Inclement Weathers precipitate Sunday collapse

[Louis Addeo-Weiss]

Even after holding a 7-0 lead through the first third of the game, Miami finds yet another way to lose.

Hall of Fame manager Casey Stengel was once asked his thoughts on leading the expansion New York Mets in their existence's infancy. Stengel, responding in his now-famous Stengelese, quipped, ""I've been in this game a hundred years, but I see new ways to lose I never knew existed before."

Fast forward some sixty-odd years, and you know the site: Sunday. LoanDepot Park. Patrick Corbin has been the consensus worst pitcher in the baseball going on half-a-decade now, and Miami capitalized on the fallen ace's ineptitude. An early Jazz Chisholm Jr. grand slam puts the Marlins out in front early.

Dane Myers, recently recalled with the news of Avisaíl García being placed on the 10-day IL, wasted no time pitching into Miami's first-inning outburst, walloping a triple in his first plate appearance of the season. Ultimately, the Fish tagged Corbin for 6 runs in that opening frame.

Miami ought to have held on to see the win through, right? 

Marlins left-hander Ryan Weathers made quick of Washington in the top half of the first, retiring the side on 9 pitches, striking out 2. Weathers entered the afternoon on the heels of a 2.70 ERA over his last three starts.

But a misleading honeymoon phase it would be, as Weathers' command would quickly regress to its early-season norms. Though managing to hold the Nats scoreless in the second, he was forced to throw 29 pitches in the inning, including a 12-pitch plate appearance for Alex Call that ended in a walk. 

In the top of the fourth and with Miami now holding a commanding 7-0 lead, Weathers allowed five of the first six hitters to reach base safely. CJ Abrams' two-run double cut the then-7-1 deficit down to four before Nick Senzel's fourth home run of the season made it a 7-5 ballgame. The prevailing thought no longer centered on whether Weathers would complete 5 innings to qualify for the win, but on whether the Marlins could simply hold on to win this game.

Fans here at LoanDepot would not have to wait long for that prophecy to reveal itself. One inning later, Senzel, again at the plate with men on, launched a three-run homer into the AutoNation Alley in left field. What was once a 7-0 Marlins lead that was shaping up to be a feel-good Sunday win had done a complete 180, now a 9-7 Nationals lead. Washington would add another run in the sixth in the eventual 12-9 victory.

"I'm the manager who has to figure this out, and all of the blame is on me," noted manager Skip Schumaker. 

"It's frustrating," said Chisholm. "You have a good game, and you give it away, finding new ways to lose. I feel like we've been doing that a lot."

Chisholm's intuition was correct, as the Marlins have an MLB-worst eight losses in games in which they led after the fifth inning. Hypotheticals aside, having those eight additional wins and sitting 14-15 would make for an entirely different conversation surrounding the club's fortunes. 

With the loss and the White Sox's 4-2 win over the Rays, at 6-23, the Marlins now own the worst record in baseball. Miami has been outscored 161-102 through the first 29 games played (negative-59 run differential). 

Weathers, whose season ERA ballooned from 3.16 to 4.55, finished the day with 6 runs allowed (all earned) over 4-plus innings, walking three and hitting three batters. In his first 6 starts to begin 2024, Weathers has walked at least 3 batters in 4 of those outings. 

Miami would make it interesting, nonetheless. 

With his club trailing 10-7 in the bottom of the seventh and having already struck out 3 times on the day, Tim Anderson poked a double down the right-field line to score Chisholm, who added two walks to his aforementioned grand slam. The owner of a career 7.2 percent walk rate entering 2024, Chisholm has shown a better understanding of the strike zone early, walking in 14.7 percent of his plate appearances. 

Run number 9 would follow two batters later courtesy of a pinch-hit RBI single off the bat of Jesús Sánchez before the Nationals tagged Bryan Hoeing for a pair of runs in the top of the eighth.

 

Looking Ahead

Miami will close out this current four-game set against Washington on Monday. Trevor Rogers (0-3, 4.10 ERA) will look to continue his run as a quality innings-eater as he starts for the Fish, having completed 5 innings in each of his first 5 starts to begin 2024. 

Opposing him, Jake Irvin (1-2, 4.55 ERA) will make his fourth career start against Miami. In three prior starts against the Marlins, Irvin owns a 2.81 ERA across 16 innings pitched. First pitch from LoanDepot Park is slated for 6:40 EST. 

 

Of Note

- With his first-inning grand slam Sunday, Jazz Chisholm Jr. joined Hanley Ramirez and Giancarlo Stanton in a three-way tie for second in franchise history with 5 grand slams. Only Jeff Conine (6) has hit more. 

- Sunday saw Weathers become the first Marlins pitcher to hit 3 batters in a game since Pablo López back on 7/3/22, also against Washington. 

- Weathers now finds himself in a seven-way tie for most starts this season of 3 or more walks, authoring his fourth such game this season.

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[Leo Armbrister]

Our pitching especially our bullpen is a disaster. 

[THOMAS JOSEPH]

Our guys are not bulldogs. I only played into college, never reached the lofty heights. Still, pitching is pitching, and the coaching I received is ever pertinent. With a big lead, pitch to contact - no free passes (including HBPs). Take your outs and move the game along. Brujan's error epitomizes the team because it was entirely avoidable, the product of a lackadaisical approach, forced Weathers to throw more pitches, and brings into question Skip's positioning. I have to agree that the positioning was odd. Most of all, our pitchers have to get mean, for themselves and for the team. Demand respect. No matter what the final record, make teams work when they play the Marlins. 

[MRDHU75]

Abysmal.....

Again, no hope for this damn team  in the first half.  Hopefully we can make it respectful after all star break.