Meyer dazzles yet again, Fish break out brooms

[Nate Karzmer]

Max Meyer was brilliant on the bump in his most recent start, showcasing outstanding efficiency while shutting down the lineup opposite him. In other words, it was a day ending in "y".

Meyer's seven-inning, two-hit outing on Wednesday afternoon kept an otherwise slumping Marlins offense around long enough for a late-game surge. Three runs in the final two frames were enough for the visitors to hold on for a 4-1 win, earning a much-needed series sweep in the process. Miami finishes their ten-day road trip at a respectable 4-5, a far cry from what seemed possible following last weekend in Queens.

Pacing the Marlins in the matinee was their most consistent starting arm, who continues to live up to his third overall pick billing in what has been a breakout 2026 campaign. Entering Wednesday with a career 1.24 ERA in day games, the 27-year-old averaged a measly thirteen pitches an inning. That impressive enough number was actually inflated from a third inning that featured two walks and an earned run, Meyer's lone blemish.

Miami's four-year veteran flashed his five-pitch mix to a tee while leaning on his signature sweeper/slider and four-seamer to keep Nationals hitters guessing. Six of Meyer's seven punchouts came courtesy of the off-speed offerings. Aside from the rugged beard, Meyer's most significant change from a season ago is the incorporation of that sweeper-a staple of Marlins' pitching development. 

While Meyer's slider was consistently pegged as one of the best in baseball, an over-reliance on the pitch plagued the right-hander in years past. 2025 saw Meyer throw 55% sliders and fastballs, with the changeup, sinker and sweeper in the distance. Now, with even a slight difference of spin on the sweeper, Meyer and Miami's staff have been able to couple the two beautifully. Per Baseball Savant, the advancement places Meyer's breaking pitches in the 100th percentile in terms of run value with eight.

Although the All-Star fan vote was released to the masses an hour before game time, pitchers are instead placed in the hands of the manager. It'll be up to back-to-back World Series champion Dave Roberts to get Meyer and his superb 2.81 ERA to Philadelphia.

Pitching and defense wouldn't win this game on its own, though. After Esteury Ruiz blasted his third long ball of the season and Miami's eighth of the series early-their most in a series since the infamous sweep of Atlanta in September of 2023-the rest of Pedro Guerrero's group went quietly until some patented small-ball set the table for Joe Mack in the eighth.

While Owen Caissie and Javier Sanoja both failed to get the job done with the bases juiced and nobody out, Mack flaunted his clutch gene on the first pitch, lining a two-run, go-ahead single into right-center.

The eventual sweep-clinching rope marked Mack's fourth and fifth RBI of the set, symbolizing the rookie's improved confidence at the dish. Miami's potential catcher of the future is 8 for his last 28 at-bats-including a multi-hit effort Wednesday-after adjusting to big league arms.

Additional offensive standouts from Miami's ten-hit day include Xavier Edwards, who tallied a multi-hit game of his own, and Kyle Stowers. Stowers delivered welcomed insurance with an RBI triple (his first three-bagger of the year) in the top of the ninth.

With their first three-city road trip of the season in the books, Miami returns home to loanDepot park this weekend for a date with the in-state Rays. Following an off day on Thursday, Clayton McCullough hands the ball to Tyler Phillips for Friday's series opener against familiar foe Drew Rasmussen. First pitch from South Florida comes your way at 7:10 pm EST.

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[2qbn]

They listened. Sweep! It feels good. They needed that and hope we can get some mojo going. The pitching is  concerning, but maybe we get lucky and find something to hold down the fort.