Kevin Barral

The Miami Marlins dropped Game 1 of the 2023 Wild Card Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Although Zack Wheeler pitched an amazing game, combining nasty stuff and command to carry a shutout into the seventh inning, the Marlins offense has to take responsibility for the poor quality of their at-bats. Otherwise, they could get quickly swept out of the MLB postseason. https://fishonfirst.com/game-coverage/wheeler-stymies-miamis-bats-phils-take-game-1/Jorge Soler, who has been one of Miami's best hitters this season, went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts (all vs. Wheeler) in Tuesday's loss. The 2021 World Series MVP entered the game with a career .292/.418/.692/1.110 slash line in the playoffs, but you wouldn't know it from watching him against Philly's pitchers. In Soler's first at-bat, he let a pitch down the middle get called for a strike three. His next strikeout in the fourth inning came from chasing a sinker that ran down and in. Soler's third at-bat of the game was by far the most frustrating one. He got ahead in the count 2-0, a rare opportunity against Wheeler who was pounding the strike zone all night. Soler ended up taking a strike one call and swinging at the next two pitches for his third strikeout of the night. https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/4f730f04-9556-4090-a64f-819931aec138.mp4Jazz Chisholm Jr. also had a rough night at the plate, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. In the top of the fourth inning, with two outs and a runner on first, Chisholm squared to bunt for some reason, pulled the bat back and took a strike. He ended up striking out to end the inning and left the runner stranded. Jazz did have the Marlins' top defensive moment of the game, throwing Nick Castellanos out at home in the bottom of that inning to save a run. That being said, if he's going to continue to bat in the middle of Miami's lineup, he'll need to contribute with the bat as well and back up his own words about embracing the spotlight of the postseason. Like Soler, Jon Berti struck out three times. It was uncharacteristic for Berti, who had only two other three-strikeout games during the regular season. In September, he was the hottest hitter on the Marlins. Needing to win Game 2, the Marlins will go up against Aaron Nola. As Alex Carr explained during , it's difficult to know what to expect from the veteran right-hander coming off a disappointing season. Nola has had the edge historically against Chisholm and Josh Bell, but Soler has been solid in their past matchups while Berti has done even better.The Marlins lineup should be pretty much the same as Game 1. Braxton Garrett takes the mound for Miami in what will be his first career postseason start. The game will once again begin at 8:08 p.m. on ESPN at Citizens Bank Park. Isaac Azout and Noah Berger are on site for Fish On First covering all of the action. Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

On Saturday, the Miami Marlins clinched their first full-season playoff berth since 2003. Just a day later, the Marlins clinched the fifth seed in the National League, setting up a best-of-three series against the Philadelphia Phillies, their longtime NL East rival. Game 1: Tuesday, October 3 @ 8:08 pm on ESPN The series opener is set to feature Jesús Luzardo for Miami and Zack Wheeler for the Phillies. This season, Luzardo has a 3.63 ERA, 3.55 FIP, 10.48 K/9, 2.77 BB/9 in 178 ⅔ innings pitched. In his last start against the Phillies, Luzardo went 6⅓ innings pitched, struck out nine, walked one and gave up two runs on four hits, with one of those being a solo home run to Edmundo Sosa. https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-07/09/9fa0a81c-5b54ae65-83568cc7-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4"I think he always always had stuff," said Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker in . "He knows how to execute pitches and I think that's where the biggest growth with him throughout the season is and it's continuing to happen. He's pitched in some really big games for us and he's come through. He's earned this spot." Similar to Luzardo, Wheeler has also had a successful season, as he has a 3.61 ERA, 3.15 FIP, 9.94 K/9, 1.83 BB/9 in 192 innings. Although Luzardo's walk rate is low, Wheeler's is even lower this season. Amongst all Major League pitchers, Wheeler has the sixth-lowest BB/9, so that will present a challenge to the Marlins. The last time Wheeler faced Miami, he went six innings, struck out four, walked one and gave up two runs on five hits. The two runs came on back-to-back home runs by Josh Bell and Jazz Chisholm Jr. Miami won the game, 9-8. Game 2: Wednesday, October 4 @ 8:08 pm on ESPN Southpaw Braxton Garrett will take the mound for the second game of the series. This season, Garrett has posted a 3.66 ERA, 3.68 FIP, 8.79 K/9, 1.63 BB/9 in 159 ⅔ innings pitched. Of the 47 pitchers that have thrown at least 150 innings this season, only three of them have a lower BB/9 than Garrett (George Kirby, Zach Eflin, and Logan Webb). Just like Luzardo, Garrett is at a career high in innings pitched this season, but both have pitched well down the stretch, so although fatigue can be a factor for them, it hasn't yet. For the Phillies, pending free agent Aaron Nola will be showcasing to teams what he can do on the biggest stage. This season, Nola posted a 4.46 ERA, 4.03 FIP, 9.39 K/9, 2.09 BB/9 in 193 ⅔ innings pitched, a big drop-off from where he was the year before. Against the Marlins in 2023, Nola has an 0-2 record with a 6.75 ERA. Red-Hot Phillies 2023 Statcast comparison between Marlins and Phillies hitters | Baseball SavantThe Phillies are known for their slow starts, just like we saw this season, but as time went on, they began to heat up and earn the first Wild Card spot with 90 wins. Lead-off hitter Kyle Schwarber is the first hitter that Jesús Luzardo will have to face on Tuesday. Don't let his .197 batting average deceive you. This season, the Phillies slugger has hit 47 home runs along with 104 RBIs. In Citizens Bank Park—a hitter-friendly environment—Schwarber has been able to rely on his power. Big ticket free agent signing Trea Turner struggled in the first half of 2023 with a .247/.299/.389/.688 slash line. His second half of the season is one to remember, though, as he slashed .292/.348/.554/.902 with 16 home runs and 44 RBIs. Although the Phillies shortstop suffered a left elbow contusion on Saturday, he should be good to go for Game 1. Turner, the former Washington National, has a large sample size against the Marlins (98 games played). That familiarity could be something to monitor throughout the series. Bryce Harper was hurt to begin the season as he was recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he certainly made his mark when he came back from the injured list. This past year, Harper slashed .293/.401/.499/.900 with 21 home runs, 72 RBIs and a 142 wRC+. Just like Turner, Harper is a former Washington National, so he also has a lot of familiarity with Miami. "It's not talked about what he's done," said Schumaker regarding Harper. "To move to first base—one of the best players, if not the best player in the game coming off an injury—moving to first base for his team and doing what he's doing over there. Just shows you exactly who he is. I don't know him personally, but the amount of respect I have for him is huge." Another dangerous bat in the Phillies' lineup is Nick Castellanos, who had himself an All-Star season after struggling in 2022. Only a home run shy of 30 with a wRC+ over 100 is exactly what the Phillies needed from Castellanos. What is most surprising is the fact that he did not commit a single error in right field this season. Additional Phillies Notes Third baseman Alec Bohm reached the 20 home run marker on the final day of the season. That 20th homer marked the first time in franchise history that the Phillies have had six players reach 20 or more home runs. After posting an 84 wRC+ in 2022, Bryson Stott improved and finished 2022 with a 101 wRC+ and had 15 home runs. Defensively, Stott put up a seven DRS this season, three more than Luis Arráez who finished with a four. Another fun storyline is the fact that Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto will face his former team in the postseason. Realmuto was with the Marlins through 2018 before being dealt to the Phillies in exchange for Sixto Sánchez, Jorge Alfaro and Will Stewart (all of whom are still in the Marlins organization, but not expected to contribute this postseason). "There are still a few friendly faces over there that I got to know really well," said Realmuto. "Couple friends I still have on the team, so it should be interesting and a lot of fun." Additional Marlins Notes While the Marlins themselves have won just one postseason series over the last 20 years, the current roster includes veterans who became World Series champions elsewhere, such as Jorge Soler, Yuli Gurriel, Johnny Cueto and David Robertson. Jorge Soler in particular has slashed .292/.418/.692/1.110 with six home runs and 11 RBI. He won the World Series with the Chicago Cubs in 2016 and then with the Atlanta Braves in 2021, when he was the World Series MVP. Second baseman Luis Arráez is expected to be in the Game 1 starting lineup, according to Marlins manager Skip Schumaker. Arráez, who is fresh off winning his second straight batting title ended the regular season slashing .354/.393/.469/.861 with 10 home runs, 69 RBIs and a 132 wRC+. Arráez finished the regular season with a strikeout rate of 5.5%, which was the lowest in all of Major League Baseball. It's unusual to make the playoffs with a negative run differential. The Marlins' -55 mark is the lowest for a postseason team in MLB history. The last team to be below zero in that department was the 2005 San Diego Padres (-42). Isaac Azout (@IsaacAzout) and Noah Berger (@Trainboy100) are on site to provide you with coverage of the NL Wild Card Series. Make sure to follow them as well as the coverage that we are providing here at Fish on First.

At the end of an 84-win Miami Marlins regular season and right before the start of their postseason run, I surveyed the Fish On First staff about which players have been most responsible for helping the team get to this point. Submit your own 2023 award selections in the comments! Isaac Azout Marlins MVP: Luis Arráez Pitcher of the year: Braxton Garrett Most surprising player: Andrew Nardi Most disappointing player: Nick Fortes Reliever of the year: Tanner Scott Comeback player of the year: Jesús Sánchez Best trade acquisition: Jake Burger MiLB player of the year: Troy Johnston 2024 free agent/trade target: Johnny Cueto Kevin Barral Marlins MVP: Luis Arráez Pitcher of the year: Braxton Garrett Most surprising player: Jesús Sánchez Most disappointing player: Edward Cabrera Reliever of the year: Tanner Scott Comeback player of the year: Jorge Soler Best trade acquisition: Jake Burger MiLB player of the year: Troy Johnston 2024 free agent/trade target: Mitch Garver Hector Rodriguez Marlins MVP: Luis Arráez Pitcher of the year: Jesús Luzardo Most surprising player: Garrett Hampson Most disappointing player: A.J. Puk Reliever of the year: Tanner Scott Comeback player of the year: Jorge Soler Best trade acquisition: Jake Burger MiLB player of the year: Troy Johnston 2024 free agent/trade target: Salvador Pérez Ely Sussman Marlins MVP: Luis Arráez Pitcher of the year: Braxton Garrett Most surprising player: Tanner Scott Most disappointing player: Joey Wendle Reliever of the year: Tanner Scott Comeback player of the year: Jorge Soler Best trade acquisition: Jake Burger MiLB player of the year: Troy Johnston 2024 free agent/trade target: Mitch Garver Daniel Rodriguez Marlins MVP: Luis Arráez Pitcher of the year: Tanner Scott Most surprising player: Braxton Garrett Most disappointing player: David Robertson Reliever of the year: Tanner Scott Comeback player of the year: Jorge Soler Best trade acquisition: Jake Burger MiLB player of the year: Troy Johnston 2024 free agent/trade target: Teoscar Hernández/Alex Wood/Lucas Giolito Louis Addeo-Weiss Marlins MVP: Jorge Soler Pitcher of the year: Braxton Garrett Most surprising player: Jon Berti Most disappointing player: Avísaíl García Reliever of the year: Tanner Scott Comeback player of the year: Jorge Soler Best trade acquisition: Jake Burger MiLB player of the year: Troy Johnston 2024 free agent/trade target: Aaron Nola—you need innings whether Sandy is healthy or not, and Nola is as durable as they come. Alex Krutchik Marlins MVP: Luis Arráez Pitcher of the year: Braxton Garrett Most surprising player: Braxton Garrett Most disappointing player: David Robertson Reliever of the year: Tanner Scott Comeback player of the year: Jorge Soler Best trade acquisition: Jake Burger MiLB player of the year: Troy Johnston 2024 free agent/trade target: Michael Lorenzen Noah Berger Marlins MVP: Luis Arráez Pitcher of the year: Braxton Garrett Most surprising player: Garrett Hampson Most disappointing player: Sandy Alcantara Reliever of the year: Tanner Scott Comeback player of the year: Jorge Soler Best trade acquisition: Jake Burger MiLB player of the year: Xavier Edwards 2024 free agent/trade target: Zack Gelof (for the vibes) Alex Carver Marlins MVP: Luis Arráez Pitcher of the year: Braxton Garrett Most surprising player: Garrett Hampson Most disappointing player: Jacob Stallings Reliever of the year: Tanner Scott Best trade acquisition: Jake Burger MiLB player of the year: Troy Johnston 2024 free agent/trade target: Gleyber Torres Photo courtesy of Miami Marlins

With a postseason berth looking likely for the Miami Marlins entering their final regular season series, I projected what their roster construction would look like for the NL Wild Card Series. Now that they've officially clinched a spot and learned that they'll be facing the Philadelphia Phillies, it is time for an update to that projection. https://fishonfirst.com/analysis/marlins-playoff-roster-projection-2023-wild-card-series/As a refresher, this is a best-of-three series and the roster will include 26 players. Pitchers (12) Huascar BrazobanEdward CabreraJT ChargoisJohnny CuetoBraxton Garrett (Game 2 SP)Jesús Luzardo (Game 1 SP)Andrew NardiSteven OkertA.J. PukDavid RobertsonTanner ScottGeorge SorianoChanges from Projection #1: Ryan Weathers removed. Weathers made the final start of the regular season for the Marlins. He went six shutout innings where he struck out five and walked three on only two hits, leaving a nice impression. https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-10/01/7812a534-a735d861-4e5e71f6-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4However, Weathers simply won't be available to contribute against the Phillies after that 99-pitch performance. The series will end by Thursday, just four days removed from making that start. The fact that Weathers was called up in the first place suggests the Marlins just wanted to rest their more established pitchers with a playoff spot already secure. Bryan Hoeing was the other arm on the 40-man roster worth considering. Even though he can eat innings and pitch in several different roles, his struggles late in the season make him untrustworthy. That includes giving up all three runs in Sunday's loss and 12 runs over his final four innings combined. Because this is such a short series, the Marlins can get away with carrying only 12 pitchers. If they advance to the division series, they will definitely need more. Position Players (14) Luis ArráezJake BurgerJosh BellJon BertiJazz Chisholm Jr.Bryan De La CruzXavier EdwardsNick FortesYuli GurrielGarrett HampsonJesús SánchezJorge SolerJacob StallingsJoey WendleChanges from Projection #1: Joey Wendle added. This is the same position player group that the Marlins had for the final two weeks of the regular season. We assume Soler (DH), Bell (1B), Burger (3B), De La Cruz (LF), Chisholm (CF) and Sánchez (RF) are going to be starters every game. Both Luzardo and Garrett threw exclusively to Fortes this season and that should continue, with Stallings probably catching Game 3 if necessary. The biggest question is the status of Arráez (left ankle sprain). If he's healthy enough to play second base, Berti will fill out the lineup at shortstop. If he is not, that creates opportunities for Hampson and Edwards. There is also the possibility that Arráez is ready to be a DH, but nothing else. That could move Soler to right field and squeeze De La Cruz or Sánchez to the bench. Photo by Danis Sosa/Fish On First

With just a few days left to go in the MLB regular season, the Miami Marlins still find themselves very much alive for a National League Wild Card spot. Making the playoffs in a full-length season for the first time since 2003 would be a big accomplishment for this team, but obviously, they want to go as far as possible if they make it in. That will require some changes to the way Miami's roster is constructed. Let's look at what the Marlins 26-man roster could look like for the best-of-three NL Wild Card Series and explain why some familiar names wouldn't make the cut. Note: Matt Moore is not postseason eligible because he wasn't part of the Marlins organization before Sept. 1. Also, starters Sandy Alcantara (right UCL sprain) and Eury Pérez (left SI joint inflammation) are unavailable due to injuries. Pitchers (13) Jesús LuzardoBraxton GarrettEdward CabreraRyan WeathersTanner ScottAndrew NardiA.J. PukDavid RobertsonSteven OkertGeorge SorianoHuascar BrazobanJT ChargoisJohnny CuetoRyan Weathers is the one pitcher listed here who isn't currently on the Marlins active roster. Weathers quietly had an impressive ending to his 2023 campaign with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. In seven starts with the Jumbo Shrimp, he had a 2.54 ERA. When he was still only 20 years old, Weathers made his major league debut during a postseason game. Pitching in relief for the San Diego Padres against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2020 National League Division Series, he went 1 ⅓ innings, struck out one, walked two and didn't give up any runs or hits. This time around, Weathers is with a club that's very thin on starting pitching. Although he has yet to find major league success, his ability to provide length would be valuable, and hopefully whatever he was doing in AAA after being acquired by the Marlins translates to the majors. Johnny Cueto is another borderline pick for similar reasons. Like Weathers, his contribution would be more about quantity over quality. Cueto helped his case in his last start against the New York Mets where he went 4 ⅓ innings, gave up two runs off four hits, walked one and struck out four. Both of the runs came off solo homers. The 37-year-old right-hander obviously has a ton of postseason experience, including a World Series title with the 2015 Kansas City Royals. Steven Okert has had an inconsistent season with a bad month of September. However, he recently reminded us what he's capable of when he struck out the side against the Mets on Wednesday. Pre-All Star break, Okert had a 2.53 ERA and 3.32 FIP through 32 innings pitched and he has a good track record dating back to 2021. Matt Moore being ineligible for the postseason opens the door for him. Meanwhile, Bryan Hoeing just misses the cut. He has shown that he can be a versatile member of the Marlins pitching staff, but he relies a lot on balls in play and isn't trustworthy enough at the moment. Position Players (13) Luis ArraezJorge SolerJake BurgerJosh BellJazz Chisholm Jr.Jon BertiGarrett HampsonJacob StallingsNick FortesBryan De La CruzJesús SánchezXavier EdwardsYuli GurrielTrimming down from 14 to 13 hitters from the regular season to the postseason, the only Marlin left out is Joey Wendle. The Marlins have shown how they feel about him by not starting him in any of their last ten games (including Thursday's suspended game). Although Wendle has played great defense at shortstop, he also has the coldest bat in the majors during the second half of the season. The Marlins have Garrett Hampson Jon Berti to handle shortstop in his place and rookie Xavier Edwards as a good situational hitter off the bench (I am projecting Luis Arraez to be healthy enough to return as Miami's starting second baseman). It was tempting to add Marlins Minor League Player of the Year Troy Johnston. He is blocked by Yuli Gurriel, who has struggled at the plate almost as much as Wendle. However, Gurriel is a very positive clubhouse presence with an incredible amount of playoff experience from his Houston Astros days. Is your roster projection any different from mine? Let us know in the comments below. Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images

Led by Christian Yelich's 10th career multi-homer game and his first at LoanDepot Park, the Milwaukee Brewers destroyed the Marlins on Friday, 16-1. The Marlins kicked off the game by going with JT Chargois in the opener role that he had been used in multiple times this season. Chargois wasn't able to get out of the first inning as he walked two Brewers. He was taken out for Steven Okert, who only had to throw three pitches to get out of the inning. Although Okert was able to get Miami out of that jam, he ran into deep, deep trouble in the top of the second. After Willy Adames worked the walk, Josh Donaldson hit his 13th home run of the season to give the Brewers an early 2-0 lead. Donaldson's homer was just the beginning. Milwaukee would go on to score 10(!) more runs, including eight off of Bryan Hoeing. Every player in the lineup outside of Willy Adames had an RBI. Yelich, Josh Donaldson and Mark Canha each had multiple RBIs. "Pitching sets the tone," said Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker following the game. He pointed to the staff's control issues (issuing walks to five of the first 10 batters) and the hard contact they allowed. Just days after both Luis Arráez and Jake Burger went down with injuries, they were both back in the lineup, but after the Brewers scored 12 runs, they were removed from the game entering the third inning. "It didn't make much sense to try to push them through what they're going through right now," said Schumaker. "Down 12 runs, I never would say we're punting a game or anything like that because that's not what I'm doing. I'm trying to make sure they're healthy for this run. They did everything they could to get in that game." Corbin Burnes went five shutout innings where he struck out six and walked two. He only gave up two hits. The Marlins' only run of the ballgame came in the bottom of the eighth inning when Job Berti hit a leadoff solo home run. The ball left the bat at 105.9 mph and it went 416 feet into the air. That was Berti's fourth home run of the season. Up to the end of last season, Brian Anderson had spent his whole career with the Miami Marlins. He endured an ownership change and had an everyday role when they reached the postseason in 2020. The Marlins acknowledged BA with a video on the scoreboard in his first game there as a visiting player. After not sitting on the bench since September 11, Anderson made an appearance against his former team, but he was robbed of a hit in his first at-bat and then popped out in his second. As a result of the victory, the Brewers clinched a postseason berth, their fifth in the last six years. The Marlins are back at it on Saturday with Jesús Luzardo taking the mound for Miami. Brandon Woodruff, who threw a complete game against the Marlins the last time he faced them, goes opposite of the Venezuelan. First pitch at 4:10 p.m. Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images

Billy Gil from the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz joins Kevin Barral and Isaac Azout for the final Unfiltered of the 2023 regular season! Topics covered on Episode 49 of Fish Unfiltered include: Kevin's team beating Billy's team in the Marlins media softball gameSandy Alcantara's rehab from a right UCL sprainThe Marlins' recent series against the Mets (and the lackluster attendance) Florida International University footballMLB award racesThe Marlins' playoff chances with nine games left in the regular season Subscribe to the Fish On First YouTube channel to watch video versions of every Fish Unfiltered episode. The Marlins conclude their final homestand of the season by hosting the Milwaukee Brewers this weekend. On Friday, the Fish are going with a bullpen game against Corbin Burnes. The Marlins are introducing 1993 pricing, with $2 hot dogs and $3.50 beers at LoanDepot Park. There's an American Indian heritage celebration and a postgame fireworks show. FOF on-site coverage by Alex Krutchik and Kevin. On Saturday, it's Jesús Luzardo vs. Brandon Woodruff. Larger Than Life: Ultimate 90’s Boyband Tribute will perform in a postgame concert. FOF on-site coverage by Danis Sosa and Isaac. On Sunday, Edward Cabrera takes on Freddy Peralta. The first 8,000 fans in attendance get 2024 magnet schedules. The Mexican heritage celebration includes a postgame concert by Mariachi Mexico Internacional. FOF on-site coverage by Louis Addeo-Weiss and Daniel Rodriguez. Follow Billy (@billygil), Kevin (@kevin_barral), Isaac (@IsaacAzout) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. Our Fish On First podcast programming includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, State of the Fish, Swimming Upstream, Fishology and What a Relief. All new episodes are posted to FishOnFirst.com/podcasts. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean, Megaphone or wherever you normally get your pods from.

For Sandy Alcantara, rehabbing from an arm injury is a new experience. The Miami Marlins ace made it look easy on Thursday. Just two-and-a-half weeks after suffering a right UCL sprain, Alcantara was nearly perfect in his first rehab start with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in Nashville. Through his four innings of work (51 pitches), Alcantara struck out four, didn't walk anyone, allowed only one hit and didn't give up any runs. The hit was recorded by MLB Pipeline's number two overall prospect Jackson Chourio, who singled to left field. Alcantara's velocity maxed out at 98 miles per hour. Combining all of his four-seamers and sinkers, his average fastball velo was 95.6 mph. That's still an elite number, but it is lower than any of his 2023 regular season starts in the majors. Aside from that, he mixed in some curveballs, sliders and changeups. The opponent that Alcantara faced, the Nashville Sounds, had plenty of hitters with big league experience, including Garrett Mitchell, Owen Miller and former All-Star Jesse Winker. If this proves to be Alcantara's only rehab start, he would be lined up to rejoin the Marlins rotation on Tuesday against the New York Mets in the first game of that three-game set at Citi Field. After that, he'd be on regular rest next Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, which will be Game 162 of the regular season. The Marlins probably would only use him against the Pirates if there is still something to play for—if they clinch a postseason spot before then, it would make sense to save him for the NL Wild Card Series instead. Along with Alcantara, right-hander Huascar Brazoban made his first rehab appearance where he struck out one in a scoreless inning of work. He has been out since August 13 with a left hip impingement. Relievers usually need multiple rehab appearances before getting cleared for reinstatement, but Brazoban is still on track to come back to the Marlins before the end of the season if there's room for him. Jacksonville won the game by a final score of 7-0. Photo courtesy of Casey Gower/Nashville Sounds

Maybe trying to do too much was the issue for the Miami Marlins as they fell to the New York Mets on Wednesday, 8-3. With struggles from Eury Pérez and a lackluster offensive performance, the Marlins missed an opportunity to beat up on a Mets team that's already out of the playoff race and looking toward the future. "We didn't play really well this series," said Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker following the game. "Just bad timing for this series, and it wasn't lack of effort. They played hard. Maybe too hard at times and try to force some plays. Just another tough, tough game." The biggest issue for the rookie Pérez was not being able to find the strike zone. Walking three and only striking out two, he gave up three runs, with only two of them being earned. Pérez relied heavily on his fastball, which isn't typically his best pitch. Even though he averaged 96.9 mph with it, his command was not consistent and the Mets took advantage. They swung at it 25 times, with only three of those swings being whiffs. Pitch locations and results of every Eury Pérez fastball | Baseball SavantPérez gave up an early home run to designated hitter Mark Vientos in the top of the second inning. Then in the third, Pérez gave up a single to Ronny Mauricio which resulted in another run due to back-to-back errors by the Marlins defense. Finally, Pete Alonso hit a sac fly to drive in the third run of the game. Following the Mauricio single, Jake Burger was taken out of the game with an apparent injury. It was later announced that he was removed due to right quad tightness. Burger said he felt discomfort on "the initial launch for the ball before it got by me," trying to reach an errant throw from Jesús Sánchez. He hopes to available for the Marlins' next game on Friday. Getting back to Pérez, this was his shortest outing since his nightmare start against the Atlanta Braves. It was also the first time in his career that he has recorded more walks than strikeouts. Postgame, when Pérez spoke to the media, he mentioned that with the end of the season approaching, he is just starting to feel it. He has totaled 128 innings between the majors and minors compared to only 77 innings during the 2022 season. After Pérez was removed from the game, the Mets were able to score five more runs off of Johnny Cueto and the Marlins bullpen. That included homers by Vientos, Brett Baty and Brandon Nimmo. Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga once again produced a quality outing where he went six innings, struck out three, walked two and gave up two runs off of seven hits. The second run that Senga allowed was a Josh Bell leadoff home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. The ball left the bat at 108.2 mph and went 417 feet. That was Bell's 21st home run of the season and his 10th as a Marlin. Bell is also the second Marlins player to homer off of Senga—the other was Jazz Chisholm Jr. on April 8. Friday was expected to be Cueto's spot in the rotation, but Schumaker told the media that he will continue to come out of the bullpen for the near future. Instead, the Marlins will be going with an opener (he didn't give a specific name) in their first game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images

Looking up and down the Miami Marlins roster, there is a lot of playoff experience. David Robertson (2009), Johnny Cueto (2015), Jorge Soler (2021) and Yuli Gurriel (2017 & 2022) are all former World Series champions. So was manager Skip Schumaker (2011) during his playing days. Also, some players still remain from the Marlins team that reached October in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. What you might not realize is pitchers Jesús Luzardo and A.J. Puk gained that experience, too. Both were part of postseason baseball as members of the Oakland Athletics. Puk was on their 2019 AL Wild Card Game roster, though he did not appear in the game. The 2021 A's looked like serious contenders for most of the season before coming up short in the end. Puk came up from the minors in August to contribute out of the bullpen for them. "It was definitely the best time of the year," said Puk. "It's fun being in it. Don't put too much pressure on yourself and just go out there have fun and play and know that what's gonna happen is gonna happen and the team's real focus is right now. I am excited to see what we can do." Luzardo had a 5.91 ERA and 7.13 FIP in 10 ⅔ total innings in 2019 and 2020. His best outing was his postseason debut where he went three shutout innings, struck out four, walked two and gave up one hit against the Tampa Bay Rays. https://cuts.diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2019/2019-10/02/20de8e11-9cace03c-5538028d-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_16000K.mp4Luzardo finds himself in a different role these days—he is a stable piece of the Marlins rotation. With a 3.68 ERA and 3.67 FIP in 166 ⅓ innings pitched, he's been a huge reason why they are still in the NL Wild Card race with only 10 games left in the regular season. "I think the mentality is just go out and play the best brand of baseball we can," said Luzardo on Wednesday before the game. "At the end of the day, if we go and everyone does their job and plays as good of baseball as possible, I think we're gonna have a good chance." Although Luzardo does have his own playoff experience, he still values what the older veterans on the team have to say. "I'll take all the experience I can get," said Luzardo. "I still asked to Cueto, Soler and Yuli about the playoffs and how they've been, but in my time, just what I've been able to tell these guys is take it game by game and forget about yesterday. If you have a good game, a bad game, the most important game is the next one. I think that's what I can give to the younger guys in my position." Luzardo is expected to make two more regular season starts to push Miami to a Wild Card berth: Saturday at home against the Brewers and next weekend on the road against the Pirates during the Marlins' final series.

MIAMI -- In 2022, Luis Arraez won the American League batting title with a .316 batting average. One year later, while in the National League, his batting average is currently .351. Although he stands at the top of not only the National League but all of Major League Baseball, there are a couple of players who aren't too far behind and could get in the way of Arraez making history. In the month of August, Arraez put up his worst numbers of the season, slashing .236/.243/.336/.579. A lot of it can be attributed to Arraez using a different approach at the plate where he would try to lift the ball more to see if he can generate some power, but that isn't who Arraez is. He is a professional hitter who can get on base by slashing line drives all over and drive runs in. "I am human," said Arráez a couple of weeks back. "I just didn't have luck in the month of August. I would just hit the ball and it would go right in front of the position players. Just the day before, I hit three straight line drives and I didn't have any luck." Throughout the month of September, Arráez is slashing .387/.415/.677/1.092 with five home runs and 11 RBI. Not only is Arráez still attempting to hit for more power, as he now has 10 home runs on the year, but he is still looking to get on base at a high clip and drive runners in with his signature slap hits. In game one of the three game set against the New York Mets, Arráez reached the 200 hit plateau for the first time in his career. On the Marlins history side of things, Arráez became the fourth Marlin to reach the 200 hit plateau, but this is the sixth time that a Marlins player has reached it. Hanley Ramirez did it once in 2007, while Dee Strange-Gordon and Juan Pierre each did it twice. Additionally, if Arráez wins the National League batting title, he would become the third Marlins player ever to win the award and would hold the highest single-season batting average in franchise history (Hanley Ramirez previously held that honor with a .342 BA in 2009.) History?If Arráez is able to hold on to the lead he currently has, he will become the first player in MLB history to win the batting title in back-to-back years in a different league. The only player to win the batting title in two different leagues was New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahiu. He won the National League batting title in 2016 as a member of the Colorado Rockies and then the American League title in 2020 as a member of the New York Yankees. "Yeah, look. Since the beginning of the season they had already told me about it," said Arráez when I spoke to him about the possibility. "I have great competitors behind me, and I think that they are great hitters." If there is someone in the National League who can spoil his chance at history, it is NL MVP favorite Ronald Acuña Jr of the Atlanta Braves, who currently sits at a .337 batting average. Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman is just behind Acuña at a .335 clip. Freeman's month of August is what helped him out a lot. In August, he slashed .374/.434/.617/1.051, easily his best month of the 2023 season. "Great guy," said Arráez when asked about Freeman. "One my favorite baseball players. Not just as a player, but as a hitter. I think that Freddie is an amazing guy and that he deserves a lot of respect. I always follow him, he is a great player and no, I cannot get confident, because if I get confident, I know that in three days he can have five hits and he can pass me." Ronald Acuña Jr. is ahead of Freeman in the batting race, and he is chasing some history of his own: A 40/70 (!) season. This is a feat that has never been achieved in baseball history. Unfortunately for Acuña, he went down in Game One of a three-game set in Miami with right calf tightness. Luckily, it looks like he will be able to avoid the IL.

Fresh off clinching the NL East for the sixth consecutive season, the Atlanta Braves strolled into loanDepot Park on Friday to begin a three-game set with their division rival Marlins. An exciting back and forth contest ended with the Marlins taking down the mighty Atlanta Braves to a final score of 9-6. "I mean, if nothing else really happens this year, just super proud of how these guys go about their business," said Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker following the game. "There's no quit. They fight to the end. When we gave up the lead in the sixth inning, I guess it'd be six to four. With a really good back end bullpen, De La [Cruz] coming out of the game, they just didn't give up." After a tough outing against the Philadelphia Phillies, Johnny Cueto was on the mound and was able to provide a marginally better start on Friday as he went four innings, struck out two and gave up three runs on seven hits. This season, Cueto has mostly used his fastball followed by his slider. On Friday, Cueto shifted his attention towards a fastball/changeup combo. All eight of Cueto's whiffs came on those two pitches. A big factor has been the way that he has used his infamous shimmy, messing with hitters' timing and generating some weak contact. "I thought it was tough," said Schumaker. "Tough for him to get through. It's tough on any pitcher to get through that that lineup, but for him to give us four innings with the bullpen day tomorrow, it was important. Considered him going out in the fifth inning, but just felt like it was already third time through and we had some guys that were semi-fresh." The Marlins' offense took advantage of Atlanta starter Bryce Elder's recent rough stretch these past few months and ambushed him for three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Luis Arráez got it going for Miami as he hit his fifth career lead-off homer and his third as a Marlin. Arráez home run also was his eighth of the season, tying a career high. Arráez got to Elder's sinker, which is his primary pitch. Marlins led, 1-0. After slashing .214/.267/.214 in Miami's four game set in Milwaukee, Jake Burger was happy to finally be back home. Following a strikeout of Josh Bell, Burger laced an 102.1 mph double to left, his first XBH since September 9. Jazz Chisholm Jr. struck out after, but Bryan De La Cruz, who is the king of September, drove in Burger on an RBI single to make it 2-0, Miami. Miami's final first inning run came from a Jesus Sanchez triple, his third of the season which drove in Bryan De La Cruz from second. Miami took the 3-0 lead early in the first, giving Johnny Cueto some room to work with. It didn't take long for the Braves to get their offense going. After a quiet two innings, the Braves number nine hitter Michael Harris II hit a first pitch homer off of Cueto. That was Harris II's 17th home run of the season, and the 13th home run allowed by Cueto this season. Ronald Acuña, who is chasing a 40/70 season, got a base hit and after Ozzie Albies grounded out, Acuña made his way to second base. With one out in the inning, Austin Riley drove in Acuña with an RBI single. Riley's RBI left the bat at 74.4 mph and Acuña had a 29.7 sprint speed. That gave Atlanta the second run of the ball game. In Acuña's next at bat, he lifted a sac fly that drove in shortstop Orlando Arcia who had a double in his plate appearance. Braves were just down 4-3 after the sac fly. The Braves then went on to tie the game at four apiece with an Eddie Rosario sac fly in the fifth. In the top of the sixth inning, the Braves got to work. Miami went to David Robertson and right off the bat, Orlando Arcia got himself a double. After Arcia moved to third thanks to a productive out by Michael Harris II, Ronald Acuña worked the walk which set up Ozzie Albies with runners on the corners. After a long 10 pitch at bat, Albies won the battle and drove in both Arcia and Acuña on an RBI double to give Atlanta the first lead of the game. Braves led, 6-4. Marlins MagicIn an eventful seventh inning, the Marlins were able to retake their lead. Luis Arráez, who in a major league game has never had a multi-homer game, gave the Marlins their fifth run of the game thanks to a solo shot into the right field seats. That was Arráez ninth home run of the season. After Bell and Burger were retired, Braves manager Brian Snitker went to lefty Brad Hand to finish the inning. Jazz Chisholm Jr, however, got a base hit to keep the inning alive. Garrett Hampson followed with a clutch RBI double to drive in Chisholm Jr and tie the game at six. With Hampson at second, Miami decided to pinch hit Yuli Gurriel for Jesus Sánchez. The Braves intentionally walked Gurriel and with with runners on first and second, Xavier Edwards was hit by a pitch which loaded the bases for Jacob Stallings. "Going into the at bat, I mean obviously just kind of surprised that the X [Xavier Edwards] got hit and I walked up to the box and I didn't realize that he hadn't run to first yet. He was like, still right there. I had to check on him there, but I just kind of had a feeling I was gonna get it done. It's kind of funny. I looked at where the left fielder was positioned before the hit. I don't know why, I just looked out there and just felt like I was gonna get it done." Leading up to this moment, Stallings had been hitting the ball better as he surpassed the Mendoza line and in June and July had a batting average over .250. With the bases loaded and two outs, Stallings hit a 91.9 mile per hour bases-clearing double which gave the Marlins a 9-6 lead over the best team in baseball. Andrew Nardi and Tanner Scott pitched the eighth and ninth, respectively, to close out Friday's blockbuster affair. Scott earned his ninth save of the season while A.J. Puk earned the win. The former Marlin Brad Hand suffered the loss as Atlanta fell to 96-52 while Miami improved to 76-72. The Marlins and Braves will go at it again tomorrow at 4:10 pm with Bryan Hoeing getting the start. The Braves have not yet announced a starter. Notes: Luis Arraéz completed his first career multi-homer game, lifting two solo shots on Friday. Stallings went 2-for-4 with 3 RBI, his first multi-xbh game since May 24, 2021. Bryan De La Cruz was taken out of Friday's ballgame with right ankle discomfort. He is day-to-dayMVP favorite Ronald Acuña Jr. also was taken out of Friday's ballgame with right calf tightness. We are told it was precautionary.