Tag Archive for: Marlins

Marlins Walkoff Win the Day After Meltdown

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“Last night took an L, but tonight I bounce back.” – Big Sean, The Marlins

After one of the most embarrassing defeats in baseball history in which the Atlanta Braves slaughtered (that’s probably the best word) the Fish 29-9, the Marlins picked up the pieces and won a close game at home versus Philadelphia. They fell down early and trailed 6-3 late into the game before a 3-run double by Starling Marte tied it up. Jorge Alfaro’s walk-off single in the 9th sealed the 7-6 comeback win. Grit. Determination. Culture. This team is showing their true colors.

Sandy was slightly sloppy but still good

Despite the 6 runs allowed, Sandy actually fought pretty well last night. Only 3 of those 6 were earned and he only walked 2 through 6 innings pitched. Alcantara will be one of the most important pieces the rest of the way, as him getting back to ace shape will push the Marlins to the finish line. Nick Vincent, Richard Bleier, and Yimi Garcia were brilliant in their 3 combined innings, not allowing any runs to keep the marlins in the game. Only 3 earned runs in nine innings feels a lot better than 27. 

Marlins bats are woke

I feel like the Marlins picked up on my constant mentioning of the statistic that said they hadn’t scored 4 or more runs in more than 3 games in a row all season. The streak is now at 7. Continually, we are seeing an increase in the level of quality at-bats the Marlins are putting together. Most notably, they worked deep into counts versus Jake Arrieta last night, forcing him out of the game relatively early in the 6th inning. Starling Marte continues to deliver, as his 3-run double tied the game in the 8th and gave the Marlins a chance to win.

6 more versus the Phils

This is the most important series of the Marlins season. It is as simple as that. Being only .5 GB of the Phillies for the 2nd place spot means that series win means more than ever. The Marlins and Phillies play in a doubleheader today. Game 1’s starters are Trevor Rogers (1-0, 3.00 ERA) and Aaron Nola (4-3, 2.74 ERA). Neither team has announced their game 2 starters.

 

Braves Beat Marlins 29-9…

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On 9/7 and 9/8, the Marlins beat the Braves in Games 1 and 2 of their 3 game series. On 9/9, the Braves proceeded to break the NL-record for runs scored, beating the Marlins 29-9. Yes, 29-9. Pablo Lopez started for the Marlins before quickly falling apart against a strong Braves lineup. The Marlins hitting actually continued to stay relevant, putting up 9 runs, but sadly that was nowhere near close enough.

Pitching? The Marlins barely knew her last night

 

Looking at what happened last night, it is easy to get down on the Marlins pitching. Let’s remember this team has been carried by their pitching throughout the year. In reality, it is better for the pitching to allow 29-runs this game then it is for them to allow 8 over the next 4. Pablo Lopez allowed 7 earned runs, Jordan Yamamoto allowed 12 earned runs, and Alex Vesia and Josh A. Smith both allowed 4 earned to top it off. There really is no silver lining to look at revolving around last night’s pitching. As long as they can get back on track versus the Phillies, this can be considered a blip in a great season.

Hitting? The Marlins kind of know her now

 

I briefly mentioned the statistic that the Marlins longest streak of scoring 4+ runs was 3 games. They have now scored 4+ runs in 6 games. The Fish are starting to heat up, and although they aren’t “keeping up with a 29-run avalanche” hot, there is still progress to be seen. Jazz Chisholm hit his first career home run and is showing more and more promise as a future star. Lewis Brinson continues to swing the bat better, and the rest of the lineup looks the best it has all year.

What’s next? 

 

A good ole’ 7-game series between us and our division rivals? With the Marlins only sitting 3.5 GB of the Braves and 1.5 GB of the Phillies, the Fish can make a splash in the current standings with a solid series. Currently, the Marlins sit in the second Wild Card spot. Sandy Alcantara (2-1, 3.78) takes the mound in game 1 versus Jake Arrieta (3-4, 5.67 ERA) (the game is free to watch today at 6:40 pm on MLB.TV).

 

Marlins Bats Wake up in 8-0 Win

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Sixto Sanchez (2-1, 1.80) and Kyle Wright (0-4, 8.05) took the mound in the second game of a 3-game series in Atlanta between the Marlins and the Braves. The more Sixto pitches, the more comparisons he draws to “the future of Marlins’ baseball.” Tonight was no different, as the Sixto dominated in an 8-0 Marlins’ victory.

Sixto is going to be the guy

Since the tragic death of Jose Fernandez, the Marlins have struggled to find an ace with anything even close to his electrifying stuff. Now, enter Sixto Sanchez, who tops out in triple digits, works the plate well, and has a killer changeup. As the culture for Miami continues to positively change, Sixto looks to be a centerpiece in a handful of future postseason runs. Last night, Sixto went 6 innings on 3 hits and 6 strikeouts, allowing no runs. The bullpen pitched a combined 3 innings of no-run baseball in relief to seal the deal. The pitching continues to thrive, and with the bats looking better over the last few days, anything is possible for this team.

Home run barrage

Alright, “home run barrage” is probably a little exaggeratory, but for this Marlins team (or any Marlins team in recent memory), a 3 home run game is pretty out of the blue. Matt Joyce, Jorge Alfaro, and Garrett Cooper all went deep for the Fish, breaking the game open, and eventually leading the Fish to a clean win. The Marlins still sit at the bottom of the league in home runs this year, which is frightening for a playoff hopeful. As the bats continue to wake up, hopefully, the home run ball will continue to fly.

A look at the division + A look at tonight’s game

The Marlins now sit 1 GB of Philadelphia for 2nd in the division and only 2.5 GB of Atlanta. A win tonight combined with a Philadelphia loss would put the Marlins into an extremely advantageous position going into their 7-game series with the Phillies. The marlins look for the sweep on the Braves tonight, as Pablo Lopez (3-3, 3.05 ERA) takes the mound versus Tommy Milone (1-4, 5.30 ERA).

Tough Loss for the Marlins

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Yesterday, the Marlins played the Rays in their series finale. Trevor Rogers took the hill for the Marlins against Tyler Glasnow of the Rays. After a series of missed opportunities for the Marlins, the Rays ended up walking it off with a 5-4 win in the 10th. The Marlins competed but lacked the extra fire to steal a win when they could have. 

What more can the pitching do?

 

Trevor Rogers is a 22-year-old kid who pitched 6 innings of 3 run baseball against arguably the best team in the American League. Brad Boxberger and Yimi Garcia combined for 3 scoreless innings. Allowing 3 runs over 9 innings shouldn’t be a guaranteed loss for any team, but for this Marlins squad every night it looks more and more like it’s the case. The pitching shows up and puts the Marlins in a position where they can win, but the hitting falls short. 

What is going on with the hitting?

 

Starling Marte hit a 2-run bomb in the first, but past that, the bats were quiet. The dichotomy between this team earlier in this season and now is evident. Lately, the Marlins have struggled to play small ball, resulting in lost opportunities and lost games. Before the 10th inning last night, the Marlins had a runner on 2nd base with nobody out in the 8th and 9th innings. In both cases, the Marlins failed to even move the runner over to third. I’m guessing Don Mattingly will not be happy with that sequence of events. 

Tough losses can have silver linings

 

Jazz Chisolm finally got on the board with his first MLB hit! Congratulations to him as he navigates his first few weeks in the bigs. He looks like an extremely talented young player who has fun on the field and loves what he is doing. Jazz Chisholm and Brian Anderson made two of the team’s best defensive plays back-to-back yesterday, which was good to see.

What’s next?

 

The Marlins need to pick up the pace if they are going to make a run for the playoffs. They can start doing so today against the Braves, where Jose Urena makes his season debut against the Braves’ Ian Anderson.

Marlins Finally Beat Rays

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The Marlins and Rays faced off in game 2 of a 3 game series at Tampa Bay. Coming into last night’s game, the Rays were 4-0 against the Marlins on the season. With their ace Blake Snell on the mound, they looked to up it to 5. Sandy Alcantara and a slowly-waking up Marlins’ lineup had something to say about it. The Marlins won 7-3, improving to 17-17, while the Rays dropped to 27-13 on the year.

Sandy is back!

Since coming off his stint on the IL from COVID-19, Sandy Alcantara has had two starts: both against the Rays. The starts have been “A Tale of Two Cities”- esque. In his first start back a little under a week ago, he allowed 5 earned runs in 4 innings pitched while only striking out 2 in a 7-12 Rays win. Last night, Sandy allowed 1 earned run on 6 innings pitched while striking out 8. Without a doubt, Sandy getting back to ace-level will play a major factor for the Marlins the rest of the season. The bullpen looked fine allowing 2 earned over 3 innings of combined work. Luckily for them, this was the first game in a while where the hitting wasn’t totally dependent on them.

Are the bats FINALLY waking up?

I know one 7 run game shouldn’t be enough to ask this question, but that now marks two games in a row scoring 4 or more runs against one of the best teams in the league. Scoring 4 or more tomorrow would tie our longest streak of the season scoring that many runs. Corey Dickerson keeps having stellar at-bats, hitting a 2-run home run to propel the Marlins’ bats forwards. Matt Joyce came up with a clutch with a 2-out 2-RBI single to break it open.

Looking Ahead for the Marlins

The Marlins take on the Rays in the series finale today at 1:10 PM. Trevor Rogers (1-0, 2.00 ERA) takes the mound versus Tyler Glasnow (2-1, 4.24 ERA). It should be a good display of young pitching. Every game remains important for the Marlins as more and more time passes.

Marlins Lose Close Battle with Rays

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The Marlins started another series with the first-place Tampa Bay Rays on Friday. Pablo Lopez took the mound for the Fish to start the series versus Josh Fleming of the Rays. The Rays ended up taking a 5-4 victory over the Marlins, upping their season record to 4-0 on the Marlins. The Fish now sit at 16-17, and the Rays up their record 27-12. 

Pitching

Pablo Lopez faltered after a solid start to the season, allowing 5 earned runs in 4 innings pitched capped off with a bases-clearing double off of the bat of Michael Perez. The bullpen remained strong and didn’t allow a single run over their combined 4 innings of work. The hitting couldn’t overcome the 5 runs scored by the Rays, which is a trend I’ve touched upon a lot for this team. The offense is so reliant on the defense that any misstep on the latter’s end leads to a loss.

Hitting

Granted, the offense almost pulled it off. Corey Dickerson and Jesus Aguilar hit solo home runs early on off of Fleming, and Jon Berti came up with a clutch 2-run double. The Marlins left 12 on base and struggled to put anything else on the board. The hitting needs to step up their game if the marlins want to sneak into the playoffs in the Wild Card spot. 

A Look at the NL East

Looking at the NL East, the Atlanta Braves are running away with the division. A 9-1 run by the Phillies has propelled them into a commanding 2nd place position. This means the Marlins are on pace for a Wild Card berth. Although this is obviously a reach, the Marlins are 2/2 on World Series wins, both of which they entered the playoffs as a Wild Card. 

A Look Ahead

Looking ahead, the Marlins play tonight versus the Rays. Sandy Alcantara will take the mound for the Marlins and Blake Snell will pitch for the Rays. Sandy looks to erase his sub-par start last week versus the Rays.

Marlins Lose 2-1, Split Series With Blue Jays

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One mistake was enough to give Sixto Sanchez (1-1, 2.37) his first loss in the MLB. On a dominant night from Sixto, one hanging slider to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was enough to make the difference. The Blue Jays managed to hold on to their relatively early 2-0 lead off the Gurriel Jr. blast and win the game 2-1. The Marlins fell to 16-16 and the Blue Jays improved to 19-16 on the season. 

Positive Takes

The pitching remains stellar. Sixto had a lot of swagger on the mound and showed high levels of confidence for the young 22-year old that he is. He managed the game with a low pitch count and went 7 strong innings allowing only the 2 runs on the home run. Boxberger and Garcia pitched scoreless innings in the 8th and 9th, respectively. Marlins’ pitching continues to look extremely special with the combination of effective young arms in the starting rotation and the wily veterans in the bullpen. After almost every game (barring some of the games which the bullpen was working on low rest), Marlins’ pitching has been a positive post-game topic. At least they are consistent.

Negative Takes

Speaking of inconsistency, the Marlins’ lineup has continued to struggle. Adding Marte to the mix proved to be the difference on Tuesday, but as seen on Wednesday one guy cannot shift the momentum of 8 guys lacking. These hitting woes have been a consistent fixture on this team. Their ability to get back on track will be the driving factor in whether this Marlins team can continue their run. The hitting has been inconsistent all season, but there have been solid spurts mixed in. The Fish will look to have a 28 game “spurt” to finish off the season.

Looking Ahead

The Marlins have Thursday off. On Friday they head to the Trop to take on the Tampa Bay Rays, who they were just swept by a series ago. Pablo Lopez (3-2, 2.10) will take the mound on Friday versus Josh Fleming (2-0, 1.74).

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.

Marlins breakout candidates

5 Marlins Breakout Candidates for 2020

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For the Miami Marlins, the 2020 season arrives with new faces and renewed hope. While not the normal spring beginning by any means, this optimism feels real and is largely tied to a number of potential Marlins breakout candidates.

The 2020 MLB season arrived last night in rainy Washington, D.C. For the Marlins, they’re a few hours north in Philadelphia awaiting their first tilt of the truncated season. The landscape of MLB transformed this year thanks to COVID-19, new rules and an eleventh-hour agreement to expand the playoffs. Everyone has a chance, and for Miami, their opportunity to break a 17-year postseason drought could be decided by a handful of players.

So here’s a look at five Marlins breakout candidates for the 2020 season.

Marlins Breakout Candidates: Sandy Alcantara

Miami’s Opening Day starter is 24-year-old Sandy Alcantara. A first-time all-star in 2019, Alcantara finished 6-14 with a 3.88 ERA, 151 strikeouts, 81 walks and two complete-game shutouts. His best work came over an 11-game stretch to end the season. Over his final 74.1 innings, Alcantara posted a 2.74 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with 62 strikeouts. He hit seven innings in seven of his last 11 starts.

“I think that’s the biggest thing in my life, being the Opening Day starter. I feel great about that,” Alcantara said. “I’m ready to go.”

In 2019, Alcantara went 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA versus Philadelphia. He sports a five-pitch arsenal which includes a solid fastball-sinker-slider combo. His changeup and curve are weapons versus lefties.

“His stuff is as good as anyone,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said recently. “I don’t care who you want to put out there. His stuff is as good as anyone’s.”

For the Marlins, if Alcantara can ascend to top-line starter level, the 2020 season will be a success.

“I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people,” Alcantara said. “They want me to be a leader. That’s what I’m trying to do. Keep preparing myself. Keep getting better. Become an ace.”

Marlins Breakout Candidates: Pablo Lopez

If the Marlins are going to contend for a playoff spot, they’ll need Pablo Lopez to make a leap. In 2019, Lopez sported a 4.23 ERA through mid-June, allowing four earned-runs or less in 13 of his 14 starts. But after he went down with strained right shoulder, he wasn’t the same pitcher.

Marlins pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. has been impressed by Lopez throughout the spring and summer, particularly considering the tragic passing of Lopez’s father recently. He said Lopez is the pitcher he’s “most excited about.” And Lopez has worked tirelessly to develop his game, adding a cutter to his arsenal, which already includes a top-level changeup.

Following an impressive performance during a simulated game last Thursday, Mattingly noted that it was “the best I’ve ever seen Pablo look as far as being that aggressive guy.”

Lopez also looked good against the Braves. He dispatched Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies and Freddie Freeman on six pitches in the first inning of that game. Lopez will start the home opener versus the Baltimore Orioles next week.

Starting him in Marlins Park is a nod to Lopez’s struggles on the road in 2019, where he went 2-5 with a 7.36 ERA and 1.44 WHIP. At home, Lopez was much better, going 3-3 with a 3.39 ERA and 1.08 WHIP.

Marlins Breakout Candidates: Isan Díaz

The hype surrounding Isan Díaz seemed well worth it when he took Jacob DeGrom deep in his MLB debut. That memorable moment, though, was followed by uncharacteristic struggles at the plate for the 24-year-old. Díaz finished his first year in the Majors with a .173 batting average, five home runs and 23 RBI.

“There were a lot of things going on mentally,” Díaz said of the struggles. “I wasn’t allowing my ability to evolve in the game. Those are things that happen.

“I had a great group of guys here who told me to take it as a learning curve and come back ready for next year,” he said. “Here we are for this 2020 season and already there’s a big difference with how I’m mentally feeling and how I’m going at this. I think that last year’s failure actually is going to help me for this year.”

Mattingly sees Díaz as the team’s second baseman now and of the future. He said Díaz’s “track record show that he’s gonna hit.”

Díaz should find the addition of new bench coach/offensive coordinator James Rowson hugely beneficial. Díaz has raw power but was too patient as a rookie, falling behind often. He’s already demonstrated strides at the plate in the exhibitions versus Atlanta. Although he only had one hit and one walk, there were productive at-bats.

Marlins Breakout Candidates: Jorge Alfaro

The player who could enjoy the most gains from the addition of Rowson is Jorge Alfaro. The 27-year-old catcher flashed his potential with the bat in 2019, connecting on 18 home runs, 14 doubles and 57 RBI. What hurt Alfaro was a 38.4-percent swing-and-miss rate, a 48-percent chase rate and a 33.1-percent strikeout rate.

Rowson says he wants Marlins hitters to take “swings to do damage,” and Alfaro can certainly do that. He sported a 44.8 percent hard-hit rate (a ball with an exit velocity of at least 95 mph) last season.

Alfaro demonstrated the new aggressive approach on Tuesday when he punched the first pitch he saw over the leftfield fence at Truist Park. In the two games, Alfaro went 3-for-5 with a homer and two RBI.

He’ll also need to improve defensively. Alfaro posted the fourth-most errors by a catcher (11) and the third-most passed balls (11). He’ll be mentored this year by Francisco Cervelli, who’s well known for his defensive acumen.

Marlins Breakout Candidates: Brian Anderson

Although the Marlins added higher profile names to their lineup (Jesus Aguilar, Corey Dickersonand Jonathan Villar), Brian Anderson remains a key component to this offense. Anderson’s second year ended in August after a hit-by-pitch fractured his left hand. He slashed .261/.341/.468 with 20 home runs, 33 doubles and 66 RBI.

“I think he’s been getting better and better,” Mattingly said. “I think he’s got all the attributes. I’ve talked about him a lot from the standpoint of he sees the ball good and controls the strike zone. He’s got a good swing. He uses the whole field. Everything’s there in place.”

Anderson does have the tendency to get frustrated at the plate, evidenced by his 0-for-4 performance in the first exhibition versus the Braves. But Anderson bounced back with a solid 2-for-3 outing, including a double and run scored.

Adding Villar, Dickerson and Aguilar around Anderson should also provide the 27-year-old third baseman with lineup protection he’s never received in Miami.

“Those types of guys are definitely gonna make our lineup just more well-rounded and just tougher to pitch to,” Anderson said. “For me, I’m hoping that means I get more pitches to hit. It’s my job to make sure that I get those good pitches and I hit them.”

Recent reports indicate that Miami and Anderson have discussed a long-term contract extension.

“They’ve obviously given me an incredible opportunity here so I would love to stay here,” said Anderson, who the Marlins drafted in 2014 (third round).

“I love the direction that we’re going. I love getting to hear Derek talk about expecting to win,” he said. “That’s something that can grow and build and we can start making something special here.”