Tag Archive for: MLB

Miami Marlins Reinstate Kyle Stowers Ahead of Brewers Finale

/0 Comments/in , /by

MIAMI – After four straight losses and one win in the last seven games, the return of their star outfielder couldn’t come fast enough.

The Miami Marlins are set to reinstate All-Star Kyle Stowers from the 10-day injured list and drape him in teal for his season debut on Sunday afternoon against the Milwaukee Brewers at loanDepot park.

“Everything from the rehab checked out,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. “He continued to check the necessary boxes.”

Stowers spent five games at Triple-A Jacksonville for a minor league rehab assignment starting April 10. He played three games at left field, once at designated hitter and played his first game as a professional at first base on Friday. He was placed on the 10-day IL for a Grade 1 right hamstring strain in spring training.

“Certainly, there was a physical component with how he felt, how the hamstring was,” McCullough said. “I think he came out of that feeling like he’s in a really good spot physically, and also, I think mentally, now he feels like, ‘OK, I’m over this.’”

Stowers emerged as one of the best hitters in the National League. In 117 games, he hit 25 homers with 73 RBIs before a left oblique strain last August ended his season early. The Marlins managed a 8-5 record to start the season without him but with the Fightin’ Fish sputtering, it’s time for him to create a spark.

“He’s certainly a huge part offensively,” McCullough said. “It helps really lengthen out the lineup. The type of season that he had last year, the power, the on-base that he displayed. So getting Kyle back in the lineup will really be a nice boost, help lengthen some things out. And then also, Kyle’s a really steady teammate. A lot of guys lean on him. He’s not usually too up and down.”

Marlins fall to Brewers in extra innings

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Marlins forced extra innings but fell in the 10th inning to the Milwaukee Brewers in a 7-5 contest on Friday in Miami.

Otto Lopez led the Marlins at the plate with a 3-for-5 night in which he was a double shy of the cycle, The 27-year-old Lopez is having the best start of his career, slashing .347/.400/.583 in 19 games.

The Brewers (11-8) jumped on Marlins reliever Calvin Faucher in the 10th inning. Gary Sanchez drew a walk and Jake Bauers singled to load the bases with no outs. Luis Rengifo grounded on a fielder’s choice but the throw to the catcher didn’t connect, resulting in a run. Garrett Mitchell later opened the game up with a two-run double.

The Marlins (9-11) tied the game 4-4 in the eighth inning after Agustín Ramírez doubled to left field, scoring Edwards, who reached on a walk. Edwards also reached on a double in the sixth inning and scored on a two-run homer by Lopez.

The Marlins got their first run of the game in the fourth, when a sacrifice fly by Owen Caissie scored Lopez, who had reached on a triple.

Jones attempted to steal second base and Ramírez threw towards second base with nobody there to receive, resulting in a throwing error and the Brewers’ third run of the inning.

The Brewers added another run in the sixth inning on an RBI double by Rengifo, who went 2-for-4 on the night. Bauers led the Brewers at the plate with a 3-for-4 night and three runs scored.

Marlins starting pitcher Janson Junk allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits, two walks, and three strikeouts in 5.1 innings. John King struck out two batters in 1.1 hitless innings and Tyler Phillips punched out three batters in 1.1 scoreless innings. Pete Fairbanks redeemed himself from two rough outings with a perfect ninth inning.

Brewers starting pitcher Coleman Crow allowed two runs on four hits and four strikeouts in 5.1 innings during his MLB debut. Abner Uribe earned the win after a hitless ninth inning after allowing two walks and a strikeout. Trevor Megill earned his fourth save of the season after giving up an unearned run and a hit with two strikeouts.

Marlins’ Andrew Nardi solid in return from injury

/0 Comments/in , /by

For Miami Marlins reliever Andrew Nardi, the early portion of the 2026 season is an adjustment period.

In his return from missing an entire season due to injury, Nardi has made the physical adjustments leading up to his return to his mental adjustments playing in front of a crowd and in serious situations.

Nardi said in an interview with Five Reasons contributor Tyler Boronski that “it is a feeling that you have to get used to.”

“Definitely some new feelings I got to get used to again with the fans,” Nardi said. “I still hold the standard high. I obviously want to be doing well. I also have to give myself a little adjustment period to get back into the swing of things again, get used to the adrenaline rushes and stuff like that.”

While never an innings guy, Nardi has been Miami’s main weapon in high-leverage situations. He goes in, gets strikeouts, and calls it a day. In five appearances this year, the 27-year-old Arizona alum struck out six batters in four innings with only one earned run allowed.

“You just have to keep throwing strikes and your stuff will play,” Nardi said. “Just got to trust yourself.”

Nardi was nearly derailed by injuries since late 2024. He was placed on the 15-day Injured List on Aug. 24, 2024, due to an elbow injury and was transferred to the 60-day IL on Sept. 7 of that year. His 2025 was over before it started when he was placed back on the 60-day IL on March 15 due to severe lower-back inflammation that required extensive treatment, including an epidural.

“Last year was just a grind mentally and physically,” Nardi said.

Nardi described how he got through the mental hurdle post-rehab in spring training. He saw that the velocity of his pitches was lower than normal and made the conscious decision to trust that his body would not break under the force of his power.

He instantly saw the radar gun rise and hit 94 mph in his first spring training appearance.

“Just seeing my body be able to jump up and level each time just felt really good,” Nardi said. “As spring training kept going on, just sitting around 92-93 mph felt really good. I just felt like once I got to that point, I was able to compete.”

Nardi made his MLB debut on Aug. 16, 2022, and his first full season turned out to be his best season. He struck out 73 batters in 57.1 innings over 63 appearances with a 2.67 ERA, helping the Marlins reach the 2023 postseason. Before injuries cut his 2024 season short, Nardi struck out 70 batters in 49.2 innings over 59 games.

Marlins shut down by Reds in 2-0 defeat

/0 Comments/in , /by

Tyler Stephenson hits a solo home run and Brandon Williams threw 6.2 shutout innings as the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Miami Marlins 2-0 on Monday.

Williamson allowed three hits with four strikeouts and a walk. His gem lowered the Reds’ starting pitchers’ ERA to 3.00 on the season.

The Marlins (6-3) didn’t get their first hit of the game until Otto Lopez hit a single in the fourth inning. Lopez was the only Marlins hitter to get multiple base hits.

Agustin Ramirez hit a triple in the sixth inning, but was stranded after a strikeout by Reds reliever Brock Burke ended the inning. The Reds’ bullpen combined for one walk and two strikeouts in 2.1 hitless innings of work to end the game. Emilio Pagán earned his fourth save of the season with a perfect ninth.

Elly De La Cruz doubled and scored on a single from Sal Stewart in the fourth inning to score Cincinnati’s first run of the game. The star shortstop led the Reds at the plate along with Friedl with two hits each.

Marlins starting pitcher Janson Junk tossed a career high 7.1 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with three strikeouts in the loss. Junk has thrown seven innings only three times for the Marlins, all in 2025. Tyler Phillips came into the game in relief and finished it with 1.2 hitless innings and a strikeout.

The Marlins will send the ace back to the mound on Tuesday. Sandy Alcantara (0.00 ERA) threw a complete-game shutout with fewer than 100 pitches in his previous outing.

Kyle Stowers injury update

The Marlins started the season with their best hitter, left fielder Kyle Stowers, on the injured list (retroactive March 22) with a hamstring strain. The original projection was three to four weeks but was seen on Monday with the team during batting practice.

“Kyle is still here with us,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. “He was running today, and looks like he’s trending in a good spot, see how these next couple of days go, and then decide when and what a rehab assignment will look like.”

Braxton Garrett thriving in Jacksonville

Braxton Garrett shut down Sugar Land’s bats in 4.2 innings with eight strikeouts while allowing only two hits in Triple-A Jacksonville’s 2-0 win on Easter Sunday. He may be the clear choice for MVP of the defending national champions, as two of Jacksonville’s three wins this season were on days Garrett started. His 0.96 ERA is the third lowest in the International League.

Garrett missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John after other injuries derailed his 2024 season. When healthy, Garrett proved to be a solid pitcher for the Marlins. He made his MLB debut in the middle of a playoff race in 2020. His best season was in 2023, where he recorded a 3.66 ERA with an 8.79 K/9 in 31 outings, as well as starting in Game 2 of the National League Wild Card series against Philadelphia.

 

Ex-Marlins pitcher Valente Bellozo re-emerges with Rockies

/0 Comments/in , /by

A former Miami Marlin emerges with a new team.

The Colorado Rockies have called up right-handed pitcher Valente Bellozo from Triple-A Albuquerque on Thursday, just in time for their weekend series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Bellozo spent the previous two seasons with the Marlins, both as a starting pitcher and in the bullpen. The Marlins acquired him in a trade with the Houston Astros for Jacob Amaya on April 6, 2024. His best season came as a rookie in 2024, where he posted a 3.67 ERA in 13 starts as the Marlins were trading away veterans for prospects.

Bellozo started last season in the rotation but spent most of his appearances out of the bullpen, pitching in 32 games (6 starts) with a 4.65 ERA in 81.1 innings pitched. His WHIP remained consistent through both seasons (1.31-1.33) and he allowed 15 home runs each year regardless of his role.

The 26-year-old signed a minor league contract with the Rockies over the offseason. He made five appearances in spring training but only one start and he allowed 11 earned runs in 15.2 innings pitched (6.32 ERA) before being optioned to the minor leagues.

Bellozo made one start in Triple-A for the Isotopes before getting called up. He gave up three runs with four strikeouts in three innings in a 13-6 loss against the Oklahoma City Comets (Dodgers) on March 28.

Bellozo’s call-up coincides with Colorado placing veteran pitcher Jose Quintana on the 15-day injured list on Thursday (retroactive to March 30) with a right hamstring strain. Quintana, a 37-year-old veteran, began his 15th big league season against the Marlins on Sunday, allowing two runs on four hits and four walks with two strikeouts in 4.1 innings pitched. The teal-clad Fightin’ Fish won the game 4-3 on a walk-off home run by Owen Caissie. 

As an example of the Rockies’ push to improve on the highest starting rotation ERA in history last year (6.65) with veteran free agents, Michael Lorenzen is slated to start in the Rockies’ (2-4) home opener on Friday, and Tomoyuki Sugano is set to appear on Sunday. Quintana’s start on Saturday is left open, however, it remains to be seen whether or not it will be filled by Bellozo.

Marlins trade with Twins

The Marlins traded right-handed pitcher Garrett Acton to the Minnesota Twins for minor league pitcher Logan Whitaker on Thursday, just before their first road series of the season

Whitaker showed his promise in Double-A Wichita last year when he allowed only three earned runs in 11 appearances with 16 strikeouts in 16.1 innings pitched. He will report to the Marlins’ Double-A affiliate in Pensacola.

Acton made six spring training appearances for the Marlins, but missed out on the Opening Day roster despite not giving up a hit and striking out six in 5.1 innings of work. He continued to shut down batters in Triple-A early this season, having allowed only one hit while striking out four in 2.1 innings pitched for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.

The Marlins claimed Acton off waivers from the Rockies over the offseason, shortly after Colorado claimed him from the Tampa Bay Rays, where he made only one appearance in 2025. Acton made his MLB debut with the Athletics and made six appearances in 2023.

Acton was traded after being designated for assignment in a roster move corresponding with the Marlins trading for Toronto infielder Leo Jimenez on March 29. Jimenez, who made his Marlins debut on Wednesday, appeared in 18 games for the Blues Jays last season and 63 games in his rookie season in 2024.

Marlins prospect Deyvison De Los Santos to make MLB debut Sunday

/0 Comments/in , /by

Due to Christopher Morel going on the 10-day injured list, Deyvison De Los Santos will get his chance to live out his big league dream.

The slugging first base prospect was called up on Saturday and is expected to start in Sunday’s series finale against the Colorado Rockies. De Los Santos said the first thing he did upon receiving the promotion was to call his parents.

“They’ve all been waiting for this moment and I’ve been waiting for this moment as well since I was a little kid,” De Los Santos said through an interpreter. “Now I just need to do my best out there and just help the team win some games and stay out here.”

De Los Santos came to the Marlins in a 2024 midseason trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks for relief pitcher AJ Puk. In 2024, the 22-year-old hit 40 home runs and 120 RBI in the minor leagues. He struggled to replicate those numbers in 2025 but drove in 54 runs in 106 games in Triple-A Jacksonville.

He went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer in his lone game for the Jumbo Shrimp this season. De Los Santos said one of the things he has been working on for over a year in order to reach the big leagues was his emotions.

“To be a big leaguer, you’ve got to have that maturity, that mindset,” De Los Santos said. “That’s what it takes.”

Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said De Los Santos will likely see the bulk of his opportunities as a first baseman or designated hitter against left-handed pitching. He slashed .288/.326/.438 in 80 at-bats against lefties in Triple-A last year.

“Probably that’s where his opportunities starting will come from is versus left,” McCullough said.

Despite his young age, De Los Santos has already logged 206 games in Triple-A before getting called up.

“You forget how young he is,” McCullough said. “The power potential, the impact, we know that’s certainly something that we’re intrigued by acquiring De Los Santos, how hard he hits the ball, and him refining his at-bat quality, his approach offensively will probably be the determining factor of how much of that power he gets to in the Major League level.”

Morel was expected to start at first base for the Marlins on Opening Day, but strained his left oblique before first pitch. Morel, who signed a one-year $2M deal with the Marlins over the offseason, is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.

McCullough said they will have a better idea of how much time Morel will truly miss within the first two weeks.

“In the next week-10 days, we’ll have a better idea of what the range is but looking at somewhere around a month,” McCullough said.

Along with De Los Santos, McCullough said Connor Norby will get the majority of appearances at first base along with Liam Hicks when he’s not catching.

Newly added veteran outfielder bats leadoff in Marlins Opening Day win

/3 Comments/in , /by

Veteran outfielder Austin Slater joined the Marlins as a free agent at the end of spring training after the Detroit Tigers released him. He batted leadoff on Opening Day with the strategy of the veteran right fielder matching up against Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland. 

“Austin has for a number of years put together just really high quality at-bats versus left, been a performer versus left,” said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough, who mentioned pregame that the thought was to “try to bank him as many plate appearances today as we can.”

The strategy didn’t work out, as Slater went 0-for-3 against Freeland. He did however, contribute defensively in a clutch way when he threw Jake McCarthy out at home plate to help the Marlins win 2-1 on Friday 

Typically, Slater has fared better against southpaws over the course of his decade-long career. All five of his home runs last year were against left-handers, he batted .288 against them in 2023. From 2020-22, his prime years, Slater batted .285 against left-handed pitching through a total of 209 games. 

Slater, drawing from his experience with the Chicago White Sox last year, explained to reporters on Wednesday his excitement about being a veteran on a young team like Miami. 

“Being on a young team and being able to help guys out in any way I can, whether it’s tips or just mindset or whatever it might be, I find that really exciting,” Slater said. “And also the opportunity to play and contribute on a big league team.”

In a pregame interview with Tyler Boronski on Friday, Slater said he liked what he saw from the Marlins when he played against them last year as a newly acquired member of the New York Yankees. The Marlins swept the Yankees to reach the .500 mark entering August. 

“I just remember the energy that the guys played with on the other side,” Slater said. “It’s a hard team to beat. The Yankees, when I was with them, we were trying to make a playoff run and we just ran into a brick wall. I think if we can bring that kind of intensity this year to every game, every series, we’re gonna have a lot of success.”

Slater spent the first eight seasons of his big league career with the San Francisco Giants. His best season came in 2021 under then-manager Gabe Kapler, who is now the Marlins general manager. Slater, who hit 12 home runs and stole 15 bases in 129 games for a San Francisco squad that won 107 games, said he has “a lot of trust with him and some friendship over the years.” 

“Gabe’s a great communicator. He’s gonna shoot you straight,” Slater said. “It’s nice to have someone like that not only in your corner but who’s gonna give you honest feedback.”

Signing Slater comes after star outfielder Kyle Stowers entered the 10-day injured list on Sunday due to a hamstring injury. There are no guarantees upon how the Marlins outfield depth will look upon his return. 

Marlins cool Colorado’s bats, win 2-1 on Opening Day

/1 Comment/in , /by

The heroes of the World Baseball Classic came through at the plate to lead the Miami Marlins to a 2-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on Opening Day on Friday.

Owen Caissie drove home the first run of the game in his first plate appearance as a Marlin. Caissie was the prize in a trade with the Chicago Cubs for pitcher Edward Cabrera. He showed off his potential early in the WBC, going 7-for-17 with a home run and five RBIs in five games to lead Canada to its first quarterfinal round.

Caissie then scored on an RBI double by Javier Sanoja in the second inning. Sanoja, who won the WBC for Venezuela, went 3-for-3 to lead the Marlins at the plate.

“We just stayed true to ourselves and grinned out every at-bat, every pitch, and got the job done,” Caissie said after the game.

It turned out to be the only scoring needed for the win. Sandy Alcantara pitched his team-record sixth Opening Day start and went seven innings allowing no earned runs on four hits, two walks, and five strikeouts.

“Sandy was unbelievable,” Marlins first baseman Connor Norby said after the game. “It was vintage Sandy.”

The bullpen of Andrew Nardi, Anthony Bender, and closer Peter Fairbanks combined for three hits and four strikeouts in the final two innings. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough was impressed with how Alcantara, a Cy Young award winner in 2022, went deep with only 73 pitches.

“All in all, this was a great start to the year for Sandy to go that deep in the game, be that efficient, and as well as to be able to execute at the rate he did today,” McCullough said after the game.

Norby originally was slated in the lineup as the designated hitter. He was moved to first base after Christopher Morrell was scratched due to an oblique injury before the start of the game. Norby dubbed himself the “jack of all trades” and went 2-for-3 at the plate, while playing mistake-free defense.

“Do whatever helps the team win,” Norby said. “There are no excuses in this game. Don’t have a ton of experience over there but I felt pretty good over there.”

Hunter Goodman led the Rockies at the plate with a 2-for-4 night. Jordan Beck drove Ezequiel Tovar home in the fourth inning for Colorado’s only run.

Kyle Freeland took the loss after allowing two runs on five hits with two strikeouts in 4.1 innings pitched. The Denver native set a Rockies franchise record in pitching his fifth Opening Day.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday. Eury Perez will start for the Marlins against the Rockies’ new starter, Michael Lorenzen.

Max Meyer Marlins

Max Meyer Gets Marlins Promotion

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Marlins made fans, and perhaps more importantly, one of their top prospects very happy on Thursday night. The team posted a video of Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp manager Daren Brown relaying the news to Max Meyer that he’d received the call to pitch at the MLB level with the Marlins.

 

Meyer recently worked his way back from a ulnar nerve irritation injury before getting this well-desvered call. He will reportedly make the start for the Marlins on Saturday at home versus the Philadelphia Phillies, a team Miami’s chasing the in the Wild Card race.

Marlins (Finally) Call Up Max Meyer

The Marlins find themselves three games back of the final NL Wild Card spot after splitting a four-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates this week. Miami (43-45) continues to deal with injuries and ineffectiveness among their pitchers outside of Sandy Alcantara and Pablo Lopez, which only added to many Marlins fans clamoring for Meyer’s call. The timing here coincides with a pivotal three-game series with the Phillies before the All-Star break.

Max Meyer finally getting the call from the Marlins puts one of baseball’s top pitching prospects on display. MLB Pipeline lists Meyer as Miami’s No. 2 prospect, behind only 19-year-old phenom Eury Perez. He’s MLB Pipeline’s No. 21 prospect overall.

With Triple-A Jacksonville, Meyer dominated competition for stretches of the season. His first six starts the season, prior to the issues surrounding his injury, saw Meyer post a 1.72 ERA over 31.1 innings pitched. He allowed just six earned runs over those six starts, registering 39 strikeouts along the way. Meyer handled Atlanta Braves slugger Ronald Acuña Jr. during that stretch.

It’s clear that the ulnar nerve irritation, which eventually landed him on the IL, affected his next two starts. Meyer adjusted his approach and mechanics to deal with the discomfort, ultimately to disappointing results. But after a month to heal and recuperate, Meyer found his form once again with Jacksonville.

During his rehab stint in Jupiter, Meyer told MLB.com: “I’ll get my shot, and I’ll be up there for a long time.”

In the four starts before this Marlins promotion, Max Meyer looked ready. He went 18.1 innings with 21 strikeouts and just four earned runs (1.96 ERA). Opponents managed a meager .119 batting average against in those starts.

Meyer’s Path to the Majors

The Marlins selected Max Meyer with the third overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft out of the University of Minnesota. He was the first pitcher off the draft board and started his time in Miami’s system with Double-A Pensacola in 2021. (There was no minor league season in 2020.)

With the Blue Wahoos, Meyer earned the Double-A South Most Outstanding Pitcher award. He did so following a season where he registered a 2.41 ERA and 113 strikeouts over 101 innings.

In 2022, Meyer made 12 starts for Triple-A Jacksonville, posting a 3.72 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with 65 strikeouts over 58 innings. He averaged 10.1 strikeouts-per-nine-innings, registering a 28.4 percent strikeout rate along the way. He induced ground balls at a 50 percent rate this season, and kept his walk rate to just 8.3 percent.

In his 35 minor league starts, Meyer pitched to a 2.77 ERA and 1.11 WHIP, recording 199 strikeouts in those games.

Meyer sports a repertoire of three pitches, including a dominant, wipe-out slider many scouts called the single best pitch in the 2020 draft. His fastball velocity sits in the mid-to-upper-90s and has touched triple digits. This third pitch is a changeup, which the organization wanted to see him develop ahead of his promotion.

There’s been some talk of Meyer ultimately being a bullpen arm, but the Marlins maintain they view him as a rotation piece.

“I see Max as a starting pitcher,” Marlins amateur scouting director DJ Svihlik said on Wednesday. “We knew when we selected Max, there was that reliever-starter conversation. Any starter of that caliber with that kind of two-pitch combination can go into the back of a bullpen.”

Svihlik did note: “I see Max as a playoff starter.”

A spot on Miami’s 40-man roster opened recently when the Baltimore Orioles claimed reliever Louis Head off waivers. The Marlins need to add Meyer to the 40-man prior to his scheduled start on Saturday.

More on Marlins Prospects

5 Takeaways from the Marlins Series Split vs. Angels

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Marlins (39-41) had their six-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday night as the Los Angeles Angels (38-45) came to play for a cross-league series.

Miami split the two game series, winning Game 1 by a score of 2-1 and losing Game 2 by a score of 5-2. 

The stars were showcased during those two games as a couple of perennial all-stars, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, came to town to play against the fish. 

The seats at LoanDepot Park were filled up which was a surprise for a midweek series. But also, how could you not watch these once in a lifetime players in person? There were many Japanese fans that showed out to the park to not only watch Ohtani, but also because the Marlins were celebrating Japanese Heritage Night during Tuesday’s game. 

Although the Marlins didn’t get the series sweep, it was still a very entertaining couple of games to watch from both sides.

Here are five takeaways from the series.

 

Sandy paints another masterpiece

Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara had another one of his lights out performances.

Alcantara took the mound in the first game of the two-game series and he knew that this wasn’t going to be particularly easy. 

Although Alcantara was facing an Angels offense that suffered the most strikeouts per game in the MLB at 9.66, he still had to get through Trout and Ohtani. 

Of course for Alcantara, that was not a problem. 

Alcantara ended up having arguably his best outing of his career where he pitched through eight innings, gave up just two hits, and struck out 10. Out of those 10 strikeouts, two were to Trout. Ohtani didn’t have a hit as well against Alcantara. 

If you’re fooling those two talents even during the third time through the order, then that’s when you know there’s something special. 

Alcanatra continues to make his case for the National League Cy Young Award and he is pretty much the favorite at this point in time if he keeps putting up these incredible numbers. 

 

Garrett Cooper is slowly becoming one of baseball’s best hitters

Marlins first baseman Garrett Cooper is the definition of consistent. 

Game after game, Cooper has been big for Miami when they needed that big hit or a ball in play.

And the numbers show that he’s been getting better and better as the season progresses. Cooper’s batting average has increased to an incredible .311 which ranks as the 12th-highest in baseball. His on-base percentage of .377 puts him ninth in the National League. 

Although Cooper didn’t have a great two games, only producing one hit, he did come up clutch when the Marlins needed him. 

In the bottom of the third inning during Game 1, Cooper hit a 3-2 pitch just over the left field wall for a home run that gave the Marlins a 1-0 lead. 

During the first inning of Game 2, Cooper hit a sacrifice fly that also gave the Marlins a 1-0 lead. 

It just goes to show that when the Marlins need him, Cooper produces the big hit. 

 

Marlins shutdown Trout

Miami didn’t let Trout get hot during his short stay in Miami. 

The three-time MVP was just 1-for-7 and struck out four times during the two-game series. 

It’s definitely odd to see a player of that caliber struggle that much over those couple of games. It’s like he couldn’t see the ball well at LoanDepot Park, but he did say the same exact thing in Houston during their last series where he struggled to hit the ball as well. 

Maybe it has nothing to do with Miami’s pitchers and has more to do with himself. Miami’s lucky that they got scheduled to play the Angels during a time where Trout is cold because if he was playing like his usual self, I don’t see how the Marlins split the series. 

I’m not discrediting the Marlins pitching staff by any means, but seeing a player like Trout have those struggles at the plate makes you wonder how much of a factor is his mental approach as opposed to the pitcher he’s going up against. 

 

There’s no answers when facing Ohtani

The Marlins offense looked clueless against Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani. I mean CLUELESS.

The only time the batters really got to Ohtani was in the first inning where they racked up a couple of hits and ended the inning with a 1-0 lead.

At that point, many were probably thinking that the offense had a plan against Ohtani and maybe they could get him out of the game before six innings.

Well, the opposite of that ended up happening. 

Ohtani pitched seven innings and struck out 10 batters while allowing just two hits and no earned runs. During that span, Ohtani managed to retire 15 straight Marlins hitters. 

I mean, Ohtani’s tough for a hitter to figure out. He’s got five pitches: fastball, curveball, slider, cutter, and splitter. 

The splitter is his strikeout pitch and is arguably one of the best in baseball. Hitters are batting just .115 against that pitch and it doesn’t help that Ohtani also throws a 100 mph fastball. Having those two combined, along with the curveball and slider, makes it tough for any hitter to have success against this generational talent. 

“He never seems to get rattled”, Marlins manager Don Mattingly said about Ohtani. “Pretty impressive tonight seeing him for the first time.”

 

The winning streak comes to an end 

Miami’s winning streak has sadly come to a close. 

Their six-game winning streak started back when they won against St. Louis, the Washington Nationals for four games, and the Angels during the first game of this series. 

Although their winning streak came to an end, there’s still a ton of positive things that came out of it. 

First, Miami has gained some serious ground in the race for that final Wild Card spot. The Marlins are now just three games back of that spot which is crazy because last week, all people were thinking was to trade our players and start fresh for the next season. 

Will the Marlins actually become buyers at the trade deadline? It’s something that Marlins fans aren’t very used to seeing. 

After the winning streak came to an end, Miami is just two games back of .500. A record they haven’t seen since April. 

But, if the Marlins want to make it to the postseason, they’ll have to start beating teams that are above .500. Because that’s where the real test is at. And they definitely can’t afford losing a series against a poor team. 

Miami’s up for a big test as they head to New York against the Mets (51-31) for a four-game series from Thursday through Sunday. 

 

******

Sign up for PrizePicks using the code “five” and get your initial deposit matched up to $1000.