins don’t put up a fight. If they fix some of the minor issues and continue playing like the family they are, there is no reason that an energized young Marlins team led by veterans can’t make it far in the playoffs. This is all speculation, but something to keep in mind. The most important thing is that this Marlins team is young, energetic, and going to be competing for many years to come.

Why not us this year?

 

Christian Chase Jr. (@ChaseChrisJr) attends the University of Florida. His regular columns are sponsored by SafeCubbies.com