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Marlins win

Miami Marlins Win Game 1 Over Cubs

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The Miami Marlins crashed MLB’s postseason party in 2020. On Wednesday, the franchise played its first playoff game in 17 years. The Marlins rallied around a dominant pitching performance from Sandy Alcantara to win Game 1 over the favored Chicago Cubs, 5-1.

It wasn’t just Alcantara leading the way, though. Key veterans provided the offensive lift late in the game, and veteran additions to the bullpen closed the door for the Marlins.

The Marlins entered the playoffs with nothing short of the most historical turnaround in MLB history. No team in the long life of the sport has ever emerged from the depths of a 105-loss season to qualify for the playoffs a year later. And the key to that emergence has been not only the development of young talent, but also the production from veterans acquired for just this purpose.

Two of those additions, Corey Dickerson and Jesús Aguilar, provided the dramatic lift Miami’s dormant offense needed against the Cubs.

Veteran Additions Lead the Way

Chicago’s starter Kyle Hendricks dominated the Fish through six, surrendering just one hit in that span. But Hendricks’ control was uncharacteristically off, as the starter who’d issued just eight walks in 2020 gave up three free passes and a hit-by-pitch.

In the seventh, the Marlins offense finally broke through. Back-to-back singles by Miguel Rojas and Chad Wallach preceded a game-changing three-run home run by Dickerson.

“[Hendricks] was tough,” Dickerson said via Zoom postgame. “He was hitting his spots. Very tough at-bats. It was about getting a good pitch, and don’t miss it. Early on, I was thinking too much, trying to get the right pitch. It was about seeing it over the plate, get my timing right and letting it go. I got a good pitch to hit.”

From there, Cubs manager David Ross went to the bullpen, summoning closer Jeremy Jeffress. What followed was a sharp single from Starling Marte and a two-run home run by Aguilar. That quickly, the Marlins went from down 1-0 with a punchless offense, to up 5-1 and in full control.

“That inning was a great inning for us, especially with Corey’s homer,” Aguilar said postgame. “It was like, ‘We could do it.’ We just tried to do our job, and stay aggressive. We’re here. I think we have the right pieces. We’ve got the right guys. Now let’s see what happens.”

Don Mattingly, managing his first game in the postseason for the Marlins after becoming the club’s all-time leader in wins earlier this season, lauded the additions of Dickerson and Aguilar postgame.

“Corey was one of the guys that we went after,” Mattingly said. “He’s always hit. He’s always been a guy that seems to hit good pitching. It was good for him. His first postseason, and he hits a homer. He was excited, and then [Aguilar] is another guy that’s hit. Good year a couple of years ago, struggled last year. We were hoping for the bounce back, and we got it. Both of those guys bring a ton to the club.”

Pitching Key to Marlins Win

Veteran additions to the bullpen also helped in this one.

Richard Bleier entered in the sixth and retired Ian Happ with on pitch to end the inning. The eighth belong to Yimi Garcia, and he knifed through three Cubs hitters, registering two strikeouts. In the ninth, closer Brandon Kintzler shut the door and helped the Marlins win their first playoff game in 17 years.

Alcantara’s efforts in this one signal a bright future for the Marlins. The 25-year-old starter went 6.2 innings and surrendered just three hits, one being a home run to Ian Happ that just barely escaped Wrigley Field.

After the game, Alcantara said it wasn’t one of his “best days.” He did walk three and struck out only four. He relied mostly on his fastball and struggled to spot his off-speed pitches consistently.

“We’ve seen him even better than that,” Mattingly said of Alcantara. “He didn’t really get his changeup going today. I’m not complaining with Sandy. You know that he has more there.”

Alcantara admitted he “didn’t have his best stuff” but he managed to throw enough strikes. He also induced six ground ball outs, which is key against the Cubs lineup.

Marlins Win, But Lose Marte in the Process

The one sour note from an otherwise excellent Marlins win was the potential loss of Marte. In the ninth innings, Cubs reliever Dan Winkler caught Marte on his left hand, leading to a non-displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal.

Marte’s been hit four times since joining the Marlins, including a scary moment just prior to the postseason when a pitch came up and in and clipped the brim of his batting helmet.

The Marlins haven’t officially announced Marte as out, listing him still as day-to-day. There seems to be a chance that he could return to the lineup soon and would do so with a considerable wrap of his injured pinkie finger.

If Marte does miss time, Lewis Brinson, Monte Harrison and Magneuris Sierra are all options for Mattingly in centerfield.

For Game 2, the Marlins give the ball to rookie right-hander Sixto Sánchez (3-2, 3.46) against Cubs ace You Darvish (8-3, 2.01).

Check out the Five Reasons Sports Marlins postgame show below:

Marlins playoffs

5 Keys for Marlins in Playoffs Wild Card Round

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The Miami Marlins are back in the playoffs for the first time in 17 years when their Wild Card series begins versus the Chicago Cubs. Although the Cubs are favored and expected to win, the Marlins have the makeup to not only make this an interesting series, but to win the three-game set and advance.

The Marlins enter the postseason with a 31-29 record, the franchise’s first winning season since 2009. They finished second in the NL East but sported a polarizing minus-41 run differential through 60 games.

The Cubs, meanwhile, lead the NL Central almost wire-to-wire, despite it being a division with three other playoff teams. Chicago finished with a 34-26 record and a plus-25 run differential, but they sputtered to end the season. The Cubs were 4-6 over their last 10 with a minus-6 run differential.

These two teams are evenly matched and sport similar strengths. Here’s a look at five keys for the Marlins this Wild Card series in the playoffs.

Marlins Playoffs: Getting Ground Ball Outs

Yesterday, the Marlins announced their starting rotation for the three-game series in the playoffs. Sandy Alcantara (3-2, 3.00 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 39 K) will start Game 1. Sixto Sanchez (3-2, 3.46 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 33 K) will take Game 2. Pablo Lopez (6-4, 3.61 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 59 K) gets Game 3 if there is one.

Marlins playoffs

The Miami Marlins starting rotation for the Wild Card round of the playoffs. (Photo Credit: Miami Marlins/Twitter.com)

Starting pitching remains the Marlins’ strength this season. While the team’s overall ERA stands at 4.86 (21st in MLB), if you take the collective ERA of the 15 pitchers who threw the most innings this season, that number drops to 4.23, which would be 12th in MLB.

Marlins starters square off against an inconsistent Chicago offense. Although the names are well-known, the Cubs lineup has posted just a .220 batting average (27th) and scored 265 runs (20th). They have a strikeout-rate of 25.7 percent, which is 14th in the league, and a chase-rate of 27.5 percent (16th). Their 568 strikeouts were fifth-most in the NL.

The Cubs lineup lacked the consistency seen in years past, but it’s loaded in experience. They relied a great deal on the long ball, connecting on 74 home runs, including 30 at home.

Marlins starting pitchers need to limit walks and keep the ball within the friendly confines of Wrigley Field if they want to be successful in these playoffs. Alcantara sports a 50.4 percent ground-ball rate, and that’s the lowest rate of Miami’s three starters. Sanchez’s ground-ball rate is 58 percent and Lopez’s is 52.8.

Getting those ground ball outs will be key for Marlins pitchers this series.

Leveraging the Bullpen

The Marlins used a staggering 37 different pitchers this season, including 28 different relievers. Overall, the bullpen ERA finished at 5.50, fourth worst in the league. A closer look at that number reveals it as a flawed measure.

17 of those 28 relievers pitched less than eight innings out of the ‘pen but surrendered a whopping 65 earned runs over 59.2 innings combined. Hence, the inflated bullpen ERA. If you take the Marlins top-five relievers, you’ll see a group that posted a 2.00 ERA over 85.2 innings pitched. That would be the best mark in the league by far.

Brandon Kintzler, Yimi Garcia, Brad Boxberger, James Hoyt and Richard Bleier sport a mix of stuff and experience and should be able to save games if given the opportunity. As a group, those five are 13 for 18 in save opportunities. As a team this season, the Marlins are 29-0 when leading after six innings, so the bullpen has come through.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly will need to leverage these top-five arms to win this series.

Marlins Playoffs: Finding the Offense

One of the frustrations for the Marlins this season has been an inconsistency on offense. The Marlins score 4.38 runs-per-game (21st in MLB). The offense overall is middle-of-the-pack in batting average (.244; 17th) and OPS-plus (92; 19th). However, Miami has been shut out a league-high seven times.

Miguel Rojas (.304/.392/.496) and Jesus Aguilar (.277/.352/.457) have been the two best hitters in the lineup. Brian Anderson has also consistently got on base and has hit the ball well with a .810 OPS.

As a team, the offense did its best work with two-outs. Their .251 average with two-outs is fifth-best in the NL and their 122 runs scored with two-outs are sixth-best in MLB. With runners-in-scoring-position and two-outs, their .256 average is sixth-best in the league, and their 90 RBI are fifth-most.

The Marlins have a limited history with Chicago’s Game 1 and Game 2 starters.

Versus Kyle Hendricks, Starling Marte sports the most experience with 26 at-bats and six hits. Corey Dickerson is 4-for-16. Rojas, Anderson and Lewis Brinson are a combined 5-for-34. Jorge Alfaro has had some success, going 3-for-7.

Versus Yu Darvish, Marte and Dickerson are a combined 9-for-24 with three doubles and two home runs. Rojas, Anderson and Brinson are 2-for-14. Chad Wallach is 1-for-4 with a home run versus Darvish.

The Marlins offense will need to find some level of consistency to be successful during these playoffs. They’ve struggled versus soft-tossers like Hendricks, but the key will be getting on base.

Keeping the Running Game Going

The Marlins playoffs success will certainly hinge upon not only getting on base, but also putting pressure on Chicago’s defense once they do so. Miami sports a great deal of speed throughout the roster and regular lineup.

In 2020, the Marlins stole 51 bases over 60 games, which was the second-highest total in MLB. The team even stole home three times this season. This approach is a philosophical change for the Fish, considering the 2019 club stole just 55 bags in 162 games.

With Marte, Rojas and Jon Berti, the Marlins deploy speed that could be effective versus a soft-tossing pitcher like Hendricks. Cubs catcher Willson Contreras threw out nine of 26 runners this season, but the Marlins can be selective with their moves. In addition to the regular starters, Mattingly can also inject speed with Brinson, Monte Harrison and Magneuris Sierra as potential base-stealers late in games.

Putting the pressure on the Cubs defense will force Chicago to execute and could lead to the Marlins scratching out an extra run or two. And runs will be at a premium in this playoffs series.

Defense Wins Championships

The Marlins defense features a number of athletic, rangy players that catch the ball well. Miami sports plus-defenders across a number of positions, including Anderson at third base, Rojas at short and Marte in center.

As a whole, the Marlins registered a .980 fielding percentage this season with 40 errors (seventh-most). While those numbers aren’t great, the turnover in the roster led to some of these defensive issues.

Marlins pitchers induced 55 double plays this season, which was second-most in MLB. Marlins relievers lead the league with 32 double plays.

One interesting choice Mattingly will have to make will be who starts at catcher. Alfaro produces more offensively, and can control Chicago’s running game, but Wallach is the better defensive receiver. Wallach seems to have developed a positive chemistry with Lopez and Alcantara of late. That chemistry could be key.

In recent years, World Series champions have sported more defensive-minded players behind the plate to great success.

Marlins Playoffs: Prediction

The Marlins have a tall task ahead of them, but if Alcantara can help them win Game 1, the Marlins should be able to win this playoff series in three games. The opportunistic offense will need to come through, but, as they have all year, this Marlins group is resilient and believes in itself.

Alcantara said during Spring Training, “We’re going to surprise people.” And that could very well continue for the Marlins in these playoffs.

Marlins postseason

Wild Numbers from Marlins Postseason Push

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The Miami Marlins clinched their first postseason berth since 2003 last night. Their 4-3 victory over the New York Yankees, coupled with Philadelphia’s 6-4 loss to the Rays, punched the Marlins’ ticket. In a 60-game rollercoaster of a season, the Marlins strapped in and produced some of the most incredible numbers in the sport.

 

Baseball is a game of numbers. Books have been written and movies have been made about them. Organizations sport robust analytics departments dedicated to digging through and pulling meaning from the numbers.

Here’s a look at some of the wild numbers from the Marlins postseason push.

16

It’s been 16 seasons since the last Miami Marlins team made the postseason. With Friday night’s win, the Marlins punched their playoff ticket for the first time since 2003 and for just the third time in franchise history. The other two times, the Marlins entered the postseason as a Wild Card and went on to win the World Series. In 2020, they finished second in the NL East, as they did in 1997 and 2003.

16 was also the jersey number of Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez, who passed away four years ago yesterday. Fernandez’s infectious spirit during his playing days brought joy to so many, and his loss changed the course of this franchise. Marlins manager Don Mattingly admitted the day as an emotional one, prior to the game. Mattingly said his wife sent him a picture of him and Jose, and also revealed he’s worn a bracelet with the #16 on it ever since. Mattingly also adjusted his workouts routines to be 16 reps instead of 15.

“It would be something that would be special,” Mattingly said pregame of clinching a playoff spot on the day Jose passed. And that’s exactly what this club did.

21

The Marlins have used 21 rookies this season during their improbably playoff run. This youth movement helped Miami navigate the tough times in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak to start the season. These players injected energy and life into the club and helped the Marlins rally from the difficult situation to start.

Of the 21 rookies, 18 of them made their MLB debuts. The 18 debuts came within the team’s first 44 games. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, entering 2020, no team in Major League history had as many debuts over a team’s first 60 games.

23

The Marlins started the 2020 season by packing for a five-day trip. The road trip should have taken the team from Atlanta to Philadelphia, then home for their season opener. Unfortunately, that five-day sojourn morphed into a 23-day odyssey.

The COVID-19 outbreak quarantined the club in Philadelphia for more than a week and more than half of the roster needed to be supplemented with moves. 18 players were placed on the injured list, and when the team resumed play in Baltimore, more than half of the Opening Day roster had been turned over.

Only five players have been on the active roster the entire season: Jesús Aguilar, Brian Anderson, Brad Boxberger, Brandon Kintzler and Pablo López.

46.5

The Marlins seem to do their best work in the clutch. Entering the weekend, the club has scored 46.5 percent of their runs with two outs this season, the highest such percentage in MLB.

Before Friday’s game, the Marlins entered batting .249 (151-for-607) this season with two outs, seventh-highest mark in the Majors and fifth in the NL. Miami’s .343 OBP with two outs is fifth best in the Majors in 2020. These clutch hits buoyed the Marlins postseason push throughout the season.

50

The Marlins have stolen 50 bases this season, second most in the Majors behind only San Diego (52). Have been caught just once in their last 20 stolen base attempts. Miami stole 55 bases in all of 2019, good for 23rd overall. The Marlins have led the Majors in stolen bases three times previously: 2000 (168), 2002 (177) and 2003 (150).

Jonathan Villar had nine steals with the Marlins, and Jon Berti has eight this season. Monte Harrison has six. No other player has more than five, but 13 different Marlins have stolen at least one bag.

The Marlins stolen home three times this season. MLB’s other 29 teams have done it a total of once.

61

The Marlins have used 61 players this season. The team has made 175 roster moves. Of the 61 players to don a Marlins uniform during this postseason push, 37 have been pitchers, including 28 different relievers and 13 different starting pitchers.

The Marlins started nine different pitchers in their first nine games this season, setting a new MLB record in that regard. And 52 of the team’s 59 games have been started by pitchers 25-years-old or younger.

105

In 2019, the Marlins went 57-105. The sported the worst record in the National League and were among the worst teams in all of baseball. Injuries and ineffective play littered the season, but in 2020, everything changed. With this postseason berth, the Marlins become just the second team in MLB history to go from 100-plus losses in the previous year to the playoffs. The 2019 Marlins are the worst team by record to ever clinch a playoff spot the following season.

The Marlins had a less than one percent chance to make the playoffs, and most baseball pundits picked the Marlins to finish last in the NL East. The team was called “bottom feeders” by some and rallied around that label, making it a motto.

“It’s pushed us,” Lewis Brinson said Saturday morning. “We knew going into Spring Training that no one believed in us.”

Some other Marlins Postseason Numbers

  • The Marlins have 58 home runs in 58 games in 2020, averaging a homer every 32.12 ABs. It’s the team’s second-highest such mark in the last 12 years, behind 2017 (28.88).
  • The Marlins are 19-13 (.613) on the road this season, the third-best road winning percentage in the Majors and the third-most road wins in behind the Dodgers (22) and Rays (20). The Marlins had a 27-54 (.333) road record in 2019, and have secured a winning road record for the first time since 2009 (44-37, .543).
  • Due to makeup games, the Marlins will play 34 road games in 2020 – 57% of their scheduled contests.
  • The Marlins are 11-8 (.579) in one-run games this season. That’s tied with Milwaukee for most one-run wins among NL teams in 2020. Miami had 9 one-run wins in all of 2019.
  • The Marlins have been able to come out victorious when they have the lead late in games, going 27-0 in contests in which they are up on their opponents entering the sixth inning. According to Elias, only one team – Atlanta at 27-0 – has as many such wins without a loss in 2020.

These numbers come courtesy of the Miami Marlins and MLB.com.

Marlins Yankees

Marlins Make Playoffs With Win Over Yankees

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The Miami Marlins defeated the New York Yankees 4-3 in 10 innings on Friday night. The win, coupled with a 6-4 loss by the Philadelphia Phillies, put the Marlins in the postseason for the first time since 2003.

It took an ace-level performance from Sandy Alcantara, a clutch pitch from Brandon Kintzler and timely defense.

Prior to the Yankees series, Alcantara sounded very confident. “They got to fight me a lot,” he said of the potent New York lineup.

“I just want to be the guy,” Alcantara said. He wants to go as deep as he can in every game, establish consistency and attack the hitters. Each of those were evident in his start on Friday.

Alcantara went 7.1 innings, surrendering six hits, two walks and two earned runs, while striking out nine. He struck out former Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton three times. He induced three double plays throughout the game, helping minimize many of the Yankee threas.

 

Alcantara’s ace performance lifted the Marlins, who had lost four of five entering Friday. Alcantara was visibly frustrated in the dugout after getting pulled from the game with one out in the eighth. He admitted afterwards that he’d hoped to finish the game, but he respected manager Don Mattingly’s decision to go to the bullpen.

Marlins Bullpen Helps Secure Win Over Yankees

The Marlins bullpen needed to secure five outs, and although Yimi Garcia allowed a game-tying single in the eighth, they held on when needed. Brad Boxberger walked Stanton before getting Luke Voit in ground into a double play.

Marlins closer Brandon Kintzler came on in the 10th for a save opportunity, one night after his first career six-out save. Kintzler worked into trouble, ultimately loading the bases with one out. But facing DJ LeMahieu, one of the league’s best hitters, Kintzler induced a game-ending double play.

Despite LeMahieu being a great hitter, Kintzler knew he could get one of the best hitters in the league to put the ball on the ground.

“He did exactly what I wanted him to do, exactly what I planned, exactly what I had seen him do before,” Kintzler said. “The guy’s a great hitter, but that’s just for me a great situation.”

 

While the story of the night was pitching, the Marlins offense did just enough to secure the victory. Former Yankee Garrett Cooper put the Marlins ahead early with his three-run home run in the first inning.

From there, it was a struggle. The Marlins managed only three hits for the night and were 1-of-8 with runners-in-scoring-position, ultimately stranding seven on base. Jesus Aguilar, who’d flies out with the bases loaded in the second and stranded runners and the corners in the seventh, came through with a clutch sacrifice fly in the 10th to give Miami the lead.

Monte Harrison scored the go-ahead run but did so after scrambling back to third base on a botched run-down by the Yankees. All told, New York committed four fielding errors, including a crucial one in extras.

The resilience of the Marlins club was on display through the night, as it has been throughout the season. The win over the Yankees propels the Marlins to the playoffs for the first time since 2003, snapping the second-longest postseason drought in MLB (16 seasons).

The Marlins Maintain Playoff Hopes With Win

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With the season on the brink, amid pouring rain in Atlanta, GA, the Miami Marlins turned to Pablo Lopez. After much heralded pitching prospects Trevor Rogers and Sixto Sanchez failed to get the Marlins back on track, the 24-year-old veteran in his third season settled the Marlins on the mound and gave the team the opportunity to stop the skid and maintain their hold on a playoff spot. The Marlins managed a 4-2 victory over the Braves in what was the latest most important game of the topsy-turvy 2020 season.

Lopez went five innings and surrendered only two hits while piling up six strikeouts, including the 200th of his MLB career.

“Obviously, every game is important in a short season like this one,” López said. “We knew coming into today that this is the biggest game yet. We’ve seen the Braves the last three days. Obviously, it’s a tough matchup.”

The Marlins entered Thursday night’s matchup losers of four straight and watched their lead in the playoff race dwindle to 0.5 games. With the Phillies nipping at their heels, Miami turned to Lopez, who’s been one of the few constants this season, and he turned in one of the biggest performances of the season.

But he wasn’t alone. The offense, which has sputtered of late and has been maddeningly inconsistent throughout the season, found just enough of a rhythm. The bullpen also turned in a critical performance.

The Marlins Offense Came Through in the Clutch

In the sixth inning, tied at zero, the Marlins offense went to work. Brian Anderson reached on an error, then Garrett Cooper singled, moving Anderson to third. A pair of strikeouts followed and the Marlins seemed like the same old story of lackluster offense would hold true in this spot. But backup catcher Chad Wallach came through.

Wallach, starting thanks to his recent chemistry with Lopez on the mound, punched an 2-0 offering from Ian Anderson into right field. That scored Anderson and moved Cooper to third.

Jon Berti came to the plate and continued Miami’s two-out magic by ripping a two-run double to left. The Marlins held a 3-0 lead entering the top of the sixth.

The Bullpen Held On

Marlins manager Don Mattingly turned to Yimi Garcia earlier than usual when he summoned the right-hander from the ‘pen in the sixth. Garcia walked Marcell Ozuna, but proceeded to get Travis d’Araud to line out, then registered a pair of strikeouts of Ozzie Albies and Adam Duvall.

In the seventh inning, Jesus Aguilar extended the Marlins lead with a home run off AJ Minter. It was Aguilar’s eighth homer of the season.

James Hoyt and Richard Bleier combined work through a tense seventh before Marlins closer Brandon Kintzler entered in the eighth to attempt a six-out save. Brad Boxberger had loaded the bases without recording an out, and although Kintzler surrendered a pair of runs on a Dansby Swanson single, he limited the damage to two.

“He comes in a tough spot,” Mattingly said of Kintzler after the game. “I’d trade outs for runs at that point. Obviously, a great job getting us through there, and he had to go through their top of the order in the ninth.”

Kintzler notched his first career six-out save and the 60th save of his career with the Marlins win.

“That was a really big win,” Wallach said afterwards. “We’ve been doing that all year. When we’ve gotten down and may have lost a couple of games, we’ve battled back when we’ve needed to. We played a great game, and that’s just something we’ve done all year. Hopefully, we can continue it going on.”

Playoffs on the Line in New York

The Marlins (29-28) head to New York for a crucial three-game series against the Yankees. Miami holds a slim one-game lead over the Phillies (28-29) for second place in the NL East and a guaranteed playoff spot. The Phillies are in St Petersburg to face the Tampa Bay Rays this weekend. The Marlins hold the tiebreaker over Philadelphia and their magic number to clinch a playoff spot is down to two.

The Marlins have Sandy Alcantara (3-2, 3.12 ERA) taking the mound against the Yankees in an effort to possibly clinch their first postseason berth since 2003.

Marlins series Phillies

5 Takeaways from Marlins Series Win Over Phillies

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The Miami Marlins put MLB on notice this weekend. Long considered also-rans, door mats and ‘bottom-feeders’, the Marlins continue to buck those traditional epithets in lieu of a different one: playoff contenders. The evidence has never been more obvious, and the Marlins 7-game series win over the Phillies now stands as Exhibit A.

Here’s a look at five takeaways from the Marlins series win over the Phillies.

Sixto’s an Ace in the making

The start to Sixto Sanchez’s career continues to turn heads in baseball. In five starts, Sanchez has posted a 3-1 record with a 1.69 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 29 strikeouts over 32 innings pitched. He worked six innings against Atlanta allowing three hits, no runs and striking out six for his

second career win. He followed that with a complete game effort allowing one run on three hits while striking out four.

Sanchez has the second most strikeouts (29) for a pitcher in his first five MLB games, all starts, with an ERA less than 2.00. RHP Steve Busby of the 1972 Kansas City Royals had the most (31). Even Sixto’s idol, Pedro Martinez, has come away impressed.

 

Sanchez split the 2019 season between Single-A Jupiter and Double-A Jacksonville, going 8-6 with a 2.76 ERA and striking out 103 batters while walking only 21. He went undefeated in his final eight starts of the year, posting a 0.95 ERA over the stretch.

So far this season, he’s stabilized the Marlins rotation at a time it was teetering. His performances continue to show that the Marlins have a future ace on their hands.

Bounce Back from Lopez Key for Marlins in Series Win Over Phillies

Against the Phillies on Monday, Pablo López found his early season form. After a pair of starts where Lopez struggled mightily, the 24-year-old RHP settled in and provided the Marlins with a huge bounce-back performance.

In his previous two starts, Lopez surrendered a combined 12 earned runs over 5.2 innings pitched against Tampa Bay and Atlanta. He struggled to find the strike zone consistently and gave up too many hard hits. Against Philadelphia, though, Lopez regained his ace-like form.

Lopez tossed seven innings, allowing just one earned run on Andrew McCutchen’s homer in the first. He was able to throw his curveball for strikes consistently, then paired his changeup with his 4- and 2-seam fastballs to great success.

“Biggest thing for me, I was more in sync and trying to stay on top of the ball more frequently,” Lopez said after the game. He found a rhythm with catcher Chad Wallach, which also seemed to help.

Lopez finding his early season form means the Marlins have three high-end starters in their rotation, a must for any playoff team.

Marte May Be Most Important Midseason Pick-up

The deal to bring in Starling Marte may ultimately become one of the most important mid-season acquistions in Marlins history. The team has a storied history of adding difference makers, but in recent years, that hasn’t been the case. Initially, Marte’s performance left some concerned. He hit just .200 through his first eight games. But since, he’s embarked on a torrid stretch.

Versus the Phillies, Marte posted a .400 batting average. He went 10-for-25 with seven RBI, six runs scored, four doubles and a home run. He’s repeated come through in the clutch for the Marlins, with most of his RBI either tying the score or giving the team a lead.

Over the years, the Marlins have added big talents midseason, like Gary Sheffield in 1993, Darren Daulton in 1997 and Jeff Conine in 2003. Ugueth Urbina also came in 2003. Paul Lo Duca and Juan Encarnacion both came midseason in 2004.

Marte’s addition could be among the most important in franchise history if he helps lead the team into the postseason and more.

Veteran Bats Coming Alive During Marlins Series Win Over Phillies

One of the biggest concerns for the Marlins as the starting pitching has rounded into form was the lack of offensive punch. Miami acquired Marte to provide a boost to the lineup, and he’s largely done that of late. But what was also clear during the Marlins series win over the Phillies was the veteran bats coming alive as well.

Miguel Rojas owns Philadelphia this season. In nine games against the Phillies, Rojas went 14-for-26 (.538) with eight RBI, eight runs scored, three doubles and two home runs. His ability to consistently provide a lift for the Marlins offense helped spur the team’s series win over the Phillies.

This homestand has also seen Jesus Aguilar and Brian Anderson make meaningful strides at the plate. Aguilar, who went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI on Monday, sees his batting average up to .375 over his last nine games. Over that span, he tallied eight runs scored, seven RBI, five doubles, five walks and a home run.

Anderson, meanwhile, is hitting .481 (13-for-27) over the last 10 games. He driven in seven runs and the Marlins have won seven of those 10 games.

Marlins: Legitimate Playoff Contenders

The Miami Marlins series win over the Philadelphia Phillies vaulted them into second place in the NL East. That’s a guaranteed playoff spot in 2020. The 7-3 stretch over their last 10 has positioned the Marlins to make a playoff push. The team is playing meaningful baseball in September for the first time in a long time.

The Marlins have all the makings of a successful playoff team: elite starting pitching, solid backend of the bullpen, and timely offense. This season Miami’s batting .264 (129-for-488) this season with two outs, the fourth-highest mark in the Majors and second in the National League behind San Diego (.267). The Marlins’ .360 OBP with two outs is the best in the Majors in 2020. The team has stolen 21 of their 38 bases with two outs. They’ve scored 45.8 percent of their runs this season with two outs (93-of-203), the highest such percentage in the Majors.

“I kind of hope people are giving us more credit because we do have a good team. You kind of get labeled & branded something because of the past. It’s not the same team, not the same organization,” Matt Joyce said after the game yesterday.

 

The Marlins are looking to end MLB’s second-longest playoff drought this season, and if they get in, they will compete and be a hard out for any team.

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 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.

Marlins Phillies

5 Keys to the Marlins, Phillies Series

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The Miami Marlins need to shrug off last night’s historic drubbing at the hands of the Atlanta Braves. And they need to do that quickly, because the Marlins return to Miami to face the waiting Philadelphia Phillies for seven games in five days.

The Marlins’ playoff push stands a stout test in the second-place Phillies. At 19-19, Miami enters with an opportunity to not only solidify its playoff position, but also overtake Philadelphia in the standings.

The Marlins are 5-5 over their last ten games. Philadelphia’s play has improved of late, as they’ve rattled off 12 wins in their last 16 games to vault up the standings, passing the Marlins in the process.

Marlins, Phillies Start Seven-Game Series

The Marlins and Phillies are playing a seven-game series thanks to the COVID-19 outbreak that affected the club back in July. MLB scrambled to rearrange the schedule and settled on this 7-game series (a first in Marlins history) which includes a pair of doubleheaders.

The Phillies will start veteran RHP Jake Arrieta (3-4, 5.67 ERA) on Thursday. Arrieta marks the ninth former Cy Young Award winner to start against the Marlins this season. Miami is 3-5 in those starts, including recent wins against Jacob deGrom and Blake Snell.

But Arrieta has had success in Marlins Park before, going 6-1 in seven career starts with a 3.40 ERA. In his career against the Marlins, Arrieta holds a 8-1 record with a 3.55 ERA in 11 starts.

This season, the Marlins are 2-1 against the Phillies. On Opening Day, RHP Sandy Alcantara (2-1, 3.78 ERA) beat the Phillies 5-2. He allowed three hits, two walks and two runs while striking out seven over 6.2 innings. Alcantara landed on the IL shortly thereafter, but he regained his rhythm in his last start. Against Tampa Bay, Alcantara went six innings and allowing just three hits and one run while striking out eight.

Keys to the Marlins, Phillies Series

The Starters

The Marlins enter this crucial seven games in five days stretch with one of their top pitchers on the mound. In five career starts against the Phillies, Alcantara has been really good, posting a 4-1 record with a 2.51 ERA.

As a staff, Miami’s starters have a 4.11 ERA this season, 11th-best in MLB. They were top-10 in ERA prior to Pablo Lopez‘s struggles last night. Former Philly farmhand Sixto Sánchez has allowed his opponent to score in just three of his 25.0 innings this season. He’s struck out 25 batters combined over his first four starts.

In Marlins franchise history, only Dontrelle Willis (26) has fanned more batters through his first four career starts. That said, Trevor Rogers has 21 strikeouts through his first three starts, so we’ll see.

Phillies starters have posted a 4.01 ERA overall. But if take out Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler, the other starters (Jake Arrieta, Zach Eflin, Spencer Howard and Vince Velasquez) have a combined 5.34 ERA.

The Bullpen

Where the Marlins have a clear advantage is the bullpen. Prior to last night’s game, Miami had a 4.29 bullpen ERA, which was 13th-best in baseball. After Jordan Yamamoto’s implosion, though, the ERA sits at 5.27 (26th). All told, Marlins relievers coughed up 22 runs (20 earned) in last night’s debacle.

Even so, it’s the Phillies who sport MLB’s worst bullpen this season with a 7.24 ERA. Despite making a number of trades for bullpen arms at the deadline, Philadelphia still struggles in that department.

If the Marlins can post runs against Philly starters, they’ll be in great shape. And comebacks are certainly possible against Philadelphia relievers.

Finding Some Offense at Marlins Park

Miami holds a 17-10 record on the road this season, but they’ve struggled to win at home (2-9). The Phillies are 6-8 on the road this year. For the Marlins, they’ll need to find a way to put up five runs. The team is 11-2 this season when scoring at least five runs.

Miami hits just .234 at home, with a .288 on-base percentage and a .622 OPS. Not great. Jesus Aguilar has reached base safely in 9-of-10 career games at Marlins Park, going 10-for-40 (.250) with five walks, and there are several Marlins players who have performed historically well against Philadelphia.

The Phillies have hit .249 on the road, with a .288 on-base percentage and a .659 OPS. While Rhys Hoskins has been the offensive engine of late, Bryce Harper has struggled. In his last 15 games, Harper is batting .143 and slugging .163 with no homers and a .502 OPS.

Clutch Two-Out Rallies

The Marlins are batting .268 (114-for-426) this season with two outs, the fourth-highest mark in the Majors and second in the NL behind the Padres (.269).

Miami’s .366 on-base percentage with two outs is tops in the Majors in 2020. The Marlins have scored 48.5 percent of their runs this season with two outs (82-of-169), the highest such percentage in the Majors.

Rivalry Bringing Out the Best

The Marlins are 2-1 against the Phillies this year after they went 10-9 against them in 2019. All told, Miami is 12-12 against NL East opponents in 2020, while the Phillies are 17-9 against the division. Winning this series would hurt a division rival and solidify Miami’s playoff position.

And no one has enjoyed playing the Phillies more than Miguel Rojas. He sports a nine-game hit-streak against the Phillies, going 18-for-37 (.486), including a 3-for-4 effort with a home run and four RBIs in his last game against Philly on July 24.

Jorge Alfaro also plays well against the Phillies. He owns .432 (19-for-44) batting average in 13 career games versus Philadelphia, with two doubles, three homers and five RBI. Brian Anderson, meanwhile, has posted a .349 batting average (22-for-63) and a 1.128 OPS (4 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 13 RBI) over his last 17 games versus the Phillies.

One player who needs to get going is Starling Marte, who’s managed just a .200 batting average (7-for-35) with two home runs and four RBI in the eight games since the trade deadline.

Marte Marlins

Marte Proves Himself Immediately for Marlins

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Miami and Toronto squared off on Tuesday night, as Starling Marte made his Marlins’ debut and Jonathan Villar made his Blue Jays’ debut (against the Marlins). On Monday, the Marlins acquired Marte from the Diamondbacks, and he was in the lineup for Miami on Tuesday.

The new Marte-led Marlins bested the Blue Jays 3-2 after late-inning heroics by Marte himself. This game was extremely important for the Marlins (16-15). The Phillies (16-15) reached closer and closer to surpassing the Marlins for second place in the division.

The pitching looked solid on the Marlins end, as the bullpen pitched 7 innings of 1-run baseball after Elieser Hernandez left the game after just 2 innings pitched allowing 1 run on 2 hits. Josh A. Smith continues to pitch well going 4 strong innings to overcome the short start of Hernandez. Richard Bleier and James Hoyt combined to pitch 2 shutout innings. Brandon Kintzler picked up his 8th save in as many attempts.

Starling Marte Made Difference for the Marlins

Starling Marte, STARLING MARTE! In his first game with the Marlins, the veteran “star” showed up. He scored 2 of the Marlins 3 runs, one of which off of a Garrett Cooper RBI double and the other on a go-ahead solo bomb in the top of the 8th inning. The ball soared off his bat, leading to a no-doubter and an eventual Marlins’ win.

“I knew it was a home run when I hit it,” Marte said after the game. “The energy I felt with the bat, I knew it was gone.”

Jon Berti hit a solo shot earlier in the game as well, helping to propel the Marlins’ bats.

The Marlins (16-15) look to further this 2-game win streak tomorrow against Toronto (18-16), and sweep the two-game set. Sixto Sanchez (1-0, 2.25 ERA) takes the mound for the Marlins against Hyun Jin Ryu (2-1, 2.92 ERA) of the Blue Jays.