Josh Bell delivers clutch performance following Weathers' dominance

[Alex Krutchik]

The Miami Marlins are winning late games again. This time, it was Josh Bell coming up clutch with a walk-off single in the 10th.

MIAMI, FL—Things are starting to feel a little bit like 2023 in Little Havana.

The Marlins shot themselves in the foot with a 7-24 start in the first month of the season. But Miami is now 9-9 in May, with four of those wins being walk-offs.

The Milwaukee Brewers were the latest victims of the Marlins’ late-inning heroics. Down to their final out with Nick Gordon at second base in the ninth inning and losing 2-1, Otto Lopez hit a bloop single to right field to score Gordon and give the Marlins hope.

After Tanner Scott danced around a leadoff walk and sacrifice bunt in the 10th, he escaped with the tie still intact. After being shaky to start the season, Scott’s ERA is down to 1.80 and hasn't given up an earned run in 13 games dating back to April 14.

The Marlins small-balled their way into a scoring threat when leadoff hitter Christian Bethancourt laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the placed runner in Vidal Bruján to third base. Then, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Bryan De La Cruz were intentionally walked.

That set the table for Josh Bell. After putting up miserable individual numbers in March/April, Bell has enjoyed an extended hot streak. He scored the first run of the game for Miami when Gordon drove him home in the seventh. Here in extras, he connected on a curveball on the outer half of the plate. The bulky switch-hitter—batting lefty in this situation—shot a ball through the right side to deliver the win. It was his 25th RBI of the season, tying Bryan De La Cruz for the team lead.

“At first, I was just thinking to get the ball in the air, get the ball to the outfield. But then when I found myself with a two-strike at-bat, I'm just trying to put the ball in play,” Bell said. 

The vibe in the Marlins clubhouse was noticeably more cheerful than it was after their rare wins in April.

“It feels good," Bell said. "Feels like last year. You know, hopefully we can turn the ship around, start playing Marlins baseball. The vibes right now feel just like last year. Our starters are going to put us in position to win games. Bullpen is gonna keep us in that position. So the offense has to do its job. We're fortunate enough that three runs was a winner tonight.”

Speaking of the starters, Marlins starting pitcher Ryan Weathers picked up where he left off after his last outing in Detroit in which he threw eight scoreless innings. Like his start against the Tigers, he carried a no-hitter rather deep into the game.

Except, instead of his Detroit outing where his first hit conceded was a single to start the sixth inning, Weathers’ first hit allowed on Monday was a home run to Andruw Monasterio. Weathers tried sneaking a changeup low and in to the right-handed batter, but he missed and threw it down the middle. It was Monasterio’s first home run of the year. 

Weathers allowed two consecutive walks with one out in the sixth. Christian Yelich, the first walk allowed, stole second base and advanced to third on a bad throw by catcher Nick Fortes. With Willy Adames at the plate two batters later, Yelich successfully stole home as Fortes threw the ball back to Weathers. 

Yelich collided with Fortes, and Fortes stayed on the ground in pain for about a minute before he was able to get up. He remained in the game, but was pulled for a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning.

But those were Weathers’ only mistakes on Monday. His secondary pitches—sweeper and changeup—accounted for 11 whiffs on 19 swings. He allowed two hits, walked three, and struck out eight. Despite the chaos of that sixth inning, he showed composure beyond his years.

“He’s able to calm down now on the mound, and that's growing,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “He's gonna be really good. And it's just fun to watch young guys grow up in the league. I've seen him for a number of years now, and the difference between the San Diego days and right now is night and day.”

But still, Schumaker recognized the 24-year-old the Marlins acquired from the San Diego Padres last year has even more room to develop.

“I think people have to remember: he is still growing,” Schumaker said. “He's a young starting pitcher in this league. And he is still learning and still growing. He's really good. He's always had stuff. He grew up the right way, he prepares, he's the one guy that I trust 90, 100, 110 pitches because he works so hard. He's a horse. But he's starting to really pitch.”

The Marlins have won six of their last eight games, with four of those victories coming by one-run margins. They'll face off against the Brewers again on Tuesday at 6:40 p.m.

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[THOMAS JOSEPH]

Games like this exemplify why I watch my team, regardless of the win-loss record or moves initiated in the front office. A three-to-two game focuses on a few plays and pitching. We see how much of a crapshoot baseball is. A few inches, as the article noted, separated the home run from a possible fantastic catch. Yelich's decision to try the steal of home. I am encouraged by the team's grit and the pitching performances in May. We know guys are showcasing for the trade deadline, but others on the roster realize their opportunities are now - Lopez, Brujan, Myers, Edwards. For others, it is still close or at least realistic.  A team like Miami offers one of the most direct opportunities in baseball. I plan to enjoy the process and be there when it comes to fruition,