Isaac Azout

MIAMI – In what was expected to be a tightly contested pitcher’s duel on Thursday night, the Miami Marlins fell behind immediately and never recovered, dropping their third consecutive game to the Atlanta Braves. With the loss, Miami fell to a season-worst seven games under .500 and now sits alone in last place in the NL East. When asked if the team needs to start doing things differently, manager Clayton McCullough said, “No, we’re going to keep going, continue with what we’re doing and get ourselves ready for a new series. Things will turn. When? I don’t know, but we’ll hang in there and be okay.” The season is still relatively young, but it has reached the point where front offices begin evaluating their clubs to determine what changes need to be made and which direction they should take in the coming months. In Miami’s case, the current stretch is making those decisions increasingly difficult for the front office. The theme of May has been falling behind early and often. In 19 games this month, Marlins starters entered Thursday with a first-inning ERA above 11 — by far the worst mark in Major League Baseball. The next closest team owns a 6.15 ERA in the opening frame. On Thursday, that troubling trend continued, even with Sandy Alcantara on the mound. After Ronald Acuña Jr. reached on an infield single, Michael Harris II launched his 10th home run of the season to dead center field — the first of his two home runs on the night. The homer came on a 1-2 changeup. “Some teams are different,” Alcantara said. “They’re at the top of the division, winning a lot of games because they’re very aggressive and trying to score runs right away.” When asked about the frustration within the pitching staff during this rough stretch, Alcantara admitted it hasn’t been easy. “It’s hard because when I’m out there, I want us to win games consistently, but we’ve gotta stay together. We know what we’re capable of, and sometimes we can compete against anyone, but we’re just not getting the results right now.” Alcantara surrendered another solo home run in the second inning, this time to Mike Yastrzemski, before settling in during the middle innings and keeping Atlanta off the board until the sixth. That’s when Acuña Jr. delivered a two-run single that effectively sealed the game for Atlanta. Alcantara’s final line: 6 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO. He threw 94 pitches, 68 for strikes. “I’m not happy about it,” the Dominican right-hander said of his performance. “I think I could have done better. I left some pitches over the middle early, and they took advantage.” The Marlins were able to keep the game relatively close thanks to a trio of solo home runs — two from Kyle Stowers and one from Owen Caissie. “We’ve gotta keep believing. We know we’ve gotta get through this as a team and keep fighting every day as we continue to move forward,” Miami’s ace said postgame. Following the series loss, Miami will welcome the New York Mets to loanDepot park for a weekend series. Right-hander Eury Pérez will look to get his season on track against Tobias Myers. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. View full article

MIAMI — Prior to Thursday night’s game against Atlanta, the Miami Marlins announced that No. 2 prospect Robby Snelling will undergo Tommy John surgery, ending his rookie campaign after just one start. The procedure will be performed by Dr. Keith Meister on Friday—he has handled several prominent Marlins elbow surgeries, including those for Sandy Alcantara, Eury Pérez, Ronny Henriquez, and most recently, Adam Mazur. Snelling made his major league debut on May 8, allowing three runs on five hits against the Washington Nationals. He struck out two and walked four over five innings. Following a bullpen session a few days later, Snelling complained of elbow discomfort, prompting Miami to shut him down and place him on the 15-day injured list. Snelling was acquired at the 2024 trade deadline, along with the aforementioned Mazur, Graham Pauley, and Jay Beshears, in exchange for pitchers Tanner Scott and Bryan Hoeing. After an uneven 2024 season, the left-hander broke out in 2025, earning a promotion to Triple-A Jacksonville. Between the two levels, Snelling posted a 2.51 ERA with 166 strikeouts across 136 innings. Before getting called up to the big leagues, Snelling was dominating Triple-A once again this season, posting a minuscule 1.86 ERA. The rehab process from Tommy John takes a minimum of 12 months for pitchers to complete, though starters like Snelling need additional time on the back end to build up their pitch count. Using one of his teammates as a reference point, Eury Pérez returned to a major league mound last June, which was 14 months after his procedure. The Marlins transferred Snelling to the 60-day injured list to make room for new trade acquisition Rece Hinds. When Snelling went out, Braxton Garrett took over his Marlins rotation spot, but Garrett has since been optioned back to Jacksonville after consecutive poor outings combined (4.1 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 8 BB and 5 K). There's been no confirmation yet regarding who will start for Miami on Sunday when that spot is due up next. View full article

This podcast is brought to you by Jet Ski Rentals of South Florida—offering Miami’s best jet ski and boat adventures. With six jet ski locations and over 120 boats, there’s something for every style and every budget. They’re reservation-based only. To inquire, call 305-990-2192, or check them out online at SFJetskiRentals.com. Make sure to use promo code FISHONFIRST to receive 10% off your next booking. After more than eight years together as members of the Miami Marlins organization, former team president David Samson and All-Star reliever AJ Ramos reconnect on Fish Unfiltered! Along with Isaac Azout, they discuss the outlook of this year's team (on and off the field), the highs and lows of Samson's tenure in the front office from 2002-2017, why it's uniquely challenging to build a fanbase in Florida and much more. You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Samson helped orchestrate the sale of the Marlins franchise to Bruce Sherman's ownership group in 2017. Then in 2019, he debuted his own podcast, Nothing Personal with David Samson, which focuses primarily on sports business. View full article

SAN FRANCISCO — On a cold, overcast afternoon at Oracle Park, Miami’s offense failed to provide Eury Pérez with much run support as the Marlins fell to the San Francisco Giants, 6-2. With the loss, Miami drops back under .500 at 13–14. “I liked the way we made [Robbie] Ray work, got him to 70 pitches halfway through the third. We just couldn’t cash in, but overall I think our guys did a good job making him work,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said postgame. “The guys who came out of the pen for them did a good job. They threw the ball well and were able to shut us down.” Making his sixth start of the season, right-hander Eury Pérez looked to build on what had been his best outing of the year at home against Milwaukee last Sunday. The 23-year-old tossed six innings of three-hit ball in that start, allowing no earned runs while striking out seven to earn his second win. McCullough’s message for Saturday was simple: get ahead early—something Pérez did effectively. Pérez was dominant through his first five innings, allowing just one walk while striking out six. Miami held a 1–0 lead at the time. He leaned heavily on his elite fastball, throwing it 61% of the time—in line with his season average. He generated nine whiffs overall, seven of which came on the fastball, which averaged 98 mph. “It was part of the plan to focus on the fastball, and I think it was working very well for me,” Pérez said through interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “In that inning, I think they started to expect it, and they capitalized.” In the bottom of the sixth, Pérez allowed a double to Matt Chapman, and one batter later, Casey Schmitt launched a two-run homer to give San Francisco a 3–1 lead. “It was a fastball, and all the hard contact they got on me was on the fastball, unfortunately,” Pérez added. He then walked Jung Hoo Lee, marking the end of his afternoon. Pérez’s final line: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO (Anthony Bender allowed one inherited runner to score). Overall, the young right-hander’s last two outings have been encouraging as his command has sharpened and he has largely avoided the kind of big innings that hurt him earlier in the year. “I thought he was fantastic,” McCullough said. “The strike-throwing was much better—other than a couple of leadoff walks, he filled it up with a good heater and was able to get hitters into tough counts. He kept us right there, but Schmitt just put a good swing on a fastball up and in.” As of Saturday night, Pérez is 2–2 with a 4.60 ERA, while his xFIP sits at 4.37. His next start is scheduled for Friday, May 1, against Philadelphia in Miami. Offense shut down Thirteen hours after putting up nine runs on 16 hits, Miami, as expected, rolled out an entirely different lineup vs. the left-hander Ray. Impact bats such as Liam Hicks and Owen Caissie were sat in favor of Heriberto Hernández (.479 OPS) and Leo Jiménez (13 AB since March 30, .643 OPS). The Giants also used southpaws Matt Gage and Erik Miller for an inning apiece in relief of Ray. The Marlins have made it clear they intend to stand by their philosophy of putting players in the best position to succeed, which means utilizing the platoon advantage against a veteran left-hander like Ray. Unfortunately, thus far this year, the non-everyday players inserted into the lineup against left-handed starters have performed poorly, which has cost the team. Austin Slater—DFA’d on Thursday—produced a .367 OPS vs. LHP. Hernández has a .467 OPS. Jiménez a .282 OPS. Meanwhile, left-handed bats the Marlins view as long-term pieces, such as Caissie and Marsee, have produced OPS marks of .718 and .694. The team has only played 27 games, so the sample size is still minuscule. However, following a game in which the offense had arguably its best performance of the season, it may be worth trotting out a similar lineup the following day, despite the opposing pitcher throwing from the left side. From both a development and competitive standpoint, it hasn’t made much sense to continue allowing Hernández to start against left-handed pitching—or any pitching, for that matter. “I continue to believe that Bert can get this thing going and come around,” McCullough said of his corner outfielder. “He’s a good option versus left, and we’ll continue to give him opportunities to do so and that’s how I see it at this point.” Hernández has one extra-base hit on the season in 21 games (.197 SLG). With the win, the Giants improved to 12-15 on the season and have forced a rubber match on Sunday afternoon. Max Meyer will get the ball against right-hander Landen Roupp. View full article

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Marlins’ bats seemed to respond nicely to the cool California air. In the opener of their first West Coast trip of the season, Miami’s offense came to life in a big way, giving its ace ample run support en route to its 13th win of the year. On Friday night, with temperatures hovering in the low 50s, the Marlins put up nine runs on 16 hits, routing the San Francisco Giants 9-4. Miami is back at .500 for the first time since April 14. “Up and down the lineup, we forced [Adrian] Houser over the plate and we were ready to go,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said postgame. “Our swing decisions tonight were outstanding. It was really just an offensive clinic.” The Marlins jumped on Giants starter Adrian Houser early. With two outs and a run already in, Liam Hicks launched a two-run shot into the right-field bleachers, giving Miami a 3–0 lead before Sandy Alcantara even took the mound. A couple of innings and a couple more runs later, with two men on, Connor Norby crushed a three-run homer to make it 8–0. The ball traveled 418 feet to left-center, the fourth-longest home run of his young career. Norby, who as recently as last week made a mechanical tweak to his batting stance—holding his hands farther from his chest—has already started to see results, homering twice in that span. “Started in Atlanta, just trying to get some rhythm. I’m still working through some timing, but it’s a way for me to keep my back hip less stagnant and not so tense,” Norby said. Miami racked up 11 hits through just four innings against Houser, who was chased early. His season ERA rose to 7.36. In the top of the sixth, following a three-run frame by San Francisco against Alcantara—more on that later—Otto Lopez delivered an RBI single to extend the Marlins’ lead to 9–3, which at the time felt like a crucial insurance run. “They made a little push there, and for him to come up with that knock with two outs, slow things down a bit and push the lead back to six was huge. It’s what Otto has done all season,” McCullough said. In total, the Marlins piled up 16 hits, tying a season high. Every player in the starting lineup recorded at least one hit. “We’re sneaky good,” Norby said of the offense. “When we’re playing like that—and it doesn’t always have to result in a hit—just the toughness of the at-bat, making a pitcher work and throw two or three extra pitches, it takes a toll. The competitiveness and grinding out at-bats always makes a difference throughout a series.” When asked how difficult it will be to stubbornly adjust the lineup for Saturday’s matchup against left-hander Robbie Ray, McCullough said, “We’re going to put the lineup out there that I think is best against Ray. However it goes, I’ll feel confident with the guys that are in there, and we’ll continue to do what I see as best on any given day.” Sandy Alcantara After three excellent starts to open his season (two earned runs in 24.1 innings), Sandy Alcantara had hit a bit of a blip. Following a rough outing in Detroit in which he allowed seven earned runs, he also issued six walks in a home loss to Milwaukee. On Friday night at Oracle Park, however, he was dominant across six innings—aside from one hiccup. “He was fantastic,” McCullough said. “Seventy-five strikes, filled up the zone, and was around the plate with all his pitches. They strung together some hits there in the fifth, but other than that, he was terrific.” Alcantara’s final line: 6 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO. He threw a season-high 108 pitches, 75 for strikes. He scattered a few hits over his first four innings but was largely in control, inducing an inning-ending double play in the first and retiring nine straight Giants at one point. His only trouble came in the fifth, with former teammate Luis Arraez in the middle of it. Following a one-out double by Heliot Ramos—the Giants’ first extra-base hit of the night—Drew Gilbert singled to plate San Francisco’s first run. Eric Haase then added an RBI double to right and later scored on a trademark Arraez slap single to left. “I liked that I threw a lot of strikes. I’ll take this start over my last one with the six walks, but I made the adjustment and we got the win,” Alcantara said. He also noted that early run support doesn’t change his mindset. “I know for some guys it’s easy to get comfortable on the mound with a big lead, but for me it doesn’t matter. I keep fighting and attacking hitters like it’s a close game.” With the win, Miami improved to 13–13, while San Francisco fell to 11–15. Right-hander Eury Pérez is set to start Saturday afternoon as the Marlins look to clinch the series, while Robbie Ray will try to force a rubber match for the Giants. View full article

Marlins manager Clayton McCullough speaks with Fish Unfiltered about how his team's aggressive baserunning has repeatedly come back to bite them in recent games. View full video

MIAMI — Sandy Alcantara is back where he belongs: on top. The 2022 Cy Young Award winner tossed a complete game shutout Wednesday afternoon at loanDepot park, propelling the Marlins to their fifth win in six games to open the season. With the 10-0 win, the Marlins now have a plus-15 run differential on the season. “I’ve been through a lot, so today was such a special moment for me,” Alcantara said. In his second full season since returning from Tommy John surgery, the Marlins couldn’t have asked for a better start from their ace. Including his nine shutout innings against the White Sox on Wednesday, Alcantara has now thrown 16 innings this season without allowing an earned run. He’s scattered just seven hits while walking only two. Per Elias Sports Bureau, Alcantara’s 16-inning scoreless streak is the fourth-longest by a Marlins starter to open a season, trailing only Dontrelle Willis (24.0 IP in 2005 and 19.1 IP in 2004) and Josh Beckett (19 IP in 2005). In his Opening Day start, Alcantara was pulled after just 73 pitches through seven innings—something that left many disappointed. “My last outing, I was feeling it a little bit and they took me out of the game. I respect that decision, but today was my game, and it wasn’t going to happen today,” Alcantara said with a smile postgame. Alcantara was efficient from the outset, recording the first two outs of the game on just two pitches. From the fourth through ninth innings, he averaged fewer than 10 pitches per inning—when he’s at his best. “Being aggressive and never letting an inning get away from me was key. Plus, all of the great work we’ve put in the bullpen has been helping me a lot,” he added. Wednesday marked the 13th complete game and fifth shutout of his career. It had been nearly three years to the day since his last complete game shutout, which came on April 4, 2023 against the Minnesota Twins. It was also the first complete game shutout by a Marlin since Braxton Garrett on May 24, 2024. Since 2022, Alcantara has now thrown more complete games than several MLB teams have as a whole, including the Red Sox and Giants. Only three active MLB pitchers have at least 13 complete games: Justin Verlander, Chris Sale, and now Alcantara. Alcantara also noted postgame that he only shook off assistant pitching coach Rob Marcello “maybe three times,” crediting the staff for doing a great job with the game plan. The Dominican flamethrower’s battery mate, Liam Hicks, has also continued his absurdly impressive start to the campaign. Following a 3-for-4, four-RBI performance on Wednesday, the Canadian backstop now leads the majors with 12 runs batted in. “The at-bat quality is still there, and he’s being very selective in looking for pitches where he wants them,” manager Clayton McCullough said postgame. Hicks spent his offseason focused on weight training and improving his bat speed, and it’s already paying dividends. He has hit three home runs during the team’s opening homestand. For comparison, he hit just two home runs at loanDepot park all of last season. With the win, Miami improved to 5-1 on the season while Chicago fell to 1-5. The Marlins have an off-day on Thursday before they begin a three-game weekend series in the Bronx against the New York Yankees. Eury Pérez will face Will Warren in the team’s home opener. View full article