Sank by poor defense, Marlins downspiral continues

[Alex Krutchik]

MIAMI, Fla. — The Miami Marlins defense did not have a stellar beginning to the 2026 season, but it seemed like they got sharper towards the end of their most recent road trip in Detroit and Atlanta.

Friday’s 7-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers felt like a regression to their previous ways.

The Brewers took a 3-0 lead with a fourth inning that was marred by bad defense. The Marlins caught up with a two-run home run from Otto Lopez in the seventh and an RBI double from Agustin Ramirez the following inning that tied the game at 4-4.

Marlins reliever Calvin Faucher loaded the bases in the 10th inning with a single and a walk on a pitch clock violation. Luis Rengifo hit a ground ball to Xavier Edwards, who threw home to Ramirez. Although the throw was on target, Ramirez, for lack of a better phrase, whiffed on the catch. The ball rolled to the backstop, allowing the go-ahead run to score. 

“From where I was sitting, it looked like (Ramirez) tried to make play number two before play one,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. “It looked like he just kind of came out of there, really trying to get that 4-2-3 double play and just vacated a little too soon.”

For his part, Ramirez was accountable and direct when asked what happened postgame: “I missed it.”

That miss wasn’t the first miscue Ramirez made Friday. 

In the aforementioned fourth inning, Luis Rengifo stood on third with two out. Ramirez attempted to pick him off, but the throw sailed into left field, allowing him to score.

It was Ramirez’s third throwing error of the season. 

Ramirez wasn’t alone in the defensive breakdowns in that inning. Starting pitcher Janson Junk allowed a single, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch to load the bases with one out. Brewers centerfielder Garrett Mitchell hit a soft ground ball to the right side of the infield. Junk, second baseman Xavier Edwards, and first baseman Connor Norby all converged on the ball. Edwards wound up fielding the ball, but nobody was left to cover the bag. By the time Norby got back to first, Mitchell was safe, and a run had scored. 

Junk took some of the fault, saying he momentarily went for the ball instead of sprinting to first base from the get-go.

“The angle I was taking, it felt like the ball was a little bit higher than what I could get to,” Junk said. “And with that split second doubt, I was going to have one of the fielders (get to the ball). It's not like I'm looking back exactly where we're positioned. I think he just hit it in the perfect spot. When I turned around, it was like, ‘oh crap. this is gonna be difficult to get back (to first base).”

Norby took reps at first base and the outfield during spring training. But when starting first baseman Christopher Morel suffered a left oblique strain on Opening Day, Norby was thrust into that spot—a position he hadn’t played as a pro.

Prior to Friday, Norby had actually recorded zero outs above average, according to Statcast, making him a league-average first baseman by that metric.

The Marlins rank fourth-worst among MLB teams this season in defensive runs saved with minus-7, according to FanGraphs.

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[UKPhil]

The biggest reason I find the Marlins hard to watch is the appalling catching. Hicks is below average which puts him head and shoulders above Ramirez. Ramirez is very much like Gary Sanchez, but worse.

I don't care how hard Ramirez can hit the ball, he'd have to produce like Aaron Judge to make up for his defensive shortcomings. Gus needs to go down and either work on a new position, or improve all the way to bad before he comes back.

Yes he is good at appealing ABS, but that is fading as he becomes more desperately aware of how bad he is.

Can we have Joe Mack before Ramirez drags the pitching staff into the gutter?

[2qbn]

I guess they are hoping Marsee finally starts hitting, but batting a guy with an average at .156 atop the lineup is frustrating. So is playing a guy at 3B batting .174 who is maybe average at defense. These are dumb moves. Play Norby at 3B. Play De Los at 1B. Heriberto also needs to sit down. Play Ruiz as the righty bat off the bench once healthy, not Slater or Heriberto. 

 

Stowers, please help us!