Isaac Azout

MIAMI—An explosive night at the plate powered the Miami Marlins to an 8–3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday at loanDepot park, spoiling Jesús Luzardo’s return to his former home ballpark. With the victory, the Marlins improved to 10–9 against NL East opponents and 29–43 overall. Making his first appearance at loanDepot park as a visiting player, Luzardo opened strong with a perfect first inning. The 27-year-old left-hander told Fish On First that a previous outing against Miami in April helped him manage his emotions this time around. "I really like pitching in this ballpark and pitching in front of family and friends is always nice, but I feel like I've matured to the point where I can keep my emotions in check," Luzardo said. "It's going to be fun, seeing a lot of familiar faces over there, a lot of guys I made relationships with, so it's always fun competing against people you know." The Marlins struck in the second inning when Eric Wagaman launched a two-run home run off Luzardo, giving Miami an early 2–0 lead and snapping the team's 275-at-bat home run drought at loanDepot park. “Slug is great, and home runs are always nice when they come,” said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough. “But our main focus is to continue having good at-bats and a really sound approach—let the slug be a byproduct of that.” Veteran right-hander Cal Quantrill started for Miami and was perfect through three innings before surrendering a solo home run to Trea Turner in the fourth. After recording the final out of the inning, Quantrill appeared to grab his right hamstring while covering first base. He returned to pitch in the fifth but was pulled after allowing the first two batters to reach. The Marlins later announced he exited due to hamstring cramping. Philadelphia capitalized on the opportunity and scored twice in the fifth to take a 3–2 lead, but that would be the end of the Phillies' offense for the night. Miami responded with a three-run rally in the sixth—highlighted by a Javier Sanoja RBI triple—to reclaim the lead at 5–3. "For our guys to get the lead right away and then go behind and come back again showed the perseverance this lineup has," McCullough said. The Marlins continued to add insurance in the later innings. Jesús Sánchez delivered a pinch-hit solo home run, while Agustín Ramírez and Otto Lopez each contributed RBI hits. Every Marlins player who stepped to the plate reached base, and the team totaled 13 hits and five walks. "It's a strong division, but we're not going to back down from whoever we're playing. We feel like we have a lot of guys that are continuing to gain some really valuable experience against high caliber opponents," McCullough added. The Marlins bullpen held the Phillies scoreless over the final six innings, sealing the win and evening the four-game series at one game apiece. Freddy Tarnok earned the win while Jesús Luzardo suffered the loss. Marlins right-handed pitching prospect Adam Mazur will make the start for Miami on Wednesday and oppose left-hander Ranger Suárez at 6:40 pm. News & Notes - The 24-year-old Mazur ranks as the No. 7 prospect in the Marlins system, per Fish On First. He was acquired at last season’s trade deadline from the Padres in the deal that sent Tanner Scott and Bryan Hoeing to San Diego—a trade that also netted Miami Robby Snelling, Graham Pauley and Jay Beshears. Mazur has previous major league experience as a member of the 2024 Padres (7.49 ERA in 33.2 IP). - Outfielder Dane Myers remains day-to-day after being hit by a pitch on his right elbow during Monday night’s contest. While X-Rays came back negative, the Marlins expect Myers to be unavailable for the next couple of days as he continues to recover from lingering discomfort. - Right-hander Woo-Suk Go was released by the Marlins on Tuesday. The 26-year-old was part of the infamous May trade that sent Luis Arraez to the Padres. Go arrived in the deal alongside three prospects, including Dillon Head, the headliner in the deal. View full article

On Fish Unfiltered, Marlins insider Craig Mish discusses the franchise's lack of spending and inability to compete in the NL East under Major League Baseball's current rules. The MLB collective bargaining agreement is set to expire after the 2026 season. View full video

Five strong innings from Janson Junk and a big-time hit by Connor Norby help Miami tie the series at one game apiece. Despite receiving just 3.1 innings from their starting pitcher, the Miami Marlins emerged victorious Saturday night, defeating the Los Angeles Angels 6–1 at Angel Stadium. Cal Quantrill, the lone Major League free agent signed by Miami this offseason, delivered a serviceable outing in his eighth start of the year. Entering the game with a 6.37 ERA across 41 innings, the Canadian right-hander had shown signs of improvement in his previous start on May 18 (5 IP, 1 ER). On Saturday, Quantrill kept the Marlins in the game once again, allowing just one earned run on three hits over 3.1 innings, with no walks and two strikeouts. He was lifted after 46 pitches in the fourth inning following a double and a walk—an early hook by manager Clayton McCullough. “We got to a point early in the game where we felt might be a turning point and given all the arms we had out in the bullpen, we felt it was the right time to get Ronnie in the game." Ronny Henriquez took over in relief and successfully escaped the jam, preserving the 1–1 scoreline. Earlier in the day, Miami selected the contract of right-hander Janson Junk, who had been excellent in the Triple-A Jacksonville rotation with a 2.78 ERA over 45.1 innings. The 29-year-old made a strong Marlins debut, tossing five innings of one-run ball to earn the well-deserved save. “He was terrific,” McCullough added. “He continued to pound the strike zone with his deep arsenal, which is what he was doing in Jacksonville as well." Unlike Friday night, when Miami tallied 14 hits but managed only two runs, the offense capitalized on its opportunities Saturday. RBI singles from Ronny Simon and Eric Wagaman gave the Marlins a 3–1 lead before Connor Norby delivered the decisive blow. With two runners on and two outs in the seventh, Norby launched a 1–2 changeup from Angels reliever Caden Dana over the left field wall for a three-run homer, extending Miami’s lead to 6–1. “This is a really good team and a really fun offense,” Norby said postgame. “We feed off each other every single night and that’s what makes it fun.” The win ends the Angels’ eight-game winning streak and gives the Marlins a chance to take the series in Sunday’s finale. Right-hander Edward Cabrera is slated to start for Miami, with first pitch scheduled for 4:07 p.m. ET. View full article

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Making just his sixth career start in the leadoff spot, Jesús Sánchez went 3-for-5 with four RBI in Monday's walk-off thriller. While Marlins starter Edward Cabrera was receiving treatment following his third consecutive outing in which he allowed only one walk, the team entered the bottom of the ninth inning trailing by one run. Down in the clubhouse, Cabrera turned to the training staff and said, “We need a walk-off right now.” A few moments later, his wish came true. With the Marlins down to their final strike in the bottom of the ninth, veteran outfielder Derek Hill extended the game with an automatic double to right field on an 0–2 pitch. Javier Sanoja then drew a four-pitch walk, bringing up Jesús Sánchez with the winning run on base. Facing Cubs flamethrower Daniel Palencia, Sánchez turned around a 101 mph fastball and ripped it down the right-field line, scoring both runners and securing an 8–7 walk-off victory for Miami. It was the Marlins’ sixth walk-off win of the season—tied with the San Francisco Giants for the most in MLB—and improved their record to 19–27. “It was a lot of fun,” said manager Clayton McCullough postgame. “Over the course of the season, we’ve found ourselves in a lot of those situations, and our guys have shown all year long that they’re incredibly resilient.” The walk-off was the fourth of Sánchez’s career and his second this season. The 27-year-old, making just his sixth career start in the leadoff spot, said he was prepared for the high heat from Palencia. “Fastball all the way. 101, 102—just fastball,” Sanchez said. “Looked to get ahead and luckily, I was able to.” Sánchez is taking full advantage of his opportunity at the top of the order while Xavier Edwards remains on the injured list. He’s now 5-for-15 with four RBIs in the leadoff role. “It’s a position that was given to me, so I’m just enjoying it,” he added. “I’m treating it like I’m batting second." Sánchez wasted no time making an impact Monday night, launching a 409-foot leadoff home run—the first of his career—that left his bat at 112.1 mph, his hardest-hit ball of the season. He became just the second player in Marlins history to record both a leadoff home run and a walk-off hit in the same game, joining Hanley Ramirez (August 7, 2010 vs. St. Louis). Rookie phenom Agustín Ramírez followed Sánchez with a solo home run of his own, staking Miami to an early 2–0 lead. Cabrera, meanwhile, started strong—retiring 12 of the first 15 batters he faced and striking out six—before running into trouble in the fourth. With two outs and two on, Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya connected for a three-run homer to give Chicago a 3–2 lead. The game turned into a back-and-forth battle from there. Miami answered with four runs in the fifth inning, highlighted by an RBI triple from Liam Hicks. But Chicago quickly responded with four runs of their own in the sixth off reliever Jesús Tinoco, retaking the lead at 7–6. From there, Miami’s bullpen held strong. Right-hander Valente Bellozo delivered three clutch scoreless innings in relief to keep the deficit at one and give the Marlins a chance in the ninth. “He’s such a bulldog,” McCullough said of Bellozo. “He does so many things. He holds runners, he throws strikes, goes multiple innings and doesn’t let any moment get too big for him.” Bellozo’s three shutout inning bridged the gap to Miami’s dramatic ninth inning, capped by Sánchez’s game-winner. The Marlins will look to secure the series win on Tuesday night when left-hander Ryan Weathers makes his second start of the season against Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon. View full article

On Fish Unfiltered, Kyle Sielaff discusses the importance of getting additional broadcasting reps beyond just Marlins games. Check out the full interview on the Fish On First podcast channel! View full video

Prior to making his major league debut on Monday, Miami Marlins utility player Ronny Simon speaks with Fish On First about how he learned of his promotion and what role he expects to fill in Miami. View full video

Luzardo is healthy and performing as well as ever with his new team, increasing the value that he had back in December when the Marlins dealt him to a division rival. Trading a controllable, local, talented starting pitcher is never easy. Last winter, the Marlins faced a tough decision regarding left-hander Jesús Luzardo. The 27-year-old, under team control for two more seasons, endured an uneven 2024 campaign, posting a 5.00 ERA while spending multiple stints on the injured list. He threw just 66 ⅔ innings on the year and had trouble missing bats with his four-seam fastball, posting the sixth-lowest whiff rate in MLB with that pitch (11.1%). His fastball velocity was also down compared to his career norms and he allowed the most home runs per nine innings since his first season as a Marlin in 2021. Holding onto Luzardo meant the Marlins had to assume the risk that his recent struggles could continue, or worse—he could have re-injured himself and even further diminished his value. Instead of taking that chance, Miami chose to strike a deal in December 2024, trading the talented left-hander along with catcher Paul McIntosh to the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for a pair of prospects: Starlyn Caba and Emaarion Boyd. When asked why the timing was appropriate to move their No. 2 starter, president of baseball operations Peter Bendix emphasized the organization's confidence in the players acquired. “These are guys that we feel very strongly about,” Bendix said. “We think that they’re really high-end pieces that are hard to acquire, and they can help us be good for a long time. That was the impetus behind the trade.” Caba, 19, is widely viewed as the centerpiece of the return. A standout defensive shortstop, he has Gold Glove potential but is still several years away from the big leagues. Boyd, meanwhile, profiles more realistically as a fourth outfielder at the Major League level. They are currently assigned to Miami's Low-A and High-A affiliates, respectively. While the Marlins took the safe route, Luzardo is already making a strong impression in Philadelphia. In his first four starts, he’s gone 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA over 23 ⅓ innings. The Phillies are 3-1 in games started by Luzardo, who has already accumulated 0.9 fWAR—ranking ninth among all pitchers in Major League Baseball. Luzardo's fastball velocity is up compared to last season and he’s missing more bats. He has also added a sweeper to his arsenal, which has become his most-used secondary pitch and been highly effective. Meanwhile, Miami is rapidly fading after a solid first couple weeks of the season. Their starters own the second-worst ERA in baseball (5.66) and they're averaging the fewest innings per outing. The Fish enter Sunday at 8-12, losers of five consecutive games. Do the Marlins regret pulling the trigger so soon? It’s possible that Miami could have commanded a stronger return by waiting. While length of club control is always a key factor in appraising a player’s trade value, Luzardo still had two seasons remaining. Trading him closer to the July 31 deadline—when playoff contenders are prone to making desperation moves—likely wouldn’t have diminished his value significantly, if at all. Additionally, notable aces across the league have sustained season-ending injuries for competitive ball clubs. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery before Opening Day. Given the Yankees’ history of trades with the Marlins and their perpetual "World Series or bust" expectations, it’s conceivable that New York might have overpaid to acquire Luzardo. Justin Steele of the Chicago Cubs is the latest frontline starter to be lost for the season. Notably, the Marlins have had multiple trade discussions with the Cubs in recent years involving Luzardo and other pieces. Given Luzardo’s strong start to the campaign and the Cubs’ and Yankees' deep farm systems, it’s fair to wonder if the Marlins could have secured a better return than the package received from Philadelphia. The fact that he's only 27 years old only supports the possibility that his best may still lie ahead. Hindsight is always 20/20, and it’s difficult to fault Peter Bendix and his staff for making what they believed was the safe, forward-thinking move. However, with Luzardo excelling early in the season and Starlyn Caba struggling to produce offensively at the Single-A level—albeit at just 19 years old—it’s fair to second-guess the timing and return of the deal. While the long-term outlook may still work out well for Miami, the short-term optics have raised questions. View full article

On Fish Unfiltered, Miami Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers describes the impact of torpedo bats and explains his decision to use them regularly in 2025. View full video

The long ball continued to hurt Marlins pitching on Wednesday. MIAMI—A third consecutive quality start from Max Meyer and a birthday blast by Matt Mervis weren’t enough on Wednesday night, as the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Marlins for the second consecutive evening, this time by a score of 6-2. Once projected as a future bullpen arm by some, Meyer has flipped the script on those assessments. At the time of his draft selection, the right-hander was seen as a potential late-inning reliever due to his lack of size and a two-pitch mix featuring a wipeout slider and an above-average fastball—an arsenal best suited for a closer. The 26-year-old has started silencing his critics. Following an offseason in which he added both a sweeper and a sinker to his repertoire, he turned heads in spring training with increased velocity and a 3.21 ERA across five starts. That showing earned him a spot in the Marlins’ Opening Day rotation, where he’s since emerged as arguably the club’s most consistent starting pitcher. Meyer’s outing on Wednesday featured both highs and lows. On the positive side, the right-hander recorded 18 swings-and-misses—14 of them coming via his signature slider—and tied a career-high with eight strikeouts. His fastball velocity also saw an uptick, averaging 95.7 mph and touching as high as 97.4 mph. It was his third consecutive outing of six innings or more. "Slider was obviously sharp today as I was able to get under some barrels," the Minnesota native said postgame. "Was throwing pretty hard too to make sure they have to respect the fastball mixed in." What ultimately cost Meyer and the Marlins were a pair of home runs surrendered to Arizona’s No. 3 and No. 4 hitters, Pavin Smith and Josh Naylor, both of whom took advantage of mistakes by Meyer. In the top of the second, Naylor launched a fastball over the centerfield wall to give the Diamondbacks their first lead of the night. "I probably got a little too much plate with Naylor. Wanted to go up, but it was more middle. It was the first pitch he saw all day but I know he's really aggressive. Probably a mistake pitch," Meyer added. A few innings later, Smith pulverized a hanging changeup to give his team the lead which they never gave back. "I should have simply went slider to Smith because he already had a good look at the changeup." Meyer threw his signature slider nearly 50% of the time on Wednesday, noting that he feels he lost a little bit of shape on it recently. Last season, the team mentioned that they would like to see the right-hander depend less on that pitch going forward. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said postgame, "I think we're seeing that trend across the sport. He uses the fastball when appropriate and I think he has the feel for multiple breaking balls so the usage from game to game might change eventually." Miami's first run of the game came in the bottom of the fourth inning, when Matt Mervis celebrated his birthday in style by launching his sixth home run of the season—all of which have come in April. With the blast, Mervis became the 12th player in franchise history to homer on his birthday. "I have no idea—I couldn't tell you," the slugging first baseman said with a smile when asked postgame if he had ever hit a home run on his birthday at any level. Miami would add another run in the bottom of the eighth via an RBI double by Otto Lopez. With Wednesday's loss, the Marlins dropped back below the .500 mark at 8–9. They’ll look to avoid a series sweep and salvage the finale of this three-game set on Thursday afternoon. Miami will send right-hander Edward Cabrera to the mound, while Arizona is slated to start veteran left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez. News & Notes: Prior to Wednesday’s game, the Marlins announced they had traded infielder Jonah Bride to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for cash considerations. Bride had been designated for assignment on Tuesday. Xavier Edwards extended his hitting streak to nine games on Wednesday. The switch-hitting infielder is batting .412 during that span. Third baseman Connor Norby has returned from his rehab assignment and rejoined the team. He is expected to be reinstated to the active roster for Thursday's game. Graham Pauley has been optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville, sources tell Fish On First. Pauley had been serving as Miami's primary third baseman in Norby's absence. View full article

Marlins' bullpen and well-timed offense evened the series against the Mets despite an abbreviated start by Miami's ace. MIAMI—Sandy Alcantara was in control on Tuesday night, making his second Major League start since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023. After five innings and 70 pitches, first-year manager Clayton McCullough turned to his bullpen, which helped secure a 4-2 victory over the New York Mets. "I think each game will be its own story," McCullough said postgame regarding Alcantara. "I felt that he had emptied the tank and gave us everything he had tonight." Alcantara's velocity was noticeably down across the board compared to his Opening Day start on March 27. "The velocity was probably more in the 94 mph range tonight compared to the first start which had a lot of adrenaline behind it," added McCullough. "Coming off that high and with how I was watching him in real time, it felt like the right decision." On Tuesday, Alcantara averaged 95.9 mph on his four-seam fastball, down from the 98.2 mph average in his 92-pitch season debut. "I was getting tired quickly," said Alcantara postgame. "I think it's taking me more time to fully recover and get back into my routine. If i can pitch and compete while throwing 94 [mph], I'll take it." Miami's ace, the subject of constant trade rumors throughout the offseason, showed flashes of his vintage self after an uneven start on Opening Day. After receiving early run support in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a two-run home run by Kyle Stowers, Alcantara retired the top of the Mets' batting order on just nine pitches, all ground balls. "I'm just happy to be out there competing again and giving everything I've got," said Alcantara. After a solo home run by Brandon Nimmo in the second inning, Alcantara settled back in, inducing two more weak grounders and striking out Jesse Winker. Following an RBI single by Francisco Lindor with one out in the third, Alcantara retired the next eight batters in order. His final line: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO, 70 pitches/43 strikes. “I thought Sandy pitched his butt off and competed like he always does,” McCullough added. “He was itching to go back out there for the sixth, but like I said, it felt like he gave us everything he had tonight.” The 70-pitch outing was the lowest pitch count for Alcantara in any game in nearly four years (since May 14, 2021). During spring training, McCullough was adamant that there would be no innings limit on Alcantara to start the 2025 season. “We expect Sandy to be able to go deep into games for us, like he has—this guy’s been a workhorse for a lot of years, and he’s prepared himself to do that,” McCullough said in March. However, on April 1, you can’t fault the rookie manager for erring on the side of caution with the lone veteran on his starting staff. Miami held a 4-2 lead at the time of Alcantara’s departure, thanks to a clutch two-out, two-run double by rookie Graham Pauley in the bottom of the fourth inning. Three shutout innings from Ronny Henriquez and Lake Bachar bridged the gap to the ninth, with the Marlins clinging to their two-run lead. Left-hander Anthony Veneziano, the only left-hander on the active roster, was called upon for the save opportunity. After allowing a couple of base runners, McCullough turned to Anthony Bender to close it out. Bender completed the task on just four pitches. Alcantara earned his first win since returning from elbow surgery and helped Miami improve to 4-2 on the season while the Mets fell to 2-3. Early in its 14th season of existence, loanDepot park has now hosted 1,000 MLB regular season games. The Marlins have a 474-526 record in those contests. The rubber match of the series will take place on Wednesday afternoon at 4:40 p.m. View full article

Watch clutch hits, stellar defense and walk-off plays from the Miami Marlins' opening series of the 2025 season. View full video