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Marlins leadership, key players celebrate and reflect on postseason berth
Isaac Azout posted an article in Marlins
Kim Ng and her staff have done something this Marlins franchise hasn't done in over 20 years: clinch a postseason spot in a 162-game regular season. The Marlins beat the Pirates on Saturday night, cementing their place in the 2023 postseason. The Marlins celebrated in the middle of the diamond of PNC Park after closer Tanner Scott recorded the final out of the game. "We have a great group of guys, great people that we acquired, our bullpen, our stars, it's just been great all year," said Scott in the celebration. This will be the second postseason appearance for Miami since principal owner Bruce Sherman bought the team in 2017. However, he considers this year's much more meaningful. "2020 was nice, but this is far superior," Sherman said. "In 2020, there were no fans. It was a 60-game season, it didn't mean the same. 162 games and still, here we are!" The Marlins entered 2023 under a new voice. Sherman and general manager Kim Ng interviewed a lot of candidates this offseason for their managerial vacancy, but landed on Skip Schumaker. To say that the move has paid off would be a massive understatement—tactfully maneuvering in close games, Schumaker has won 15 more games than his predecessor did and figures to be a contender for NL Manager of the Year. "I've known Skip for less than a year, and the moment he walked in, after about an hour, I knew he was going to be our manager," Sherman said in the clubhouse as he wore protective goggles to shield his eyes from the champagne and beer. "We saw a couple of candidates, and he was great. He managed the way you saw, which is one game at a time, and the motivation he got from these guys is unbelievable." It certainly has been a culture change in Miami with Skip at the helm, which is precisely what Kim Ng was looking for. "Having watched him as a Major League player, there was a lot of grit and resilience, and that was the kind of profile we were looking for with our manager." Just three years after taking over, she has done the unthinkable and built a postseason team from the ground up. The only players who were on the Marlins 40-man roster when she arrived and remain there now are Sandy Alcantara, Jon Berti, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Braxton Garrett, Jesús Sánchez and Sixto Sánchez. "These guys deserve all the fun that they are having right now, but there's more work to do, and I think they know that," Ng said while Tanner Scott poured beer on her head. "That's why I f****** love him." After a shaky Spring training, Miami quickly showed the baseball world that they meant business in 2023. Ng noticed, and instead of subtracting from the roster at the trade deadline like in previous seasons, she pushed in all her chips and acquired a few big pieces, including David Robertson, Josh Bell, and Jake Burger. "There wasn't any one move," Ng said. "It's always just been building blocks, and it takes one block at a time. So we never know when it's all going to come together, but honestly, this staff has just done an incredible job get the most out of this group of guys." "I feel like I'm on a cloud," trade acquisition Josh Bell said. "I couldn't be more proud of the guys, couldn't be happier to have this opportunity to play for this team. We have such an awesome room of guys, and to close it out and be able to celebrate tonight, it's something special." Bell, the former Pirate, was able to celebrate on the field that he called home for the first five years of his career. "It's crazy. Stalls [stallings] and I looked at each other and I couldn't write a better script than that. I thought I'd be able to celebrate here years ago, but just to be able to do it now is awesome." Someone who called Bell one of his closest teammates was Jazz Chisholm Jr., who was celebrating the second playoff clinch of his career (2020). "I didn't even think about 2020 at all. All I was thinking about was winning this game tonight and getting us to the playoffs. Tonight is nothing but a celebration for our team. We're a family, and we're coming in together," Chisholm said. On Saturday night, Chisholm went 3-for-5 with 2 RBI, highlighted by a go-ahead solo home run in the third inning. It all felt like a blur to him: "I don't even remember that, to be honest. I completely forgot about that. Once we were winning, I was just happy. It didn't matter what I did, it's just about going out there and winning a baseball game to get to the playoffs." Against all odds, they got there. With the eighth-lowest payroll in all of baseball ($101M), they outplayed their pricier counterparts. "Mets didn't finish. The Yankees didn't finish. San Diego didn't finish, and these guys have payrolls three times higher than ours," said Sherman. "Spring training didn't look so great, I'll be honest with you," Schumaker said post-celebration. "Got to give credit to my staff. They were incredible, and we felt we were all very aligned with what we wanted to do and create here. This only happens if the players buy-in. Soler, Sandy, and Arraez all bought in right away, and I'm thankful for that." https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cx2A-mJgG9A/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_linkGoing into Sunday's regular season finale, Miami is 84-76, good for sole possession of the second NL Wild Card spot. They're now ahead of Arizona by half a game after the Diamondbacks fell to the Astros on Saturday night. As Schumaker reiterated, the job is not done. The Marlins will play a postseason game on Tuesday against either the Philadelphia Phillies or Milwaukee Brewers. On Sunday, all of Major League Baseball will play game No. 162 simultaneously at around 3 p.m. Eastern time. In addition, it was reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today that Miami will not need to travel back to New York to complete their suspended game from Thursday night. Luzardo celebratesJesús Luzardo celebrated two things on Saturday night: A postseason berth and his 26th birthday. "Best birthday gift of my life. I woke up today, and I said if we clinch, it'd be the best birthday of my life. So I can't even put it into words. This is the best night of my life," said the southpaw. Growing up a Marlins fan, this is a dream come true for Luzardo, who is expected to be handed the ball for Game One of the NL Wild Card Series on Tuesday. -
Kim Ng and her staff have done something this Marlins franchise hasn't done in over 20 years: clinch a postseason spot in a 162-game regular season. The Marlins beat the Pirates on Saturday night, cementing their place in the 2023 postseason. The Marlins celebrated in the middle of the diamond of PNC Park after closer Tanner Scott recorded the final out of the game. "We have a great group of guys, great people that we acquired, our bullpen, our stars, it's just been great all year," said Scott in the celebration. This will be the second postseason appearance for Miami since principal owner Bruce Sherman bought the team in 2017. However, he considers this year's much more meaningful. "2020 was nice, but this is far superior," Sherman said. "In 2020, there were no fans. It was a 60-game season, it didn't mean the same. 162 games and still, here we are!" The Marlins entered 2023 under a new voice. Sherman and general manager Kim Ng interviewed a lot of candidates this offseason for their managerial vacancy, but landed on Skip Schumaker. To say that the move has paid off would be a massive understatement—tactfully maneuvering in close games, Schumaker has won 15 more games than his predecessor did and figures to be a contender for NL Manager of the Year. "I've known Skip for less than a year, and the moment he walked in, after about an hour, I knew he was going to be our manager," Sherman said in the clubhouse as he wore protective goggles to shield his eyes from the champagne and beer. "We saw a couple of candidates, and he was great. He managed the way you saw, which is one game at a time, and the motivation he got from these guys is unbelievable." It certainly has been a culture change in Miami with Skip at the helm, which is precisely what Kim Ng was looking for. "Having watched him as a Major League player, there was a lot of grit and resilience, and that was the kind of profile we were looking for with our manager." Just three years after taking over, she has done the unthinkable and built a postseason team from the ground up. The only players who were on the Marlins 40-man roster when she arrived and remain there now are Sandy Alcantara, Jon Berti, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Braxton Garrett, Jesús Sánchez and Sixto Sánchez. "These guys deserve all the fun that they are having right now, but there's more work to do, and I think they know that," Ng said while Tanner Scott poured beer on her head. "That's why I f****** love him." After a shaky Spring training, Miami quickly showed the baseball world that they meant business in 2023. Ng noticed, and instead of subtracting from the roster at the trade deadline like in previous seasons, she pushed in all her chips and acquired a few big pieces, including David Robertson, Josh Bell, and Jake Burger. "There wasn't any one move," Ng said. "It's always just been building blocks, and it takes one block at a time. So we never know when it's all going to come together, but honestly, this staff has just done an incredible job get the most out of this group of guys." "I feel like I'm on a cloud," trade acquisition Josh Bell said. "I couldn't be more proud of the guys, couldn't be happier to have this opportunity to play for this team. We have such an awesome room of guys, and to close it out and be able to celebrate tonight, it's something special." Bell, the former Pirate, was able to celebrate on the field that he called home for the first five years of his career. "It's crazy. Stalls [stallings] and I looked at each other and I couldn't write a better script than that. I thought I'd be able to celebrate here years ago, but just to be able to do it now is awesome." Someone who called Bell one of his closest teammates was Jazz Chisholm Jr., who was celebrating the second playoff clinch of his career (2020). "I didn't even think about 2020 at all. All I was thinking about was winning this game tonight and getting us to the playoffs. Tonight is nothing but a celebration for our team. We're a family, and we're coming in together," Chisholm said. On Saturday night, Chisholm went 3-for-5 with 2 RBI, highlighted by a go-ahead solo home run in the third inning. It all felt like a blur to him: "I don't even remember that, to be honest. I completely forgot about that. Once we were winning, I was just happy. It didn't matter what I did, it's just about going out there and winning a baseball game to get to the playoffs." Against all odds, they got there. With the eighth-lowest payroll in all of baseball ($101M), they outplayed their pricier counterparts. "Mets didn't finish. The Yankees didn't finish. San Diego didn't finish, and these guys have payrolls three times higher than ours," said Sherman. "Spring training didn't look so great, I'll be honest with you," Schumaker said post-celebration. "Got to give credit to my staff. They were incredible, and we felt we were all very aligned with what we wanted to do and create here. This only happens if the players buy-in. Soler, Sandy, and Arraez all bought in right away, and I'm thankful for that." https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cx2A-mJgG9A/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_linkGoing into Sunday's regular season finale, Miami is 84-76, good for sole possession of the second NL Wild Card spot. They're now ahead of Arizona by half a game after the Diamondbacks fell to the Astros on Saturday night. As Schumaker reiterated, the job is not done. The Marlins will play a postseason game on Tuesday against either the Philadelphia Phillies or Milwaukee Brewers. On Sunday, all of Major League Baseball will play game No. 162 simultaneously at around 3 p.m. Eastern time. In addition, it was reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today that Miami will not need to travel back to New York to complete their suspended game from Thursday night. Luzardo celebratesJesús Luzardo celebrated two things on Saturday night: A postseason berth and his 26th birthday. "Best birthday gift of my life. I woke up today, and I said if we clinch, it'd be the best birthday of my life. So I can't even put it into words. This is the best night of my life," said the southpaw. Growing up a Marlins fan, this is a dream come true for Luzardo, who is expected to be handed the ball for Game One of the NL Wild Card Series on Tuesday. View full article
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Pittsburgh—For just the fourth time in franchise history, the Miami Marlins are headed back to the postseason. On a beautiful Saturday night in Downtown Pittsburgh, the Marlins defeated the Pirates by a final score of 7-3, which clinched them a spot in the playoffs in a non-shortened season for the first time since 2003. Entering the contest with a magic number of one, Miami was firmly in control of their own destiny, needing only a win in order to cement themselves a spot in October. Had the Marlins fallen, a Cubs and a Reds loss would have sufficed. The Marlins employed a classic bullpen game on Saturday, as they used eight different pitchers to complete the nine innings. JT Chargois, Steven Okert, George Soriano, AJ Puk, David Robertson, Matt Moore, Andrew Nardi, and Tanner Scott combined to hold the Pirates to two runs on ten hits and issued only one walk. Jazz Chisholm Jr. was responsible for getting the offense started on Saturday, as he grounded an RBI single through the right side in the top of the first. In his next at-bat, he drilled a moonshot that barely cleared the 21-foot wall in right field, which made it 2-0. It was his 19th home run of the season, making him one home run shy of a 20/20 season. After Pittsburgh tied it at two, tensions were astronomical. Even after Jorge Soler and Josh Bell combined to manufacture a couple of runs in the top of the sixth to make it 4-2, no lead felt safe. A couple of innings later, however, came the big blow from Bell. He drilled a hanging breaking ball for a two-run double off the center field wall, which extended Miami's lead to 6-2. The Marlins could sniff what they've been longing for, as they were only six outs away. It wouldn't be easy, of course. Nardi worked himself into trouble in the bottom of the eighth after a two-out walk. He'd surrender a couple of more hits to bring the tying run to the plate. That's when Skip went to his closer. Scott put out the fire in the eighth, and then worked a scorless ninth inning to finish the job for Miami. His Marlins teammates mobbed the new father in front of the mound of PNC Park, warming the hearts of the Miami fans back in South Florida. With the clinch, Miami cements itself as one of the final two Wild Card teams in the National League. In doing so, the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds are now eliminated from playoff contention. An Arizona Diamondbacks loss to the Houston Astros has moved Miami up to the National League's fifth seed entering Sunday. Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images -
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Marlins complete their 41st come-from-behind win, inch closer to playoffs
Isaac Azout posted an article in Marlins
PITTSBURGH – "Embrace the adversity" has been the motto inside the Marlins clubhouse for the past couple of days. After a regular three-game set in Queens turned into a two-and-a-half-game, weather-centric disaster, Miami had to begin a three-game series in Pittsburgh on Friday night with many unanswered questions. One of which is whether or not Miami will need to travel back to New York on Monday following the conclusion of the 2023 regular season. “I haven’t talked to the league about it yet. I’m sure Kim has talked to them for a majority of the day, so I’m just trying to figure out how to beat the Pirates,” manager Skip Schumaker said pregame. Well, thanks to a four-run top of the eighth inning, Miami secured a crucial win as they beat the Pirates 4-3 and lowered their magic number to one. Elite 8thAfter not scoring through the first seven innings on Friday night, Miami's bats finally woke up in the top of the eighth to complete the exhilarating come-from-behind win. Entering the inning down 3-0, Miami sent ten men to the plate in the frame, producing four runs on five hits against three different Pittsburgh pitchers. The Marlins loaded the bases with one out for former Pirate Josh Bell, who drilled a two-run double to finally put Miami on the board. Jake Burger followed with a run-scoring single and Jazz Chisholm Jr. topped the inning off with a go-ahead sac fly, which made it 4-3. "I've been proud of them all year. They've done this all year long. We were pretty lethargic; I tried not to say that earlier, but you could tell. I was even tired and I don't do anything other than a couple of signs," said Schumaker postgame. A huge development in that inning was pinch-hitter Luis Arraez, who came off the bench and took an at-bat for the first time since re-aggravating his left ankle on September 23. He, of course, drilled a single to left to keep the inning going and brought the tying run to the plate. "He told me he was available to pinch hit. Of course, he got a hit when he hadn't seen a pitch in a week, so right there, we really tried to get a bloop and a blast to get within one before the ninth," added Skip. Skip was non-commital to Luis Arraez being in the lineup on Saturday. "It's tough because Soly [soler] needs to DH, so if he were 100%, I'd say yeah, possibly. Him taking ground balls today was a huge step, but I just don't know if he's ready." Arraez, however, announced postgame that he feels ready and expects to be in Saturday's lineup. We shall see. Cabrera struggles early Edward Cabrera started this game for Miami, marking his third start since being recalled from AAA Jacksonville on September 6. He had pitched well in his four appearances going into Friday, as he sported a 1.89 ERA in 19 innings pitched. The walks, however, remain to be a concern for the young right-hander. On Friday, he walked three Pirate batters over 3 ⅔ innings pitched. "He didn't have his stuff tonight. Changeup wasn't where it was the last couple of starts. Luckily Okert got a really big out there, and the bullpen did what they've done all year," said Skip. After he escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first, Cabrera ran into trouble in the bottom of the third. A walk followed by two singles loaded the bases again for Pittsburgh, and Cabrera couldn’t escape unscathed this time. Ke’Bryan Hayes drilled a sharp grounder to third that Jake Burger picked and then threw Hayes out. It scored a run but saved two more from coming in. In the following inning, Cabrera allowed another walk and three more hits, which made it 2-0 and forced Schumaker to go to his bullpen earlier than he would have liked. Steven Okert inherited a two-out, bases-loaded situation against Bryan Reynolds, who hit a weak ground ball to shortstop Garrett Hampson, who airmailed the throw. Another run scored on the E6, which made it 3-0 Pittsburgh. Bullpen does their job; Scott returnsAfter Okert limited the damage in the bottom of the fourth, Miami's bullpen combined to shut out the Pirates for the remaining five innings. "Okie [steven Okert] got a really big out there in the fourth. That was huge. They didn't allow them to put up any huge crooked numbers, and that helped keep us in the game," said Skip. With Andrew Nardi having pitched the last two nights, Schumaker went with David Robertson in the eighth, who pitched a scoreless frame. For the ninth, fresh off the Paternity List was closer Tanner Scott, who pitched a perfect bottom of the ninth to secure the 83rd win of the season for Miami. "Actually, that bullpen before the rain delay yesterday helped me get back into the groove, and then today, when I got warm, it didn't feel as foreign. So I looked at that as a positive," said Scott. With the win, Miami improved to 83-76 and lowered their magic number to two. Huascar Brazoban earned his fifth win of the season. With the Cubs' late-inning loss on Friday night, Miami can clinch as early as Saturday night with a win or Cubs and Reds loss. JT Chargois will open for Miami. Notes: Huascar Brazoban made his first appearance since August 13. He worked a scoreless frame. Miami completed their 41st come-from-behind win of the season.Arraez recorded his 203rd hit of the seasonThe Marlins recorded their 6th win of the season when trailing by 3+ runs at the end of the seventh inning, the most by any MLB team in a single season in the modern era. Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images -
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MIAMI -- Coming back to the ballpark a day after losing 16-1 can be a daunting task. However, on the final Legacy Saturday of the regular season, Miami edged out a victory against the first place Brewers to stay only one game out of the final Wild Card spot, beating Milwaukee 5-4. Miami's offense got going quickly in the bottom of the first after a lead off single by Luis Arraez. Josh Bell worked a one-out walk which put two men on for the other JB - Jake Burger- who launched a three-run shot to give Miami an early 3-0 lead. In just the first inning, Miami scored more runs against Milwaukee than they had in any of their previous five games against them. "He has a really good fastball and I just sort of reacted to the slider there," said Burger on his home run. Nick Fortes added to the scoring with a sac-fly in the fourth inning to extend Miami's lead to 4-0. Jesus Luzardo was on the bump for Miami and was tasked with facing the same Brewers lineup (plus Christian Yelich) that got to him for six earned runs on ten hits on September 11 in Milwaukee. In his next start, though, he tossed six shutout innings against the Atlanta Braves and then carried that momentum early into his start on Saturday. "I felt really good. My pitches were doing exactly what I wanted them to do. I felt like I was cursing through five, and then a walk and a double hurt me a bit, but I felt good," said Luzardo on his outing. He stymied the Brewers' offense for five solid innings and retired ten straight at one point. The top of the sixth is where things got messy for Miami. After the walk and double to begin the frame, William Contreras dribbled a ball to first baseman Josh Bell, who booted the ball, which allowed a run to score (it was interestingly called a base hit). That's when Skip went to his left-hander AJ Puk, who entered Saturday having allowed nine home runs on the year. He added to that total as the first batter he faced, Carlos Santana, drilled a three-run home run to tie the game at four apiece. It was the 300th career home run for Santana. That closed the book for Luzardo, whose final line was 5 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO. He threw 86 pitches, 56 for strikes. "Zeus [Luzardo] did exactly what we needed him to do. Got us into the sixth inning and handed it over to a really good bullpen. Obviously, it didn't work out with Puk, but Zeus did a really nice job for us and set the tone," said manager Skip Schumaker postgame. The game stayed tied until the bottom of the eighth, where Miami took advantage of some luck. Jake Burger led off the inning with a walk and was replaced by the faster Garrett Hampson on first. Bryan De La Cruz then singled to right, which put runners on the corners with nobody out. After a Jesus Sanchez strikeout, Milwaukee reliever Joel Payamps spiked a pitch that got to the backstop, allowing Hampson to score the winning run. After consecutive outings in which he's allowed an earned run, Marlins closer Tanner Scott pitched a perfect top of the ninth to secure the win and earn his 10th save of the season. Miami improved to 80-75 while Milwaukee fell to 88-67. With the Cubs' win on Saturday, the Marlins stay one game back of the third Wild Card spot. Edward Cabrera will get the ball for the rubber match on Sunday afternoon which will be the final home game of the regular season for the Marlins. News and notes: Prior to Saturday's contest, RHP Jeff Lindgren had his contract selected from Triple-A Jacksonville and RHP Eury Perez was placed on the 15-day IL with left SI joint inflammation. "During that last start, I did feel a little pain in my lower back, the left side."With their win on Saturday, Miami reached the 80-win mark for the first time since 2010. It was also their 45th win at loanDepot Park, marking the first time they've won that many at home since 2008.Also on Saturday, RHP Sandy Alcantara confirmed to the media that he is done for the season. Burger launched his 34th home run of the season and ninth as a Marlin. Luis Arraez was taken out of the game in the top of the ninth inning after re-aggravating his left ankle slipping down the dugout stairs. LHP Matt Moore made his Marlins debut on Saturday, pitching a scoreless seventh. "I've watched him for a long time, it's nice to have him on our side. He does not scare, he has seen every situation possible in the big leagues, and he's been really good. You're going to see him in those spots because we trust him," said Skip. Former Marlin Christian Yelich recorded the 1,500th hit of his career on Saturday. -
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MIAMI -- Before Saturday's contest, defending Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara met with the local media to confirm what we all feared: He has thrown his last pitch of the 2023 season. After his start in Washington on September 3, Alcantara initially felt arm discomfort and was placed on the injured list three days later with a right forearm strain. He was later diagnosed with a UCL sprain in his throwing arm. This was the first time in his Marlins career that Alcantara has landed on the IL with an arm injury. He missed time in 2020 after testing positive for COVID-19 and missed one start in 2023 with biceps tendinitis. "Very frustrating for me, as someone who likes to compete. I feel sorry for the fans, my family, my son, my friends, I feel sad because I know I won't be able to be out there this year." With just eight games remaining for the playoff-hopeful Marlins, Sandy was attempting to pitch through the injury and help his team make the postseason, something they haven't done in a normal year since 2003. As of Saturday morning, the Marlins are 79-75, one GB of the third and final Wild Card spot. "That's the thing that broke my heart; I mean, to be unable to go out there with my teammates and compete. I just have to keep supporting them in here, out there, inside, everywhere they are. So hopefully, we make the playoffs this year without me," said Alcantara. Alcantara made a rehab start for Triple-A Jacksonville on Wednesday and went four innings, allowed only one hit, and struck out four. He told the media on Saturday that he started to feel tightness in his forearm after his third inning of work. Regarding possible next steps for Miami's ace, that is still unknown. "Going to get together with my agent, Kim [Ng], and Skip and see what decision we will make. We have to have a conversation, I don't know if we have to decide about surgery or not, so we just have to get together, I don't know when." After some struggles to begin the 2023 season, Alcantara really found a groove in the second half, pitching to a 3.20 ERA in 70 IP. Overall, Sandy finished the year 7-12 with a 4.14 ERA in 184.2 IP. He fell just short of completing 200 innings for the third consecutive season. He is also tied for the league lead in complete games with three. While not as magnificent as in his 2022 Cy Young season, Alcantara was still a precious piece for Miami's rotation in 2023, which has dealt with several injuries throughout the season. The Marlins will depend heavily on Jesús Luzardo, Edward Cabrera, and Braxton Garrett for the duration of the regular season and perhaps the postseason should they make it. -
MIAMI -- Before Saturday's contest, defending Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara met with the local media to confirm what we all feared: He has thrown his last pitch of the 2023 season. After his start in Washington on September 3, Alcantara initially felt arm discomfort and was placed on the injured list three days later with a right forearm strain. He was later diagnosed with a UCL sprain in his throwing arm. This was the first time in his Marlins career that Alcantara has landed on the IL with an arm injury. He missed time in 2020 after testing positive for COVID-19 and missed one start in 2023 with biceps tendinitis. "Very frustrating for me, as someone who likes to compete. I feel sorry for the fans, my family, my son, my friends, I feel sad because I know I won't be able to be out there this year." With just eight games remaining for the playoff-hopeful Marlins, Sandy was attempting to pitch through the injury and help his team make the postseason, something they haven't done in a normal year since 2003. As of Saturday morning, the Marlins are 79-75, one GB of the third and final Wild Card spot. "That's the thing that broke my heart; I mean, to be unable to go out there with my teammates and compete. I just have to keep supporting them in here, out there, inside, everywhere they are. So hopefully, we make the playoffs this year without me," said Alcantara. Alcantara made a rehab start for Triple-A Jacksonville on Wednesday and went four innings, allowed only one hit, and struck out four. He told the media on Saturday that he started to feel tightness in his forearm after his third inning of work. Regarding possible next steps for Miami's ace, that is still unknown. "Going to get together with my agent, Kim [Ng], and Skip and see what decision we will make. We have to have a conversation, I don't know if we have to decide about surgery or not, so we just have to get together, I don't know when." After some struggles to begin the 2023 season, Alcantara really found a groove in the second half, pitching to a 3.20 ERA in 70 IP. Overall, Sandy finished the year 7-12 with a 4.14 ERA in 184.2 IP. He fell just short of completing 200 innings for the third consecutive season. He is also tied for the league lead in complete games with three. While not as magnificent as in his 2022 Cy Young season, Alcantara was still a precious piece for Miami's rotation in 2023, which has dealt with several injuries throughout the season. The Marlins will depend heavily on Jesús Luzardo, Edward Cabrera, and Braxton Garrett for the duration of the regular season and perhaps the postseason should they make it. View full article
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Fish Unfiltered: Why Kyle Sielaff Still Likes Marlins' Playoff Chances
Isaac Azout posted an article in Podcasts
Marlins radio announcer Kyle Sielaff joins Kevin Barral and Isaac Azout to discuss how the team is looking entering the home stretch of the 2023 regular season. Topics covered on Episode 48 of Fish Unfiltered include: The Marlins' recent series against the Dodgers Impact of losing Sandy Alcantara and Jorge Soler to injuries How the Marlins compare to other NL Wild Card contenders Long-term outlook of radio listenership NL MVP race between Ronald Acuña Jr. and Mookie Betts Subscribe to the Fish On First YouTube channel to watch video versions of every Fish Unfiltered episode. Follow Kyle (@Kyle_Sielaff), 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. -
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After completing a four-game sweep of the Washington Nationals over the weekend, the slugging Marlins returned home for a three-game set with the lethal Los Angeles Dodgers. A four home run performance to go along with a great Jesus Luzardo start helped Miami improve to 71-67 with a 6-3 win. On the mound for Miami was left-hander Jesus Luzardo, who has found his groove late in the season. Following three brutal starts to begin August (11.68 ERA), Luzardo has settled in and thrown three consecutive quality starts, including his Tuesday outing, as he's allowed just two earned runs in 18 innings pitched. After two perfect innings to begin the ballgame, Luzardo ran into some trouble in the third. After he allowed a couple of runners to reach via a walk and hit, certified Marlin killer Freddie Freeman drilled an RBI single to center to give the Dodger an early lead. Catcher Will Smith followed with a run-scoring single of his own to make it 2-0. "He'd probably tell you his command wasn't exactly where he wanted it," said manager Skip Schumaker after the game. "You could see some frustration at times but as the season has progressed, he's grown as a pro, mentally and physically." On the mound for Los Angeles was future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw, who made his 15th career start against the Marlins. While still displaying signs of what makes arguably the best pitcher of this generation, it was evident that Kershaw was pitching in his age-35 season. After keeping Miami off the board for the first three frames, the Marlins offense finally got to him. To lead off the fourth, Jake Burger slammed his 31st home run of the season to cut LA's lead to 2-1. It was his sixth as a Marlin and second of his career against Kershaw. The following inning, first baseman Josh Bell drilled a two-run shot to give Miami a 3-2 lead. It was his 20th of the season and the 18th surrendered by Kershaw this season. The Dodgers would go to Ryan Yarbrough for the rest of the game. Kershaw's final line was: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 3 SO, 2 HR. His fastball velocity sat in the low 90's and he walked five batters for the second time this year. Still, the living legend is sporting a 2.61 ERA while being one of LA's most consistent arms in his 16th season. After six solid innings in which he allowed only four hits, two earned runs, one walk, and struck out six, Skip went to his bullpen to try and close it out. Luzardo mentioned he felt better as the game progressed on Tuesday: "I felt good in the fifth but I felt great in the sixth; that was probably the best that I've felt in a long time. Felt very 'in rhythm' and all my pitches were working really well," said the left-hander. AJ Puk was tasked with pitching the seventh, and immediately surrendered a game-tying blast to Chris Taylor. It was the eighth home run he's allowed in 2023, surpassing last year's total of seven. Fireworks in the eighthMiami's bats woke up in a big way in the bottom of the eighth. Jake Burger reached via a HBP and then Bryan De La Cruz launched a two-run shot to give Miami the late lead. Next batter, Jazz Chisholm Jr. connected on his 15th homer of the year to add some insurance. The ball traveled 436 feet and landed two-thirds of the way up the upper deck in right. "He hit that ball as good as I've ever seen a ball hit," said Skip postgame. That was the final tally in this one as Miami completed the 6-3 win by handing the ball over to Tanner Scott, who secured his fifth save of the season. Miami has now won five straight and improved to 71-67. JT Chargois will be the opener for the Marlins tomorrow as Edward Cabrera is expected to eat a majority of the innings. Notes Andrew Nardi pitched a scoreless eighth inning, his first appearance since being struck by a come-backer five days ago. Jorge Soler made his return to the Marlins lineup after missing five games with a hip issue; he went 0-for-2 with a couple of walks. Edward Cabrera was in the Marlins clubhouse on Tuesday and is expected to pitch on Wednesday against the Dodgers. -
Miguel Rojas returns to Miami with no hard feelings
Isaac Azout posted a topic in Miami Marlins Talk
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MIAMI—Former Marlins shortstop Miguel Rojas returned to loanDepot park on Tuesday night for the first time since being dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers on January 11. Rojas spent eights seasons with the Marlins, including a postseason appearance in the 2020 Covid-shortened year. Over his eight-year Marlin tenure, Rojas played in 870 games, slashing .265/.318/.366 with 38 home runs and displayed Gold Glove-caliber defense at short. He was even a finalist for the award during the aforementioned 2020 season. He was deemed the unofficial team captain after the retirement of veteran Martin Prado. Rojas met with the local media on Tuesday afternoon and shared gratitude towards the Marlins for everything. "I'm really happy that the organization gave me a great opportunity throughout my whole career here, and I couldn't be more proud of the way that they handled things with me and my family. I even got to sign a couple of extensions here in Miami and it was pretty important for me and my career. I will forever be grateful for this organization." Marlins-Acquire-INF-Jacob-AmayaDownloadShortly after being dealt, Rojas mentioned multiple times that he wants to see the organization succeed whether he was part of it or not. While the Marlins did make the postseason in 2020, that was the only season during Rojas' tenure in which they finished above .500. With Miami currently in a Wild Card race and three games over, Rojas said it was "amazing" to witness what the team is doing from afar. "I say it from my heart, even if I'm not over there anymore, I'm happy that the organization is playing meaningful baseball in September and playing so well." While admitting it's been difficult to keep tabs on the games being on the West coast, Rojas mentioned he keeps in contact with a lot of the current Marlins. "Yeah absolutely. I don't talk to them on a regular basis, but if something happens to them or to me, we're always in contact. Jesús Luzardo is a really good friend of mine, Sandy Alcantara and all those guys —I got to be with those guys for so many years and create relationships that will last a lifetime." When asked what he learned the most from his time with Miami, Rojas said "learning how to play everyday and learning how to be a complete shortstop. I feel like the opportunity that I received in early 2018 was great, and I remember Don Mattingly telling me that when I play every day, I have to be ready for the struggles and up and downs." Rojas ranks seventh all-time in games played in Marlins franchise history, as well as second all time in defensive WAR at 6.6 (Charles Johnson ranks first with 8.6). His best offensive season with the Fish came in 2020, when he produced an OPS of .888 in 40 games. In 2023, while struggling at the plate, he is still providing incredible defense at a premium position for one of the best teams in Major League Baseball. We wish Rojas nothing but the best here at Fish On First. -
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Kim Ng speaks to media on key players, second-half storylines
Isaac Azout posted an article in Marlins
While their two-city, six game road trip didn't go as planned (2-4), Miami still finds themselves in the thick of things on August 26. Prior to Wednesday's loss against the San Diego Padres, Marlins general manager Kim Ng met with a small group of reporters to give an update on a myriad of topics, including some of this year's top performers. New additionsJake BurgerKim Ng: "The new additions to the club have really made a difference. These guys are ultimate pros. I can tell you that when we acquired Jake (Burger), I got a number of texts and phone calls from my White Sox colleagues from when I worked there saying how great of a guy this was and what a hard worker he is, etc. Our pre-trade vetting really bore that out and same on Josh Bell as well." David Robertsont's been an uneven Marlin tenure for David Robertson thus far (eight ER in 10 IP), but Kim still values the experience he brings. "David Robertson obviously doing what he can do and you know, he's been in high-pressure situations for postseason clubs, so we love having that experience." Josh Bell Acquired from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for former first-round pick Kahlil Watson and Jean Segura, Josh Bell has been a phenomenal addition to Miami's lineup. Bell has a $16.5 million player option for the 2024 season. Asked if the assumption was that the Marlins would be able to have him next year as well, Kim said: "For us, Josh fits the profile that we're looking for. Strike zone discipline, strike zone awareness, he's just a good hitter who also has power. He plays to the scoreboard, he knows what to do in various situations and you get quite a good quality veteran presence. So yeah, we're hoping that we have him next year." Ryan Weathers "Fantastic arm that he's got. We've actually had our eye on Ryan for a while now, since last year and have tried to acquire him. Obviously we were fortunate enough to get him at the deadline, but fantastic arm. Needs to work on some of his secondary and he knows that, but this dude isn not afraid to pitch inside either. That was my second time seeing him live [August 21 in San Diego], and yeah, he is not afraid to pitch inside so it's pretty interesting." Other arms Trevor RogersThe 2021 NL Rookie of the Year runner-up has thrown only 18 innings this year, last appearing in a game on April 19. With only 33 games left in the regular season, Kim mentioned it might be tough to get him back soon. "I think if he comes back at some point this year, it's icing on the cake, but really, what's most important is Trevor long term. Making sure he feels comfortable physically and in his progression." Edward CabreraCabrera was optioned to AAA on August 2 to work on his command and reportedly his attitude as well. He has been pitching in Jacksonville since, but this is the last season in which he'll have a Minor League option. The Marlins won't be able to send him down in future seasons unless he clears waivers. Kim's update on Cabrera: "He had a couple of good starts and this last one wasn't as positive. We've just got to hang with him and hope that he works this out as quickly as you can." Other players of noteJorge SolerSoler has a player option for 2024. The value of that option will max out at $13 million once he accrues 550 plate appearances this season. He's hit 34 home runs, which is tied for fourth in the National League. When asked about his future with the team, Kim said, "Any contract negotiations, I'll probably decline to comment at this time, but he's somebody that we hope to have in the future." Jacob Berry and Noble MeyerBerry, the sixth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, was promoted to AA Pensacola on July 24th, where he's slashed .264/.307/.472 in 26 games. Meyer, the tenth overall pick in this year's draft, was recently promoted to Low-A Jupiter. In seven professional innings, he's allowed four hits, two earned runs, and has struck out ten. "Jacob has been doing pretty well in AA, so that's nice to see. Especially with a decent number of AB's under his belt. And then with Noble, I think we can see he's a fairly polished pitcher." -
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SAN DIEGO—"They don't score any runs for me." With their ace on the mound, the Marlins had the opportunity to salvage a 3-3 road trip and fly home happy on Wednesday afternoon. Padres starting pitcher Seth Lugo had other plans, as he dominated Miami for six shutout innings and San Diego beat the Marlins 4-0. Miami finished their six-game road trip 2-4. Sandy Alcantara is in the midst of his best stretch of the 2023 season. In his last eight starts heading into Wednesday, he’s 3-3 with a 2.54 ERA in 56.2 IP. He provided the team with quality starts in six of those eight outings. While it wasn’t technically a quality start, in today's game, Sandy did his part and held the Padres to four runs over 6.2 IP. He threw 105 pitches, 67 of them for strikes. “He’ll tell you he’s disappointed. I’ll say he made a couple of bad pitches, but it was good. He was throwing the ball really well against a tough lineup,” said manager Skip Schumaker postgame. Unfortunately for Sandy, his offense gave him no run support, something that’s become all too common. “It’s not Sandy—we just have not scored lately on this whole road trip except for maybe one game,” Skip added. After giving their ace ten runs of support on Friday, Miami has combined to give their pitchers seven runs in five games since. "They didn't score any runs for me, so next time we gotta score more runs and try and win the game." Sandy's startOn Wednesday, San Diego got to Alcantara early, as Ha-Seong Kim flared a lead off double in the first and scored on a Juan Soto RBI single with the infield in. "Sandy's on the ground a lot. So you know we go infield in most of the time, so you're going to continue to see that as long as I'm here." After that, Sandy settled in nicely and kept the Padres off the scoreboard for the next four innings, but ran into trouble in the sixth and seventh. After what he described as a frustrating walk to Manny Machado, he left a middle-middle fastball over the plate to Xander Bogaerts that was crushed for a two-run home run, his 14th on the year. "When I walk people that I know I can strike out, it's frustrating. Not saying i can strike out Machado, he and I have a good relationship. I just want to win the battle right there and I didn't," said Alcantara. San Diego would tack on another run to make it 4-0, and that's when Skip went out to get his pitcher. As he got back in the dugout, Sandy vented his frustration, slamming his glove on the bench multiple times. "It's not just Sandy, there's guys that were upset that are just showing it underneath the tunnel so it's not outside in the dugout. I have no problem with guys being being frustrated, that shows you care and he cares. If he sat down and didn't care, then we have a problem," said Skip. Sandy's final line: 6.2 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO, 1 HR. His record fell to 6-11. What's next After a much-needed off-day on Thursday, Miami begins a three-game set against the Washington Nationals. The probables are Braxton Garrett on Friday, Eury Pérez on Saturday, and TBA for Sunday. Miami is now 65-63, 1.5 games back of the third Wild Card spot. News and NotesPregame, the Marlins made a flurry of roster moves. RHP Tommy Nance was activated off the 60-day IL and INF/OF Garrett Hampson was recalled from AAA Jacksonville. LHP Ryan Weathers was optioned to AAA and OF Avisail Garcia was placed on the 10-day IL with a left hamstring strain. Former Marlin Garrett Cooper went 2-for-3 against his old team. -
SAN DIEGO -- In his four starts since the 30th of July, Jesús Luzardo had posted a 10.59 ERA in 17 innings pitched, allowing a whopping eight home runs during that stretch. On Tuesday night, vintage Luzardo returned to form and gave the Marlins six shutout innings, helping the team snap their three-game losing streak and beat San Diego, 3-0. It had been a rough stretch for Miami’s left-hander, as he’d only completed six or more innings once since the All-Star break. While he has flown past his career-high in innings this season, there was no worry that he was experiencing any fatigue during the second half. He proved that in Game Two in San Diego, averaging 97 mph on his fastball and flashing some of his best stuff all season. "I feel like I got back on track, obviously a frustrating second half so far but good to get my feet back under me, especially against a good team like that," said Luzardo after the game. "My arm felt really good, it was just about getting it in good places and that's something we focused on with Mel (Stottlemyre Jr.) in between starts." Skip mentioned, "We needed this from him, he needed it as well. Gosh, his fastball was electric tonight with the slider, he didn't walk guys, was on the attack against a good lineup that hits lefties well." Luzardo's final line: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO. He threw 88 pitches, 54 of them for strikes. On the other side was Blake Snell, who is in firm contention for the National League Cy Young award. In his last 16 starts going into Tuesday (91 IP), Snell sported a minuscule 1.29 ERA along with a .165 opponent's batting average. To say he's been dominant would be an understatement. In the first two innings, he looked every bit that. "Yeah, we were not seeing his curveball. We were swinging at the changeup and his curveball a lot. They just could not pick it up almost like the Wacha changeup last night. We just could not pick it up. Heck, the league can't pick it up," said Skip Miami was able to get to him in the third, though, as Jorge Soler swatted a long home run to straightaway centerfield. The solo shot traveled 442 feet, his third longest home run of the season. "I was hoping and ready for that fastball (in a full count) against Snell," said Soler through an interpreter. Miami was able to manufacture a couple more runs in the third thanks to three consecutive singles from Luis Arraez, Josh Bell, and Jake Burger. After a mound visit, Avisaíl García would put the ball in play and groundout to third, which scored another run. Unfortunately, as soon as he reached the bag, Avi pulled up grabbing his left hamstring. Asked postgame how García was doing, Schumaker said "not great." Avi added "I felt my hamstring pull when I stepped on the bag. I hadn't felt anything yesterday or today." After missing three months of the season with a back issue, being potentially sidelined for an extended period of time is frustrating for the Marlins outfielder. "I'm feeling mad, frustrated and everything. Being hurt for like three months and now I get this new injury, I feel mad because I've been doing everything right with my exercise. Even in the day off, I went to the gym to do my routine. It's just out of my control." Seventh, eighth, and ninthAfter Luzardo did his part, Skip handed the ball over to his bullpen. Andrew Nardi, Tanner Scott, and David Robertson combined to close the game out with three innings of one-hit ball. Robertson got the save, his fourth as a Marlin in six opportunities. Miami improved to 65-62 while San Diego dropped to 60-67. Miami remains one game out of the National League's third Wild Card spot as Arizona and Cincinnati both won their respective games on Tuesday. Sandy Alcantara will get the ball on Wednesday afternoon for the rubber match against Seth Lugo and the Padres. News and notes;Andrew Nardi was dominant again on Tuesday, striking out the side in the seventh that consisted of Juan Soto, Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts.If an IL stint is needed for García, Xavier Edwards and Garrett Hampson are potential options to replace him on the active roster. Soler is now third in Major League Baseball in OPS against left-handed pitchers.Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images View full article
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SAN DIEGO -- In his four starts since the 30th of July, Jesús Luzardo had posted a 10.59 ERA in 17 innings pitched, allowing a whopping eight home runs during that stretch. On Tuesday night, vintage Luzardo returned to form and gave the Marlins six shutout innings, helping the team snap their three-game losing streak and beat San Diego, 3-0. It had been a rough stretch for Miami’s left-hander, as he’d only completed six or more innings once since the All-Star break. While he has flown past his career-high in innings this season, there was no worry that he was experiencing any fatigue during the second half. He proved that in Game Two in San Diego, averaging 97 mph on his fastball and flashing some of his best stuff all season. "I feel like I got back on track, obviously a frustrating second half so far but good to get my feet back under me, especially against a good team like that," said Luzardo after the game. "My arm felt really good, it was just about getting it in good places and that's something we focused on with Mel (Stottlemyre Jr.) in between starts." Skip mentioned, "We needed this from him, he needed it as well. Gosh, his fastball was electric tonight with the slider, he didn't walk guys, was on the attack against a good lineup that hits lefties well." Luzardo's final line: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO. He threw 88 pitches, 54 of them for strikes. On the other side was Blake Snell, who is in firm contention for the National League Cy Young award. In his last 16 starts going into Tuesday (91 IP), Snell sported a minuscule 1.29 ERA along with a .165 opponent's batting average. To say he's been dominant would be an understatement. In the first two innings, he looked every bit that. "Yeah, we were not seeing his curveball. We were swinging at the changeup and his curveball a lot. They just could not pick it up almost like the Wacha changeup last night. We just could not pick it up. Heck, the league can't pick it up," said Skip Miami was able to get to him in the third, though, as Jorge Soler swatted a long home run to straightaway centerfield. The solo shot traveled 442 feet, his third longest home run of the season. "I was hoping and ready for that fastball (in a full count) against Snell," said Soler through an interpreter. Miami was able to manufacture a couple more runs in the third thanks to three consecutive singles from Luis Arraez, Josh Bell, and Jake Burger. After a mound visit, Avisaíl García would put the ball in play and groundout to third, which scored another run. Unfortunately, as soon as he reached the bag, Avi pulled up grabbing his left hamstring. Asked postgame how García was doing, Schumaker said "not great." Avi added "I felt my hamstring pull when I stepped on the bag. I hadn't felt anything yesterday or today." After missing three months of the season with a back issue, being potentially sidelined for an extended period of time is frustrating for the Marlins outfielder. "I'm feeling mad, frustrated and everything. Being hurt for like three months and now I get this new injury, I feel mad because I've been doing everything right with my exercise. Even in the day off, I went to the gym to do my routine. It's just out of my control." Seventh, eighth, and ninthAfter Luzardo did his part, Skip handed the ball over to his bullpen. Andrew Nardi, Tanner Scott, and David Robertson combined to close the game out with three innings of one-hit ball. Robertson got the save, his fourth as a Marlin in six opportunities. Miami improved to 65-62 while San Diego dropped to 60-67. Miami remains one game out of the National League's third Wild Card spot as Arizona and Cincinnati both won their respective games on Tuesday. Sandy Alcantara will get the ball on Wednesday afternoon for the rubber match against Seth Lugo and the Padres. News and notes;Andrew Nardi was dominant again on Tuesday, striking out the side in the seventh that consisted of Juan Soto, Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts.If an IL stint is needed for García, Xavier Edwards and Garrett Hampson are potential options to replace him on the active roster. Soler is now third in Major League Baseball in OPS against left-handed pitchers.Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images -
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SAN DIEGO -- Monday morning, Marlins starting pitcher Johnny Cueto was placed on the 15-day IL with a viral infection. As the corresponding move, LHP Ryan Weathers was recalled from AAA Jacksonville to make the start on Monday night. Making his first one as a Marlin, Ryan ran into inclement "Weather" in Slam Diego as Miami dropped the series opener, 6-2. The Marlins acquired Weathers as part of a three-player trade on August 1 when they sent first-baseman Garrett Cooper and RHP Sean Reynolds to the Padres on Deadline Day. A former seventh overall pick, the acquisition of Weathers seemed like a project for Mel Stottlemyre Jr. and Miami as he'd struggled in the Majors since being rushed to the big leagues during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Facing his former team on Monday night, Weathers had a rough time throwing strikes and managing his nerves, especially against his buddy Ha-Seong Kim. In the bottom of the first, Kim laced a double down the right field line and later scored on a Manny Machado sac fly. In the following inning, facing the bottom of the order, Weathers walked the bases loaded with one out for the team leader in WAR, Ha-Seong Kim. The infielder belted an 0-2 pitch over the left field wall for a grand slam, the first of his career. While the pitch was on the black, manager Skip Schumaker said "a little bit up and in would have been more ideal. It was in, but if you ask him, 0-2 count, he maybe wants it in a different spot." Weathers would settle in after that, throwing two scoreless innings after the grand slam. "I just started hitting my spots better, started locating, getting ahead of the count. I think all those walks and hits obviously came from behind in the count so I put an emphasis on getting ahead and staying aggressive." Weathers' final line was: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 5 BB, 4 SO, 1 HR. He threw 83 pitches, only 45 of them for strikes. Walks continue to be an issue for the left-hander, as he went into Monday's outing walking 9.8 batters per nine innings. "You can't walk five guys. Against a good team up and down the lineup, to walk the bottom of the order to get to the top, it's just not ideal," said Skip postgame. "We're at the point in the season that every game, inning, and pitch is meaningful, and we can't give free passes." "Lots of nerves, you know. Still pretty fresh, it's only been 20 or so days since I've been traded. There were just a lot of emotions today and it was just a weird outing. I felt the misses were small. With the grand slam, if I don't walk three people, it's a solo shot instead of four runs," Weathers told the media. "I hate that Kim got me, Kim's one of my better friends over there. All those guys, you know. The Padres were all I knew. I got drafted by them when I was 18. Just a lot of emotions that went into it today." When asked what the plan is moving forward regarding that fifth spot in the rotation, Skip was non-committal. "We'll talk about it later, yeah. We don't have an exact plan, we're just going to watch and see how Weathers did and make a decision moving forward." If Miami decides not to give Weathers another start, options are slim for their rotation opening. Edward Cabrera, who was optioned to AAA Jacksonville on August 2, has also struggled with command all season long, evidenced by his 6.1 BB/9. Another option is Bryan Hoeing, who pitched 4.2 innings of one-run ball on Monday night, essentially saving Miami's pen for the rest of the roadtrip. He's shown promise in a long-relief role and could potentially give Miami a start this weekend against Washington. Miami would muster a couple of runs in the top of the sixth inning, as former Padre Josh Bell belted his seventh home run as a Marlin. The solo shot tied him with Charles Johnson for the most HR in their first 18 games as a Marlin. A couple of batters later, Jesus Sanchez would double home Jake Burger to cut the lead to 6-2. That's where the offense stopped for both teams as Miami dropped the series opener and fell to 64-62. With Arizona's dramatic walk off win on Monday night, Miami now sits 1.5 GB of the third Wild Card spot. Jesús Luzardo gets the ball on Tuesday night looking to even the series at one game apiece. He will oppose 2018 Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell. News and notes: Luis Arraez left Monday's ballgame in the third inning with a stomach cramp. He told reporters postgame that he started feeling uncomfortable after the second inning and told Skip. "When I got here, I felt great. I saw the ball well, but after my second at-bat, I felt a cramp in my stomach so bad. I couldn't breathe for two seconds so that's when I knew it wasn't something good," said Arraez. He says he's hopeful he'll feel better on Tuesday.Jake Burger recorded two more hits, raising his batting average as a Marlin to .373.Jazz Chisholm Jr. went 0-for-4 on Monday night, making him eight for his last 44 (.182 BA).Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images -
Los Angeles— L.A. Lakers star LeBron James was in the house on Saturday night to watch the rubber match between the Marlins and Dodgers on his bobblehead night. Unfortunately for the Marlins, he and 52,688 Dodger fans went home happy as Mookie Betts put on a show to help LA take the ballgame and series from Miami. Marlins score firstJust like they did in Game one, Miami struck first on the scoreboard. With two out in the top of the first, Josh Bell crushed his 17th home run of the year halfway up the bleachers in left. It was his sixth homer as a Marlin which tied him with Moises Alou and Derrek Lee for second most HR in their first 17 games with the team. Bell's are the most for a Marlin whose fist 17 games came outside of April. according to Sarah Langs. "I've known Bell throughout the years, playing and coaching against him for a while and this guy's a real bat. Real power potential that we're lucky to have," Skip Schumaker shared on his first baseman. Braxton vs. MookieLeft-hander Braxton Garrett was on the bump for the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, making his first career start against the Dodgers. "It was awesome, I love Dodger Stadium. Pretty cool that LeBron was here too," said Garrett. Garrett would have to contend with a potent Dodger lineup featuring Mookie Betts who last faced the Marlins in August of 2022, when he went 8-for-15 with four homers in a four-game set in Miami. After delivering the decisive two-run single in Game one of the doubleheader, he decided to flex his muscles in Game 2. In the bottom of the third, Betts slammed an up-and-in pitch over the left field wall for his 33rd long ball of the year. When asked postgame if he located that pitch to Mookie where he wanted, Brax said "I did, yeah. But again, 2-1 count, fastball anywhere in the zone to that guy is probably not the best bet. We take something else—we'll take a walk or a single next time—but we learned from it and Mel (Stottlemyre Jr.) gave me constructive criticism about it afterwards." Two innings later, Betts did it again, this time on a middle-away pitch. That homer extended LA's lead to 3-1, which wound up being the final score. After each home run, he saluted to fellow LA star LeBron James who was sitting in the club suites down the first base line. While Ronald Acuña Jr is the favorite for the National League MVP award, Betts is making a case for himself as he's tied for the league lead in wRC+ at 165. He also adds incredible defense in right, second, and short. (He can also bowl a perfect game, dunk on a ten-foot rim and throw spirals, but I digress.) The dangers of shaggingSkip revealed to the media that Miami almost had to do a bullpen day for this game as Braxton Garrett fell down during batting practice on Friday. "That's the reason we had (Bryan) Hoeing and (George) Soriano down because it might have been a bullpen game today. He was checked out and recovered and really manned up and stepped up for us." Brax added: "I was nonchalantly trying to catch a ball behind my back and sort of fell. I got an MRI last night, got the results this morning and nothing was there so my head was spinning. Then I spoke with (Marlins head athletic trainer) Lee (Meyer) this morning and we threw and I felt fine. Kind of a freak thing, but we got through it." What's next Miami dropped the game and series to the Dodgers, falling to 64-61 on the year. Braxton received the loss while Julio Urías earned his 11th win of the season. This was just the 16th time in franchise history that the Marlins were swept in a doubleheader. "You don't want to come in losing both games in a doubleheader. Especially the way we lost that first one kind of stung. Proud of the guys with how they came back, we just didn't score enough runs. With that offense over there, we had to match them and our pitching did a really good job. There's not too many moral victories at this point in the season, but I will say that I'm proud of these guys" added Skip. Miami has an off-day on Sunday due to the scheduling change and will begin a three-game set in San Diego on Monday. Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
