Isaac Azout

Jazz Chisholm Jr. once again demonstrated what he can do on a baseball field in Tuesday night's series-opening win against the first-place Orioles. MIAMI—With the MLB trade deadline just a week away, the Miami Marlins and Baltimore Orioles are each expected to be very active, but in entirely different ways. The Orioles, now 60-40 after falling to the Marlins in Tuesday's series opener, will be looking to add established Major League talent to their active roster before the July 30 trade deadline. Meanwhile, the 36-65 Marlins will be selling off Major League assets as they pivot their focus toward the future. One of those assets, Jazz Chisholm Jr., fully displayed the value he can add to any contending team on Tuesday night. The 26-year-old OF/2B went 2-for-4 with two RBI, two stolen bases and an outfield assist in Miami's 6-3 win against Baltimore. "He can take over a game, offensively and defensively," said manager Skip Schumaker postgame. In the second inning, Chisholm showed off his speed by turning a routine two-run single into a hustle two-run double. He ran 30 ft/sec from home to second, which is considered elite. "When I saw the right fielder, who obviously has a better arm than Cedric [Mullins], run across, I was thinking, 'hey, let's go hard today,'" said Chisholm postgame. He followed that with a steal of third base. Later in the sixth, he stole another base, his 21st of the season-- two shy of his career-high. In the top of the third, Jazz showed off the outfield arm. With Colton Cowser on first, Ryan Mountcastle flared a single to center and Cowser challenged Miami's center fielder and went for third. Chisholm charged and fired an 85-mph strike to get him out. When asked if he was surprised Cowser challenged him, Jazz said, "100%. He shouldn't be running on me." While he was in center field today, Chisholm has been seeing some time at second base as of late, presumably to broaden his trade market to teams that could also use middle infield help. Before his first game back at second on July 13, Jazz hadn't played the infield since 2022. Fish On First asked Chisholm where he prefers to play, infield or outfield. His response: "Definitely infield." Miami's offense as a whole had a successful night against Orioles starter Albert Suarez, as he allowed six earned runs and eight hits in just two innings pitched. Jesús Sánchez got him in the second for his 12th home run of the season. A 114.7 mph laser to right field. It was the hardest-hit home run of the year for the Marlins. Suárez was forced to leave the game in the third after getting struck by a line drive off the bat of Otto Lopez. For the Marlins, freshly recalled Kyle Tyler had the privilege of facing one of baseball's most potent lineups. All things considered, Tyler held his own on Tuesday as he held Baltimore to three runs, albeit on nine hits, over 4.2 IP. He also struck out five. "Tyler gave up nine hits, but they're all singles to a team that really does damage and slugs, so he did a good enough job to keep us in the game," said Schumaker. Once Miami handed the game over to the bullpen, the outcome was never in doubt. Andrew Nardi, A.J. Puk, and Tanner Scott combined to pitch the final four innings of the game and keep the Orioles off the board the rest of the way. "Our bullpen is our bullpen, we've talked about it for a while now. Puk is getting ridiculous now—and so is Tanner—but Puk has been crazy," added Skip. Puk pitched two perfect innings out of the bullpen and struck out three. Next, Miami will turn to Edward Cabrera on Wednesday night. Cabrera is looking for his second win of the season. Of note: - Jake Burger extended his hit streak to eight games. - Tanner Scott has now recorded 31(!) straight outs without allowing a hit (dating back to June 25). - In the month of July, AJ Puk has pitched nine innings, allowed one hit and has struck out 15. - Jesús Sánchez's home run in the second inning was the hardest-hit home run by a Marlin all year. It was also the hardest-hit home run of Sanchy's career. - Xavier Edwards extended his on-base streak to 10 games. View full article

New Marlins outfielder PJ Morlando joins Fish On First for a quick interview about his MLB Draft reaction, connection to the state of Florida and the similarities between himself and Bryce Harper. View full video

Marlins first-round pick PJ Morlando officially signed with Miami and met with the media at loanDepot park on Friday afternoon. MIAMI -- Five days after being selected 16th overall in the 2024 MLB draft, high school outfielder PJ Morlando met the media at loanDepot park on Friday afternoon before the Marlins began a four-game set against the New York Mets. "It's a dream come true. When I got that phone call, it felt unreal," said the first-rounder. "I just have an awesome feeling walking into this Marlins facility, doing my thing and feeling comfortable to play baseball." Per reports, Morlando is expected to begin his professional career with the FCL Marlins and, shortly after, move up to Low-A Jupiter as the FCL season ends on July 25. "Hopefully, I start down there soon. If I could go down there to start right now, I would. I'm really excited; this is the opportunity I've been praying for my entire life," added Morlando. Being drafted 16th had significant meaning for the 19-year-old. "16 is such a family-heavy number, it meant so much to us. My birthday is May 16; it's always been my number. 2016 was also such a special year for me and my family." While the tradition of having their draft picks take batting practice on the field seemingly came to an end, Morlando had the nice experience of getting to pick the brains of the current big-league Marlins. "I was even able to go into the hitter's meeting and see how they communicate with each other about previous pitchers they've faced, who they're going to face tonight and so much more. It was really cool to see." This marked the first draft under the direction of president of baseball ops Peter Bendix and director of amateur scouting Frank Piliere. Morlando's selection in the middle of round one caught the industry off-guard as he was ranked as the 52nd-best prospect by Baseball America, 43rd by MLB Pipeline and 33rd by FanGraphs. When asked if getting the call so early was surprising, the young outfielder said, "A little bit for sure, but I'm confident and afterward, there were a lot of tears, smiles, hugs and now it's time to get to work." A University of South Carolina commit, Morlando led his high school team with a .403 BA to go along with a Barry Bonds-like .602 on-base percentage. Additionally, he won the High School Home Run Derby and the MVP Award at the High School All-American Game last July in Seattle. "We think he has future 70-grade game power," Piliere told Fish On First. Following the pick, Piliere told reporters that Morlando will have "every chance" to play center field professionally. A lot of scouts envision him moving to a corner outfield spot in the future. "I've been playing center for the past two years for my high school team. I've been taking every piece of information from my time with Team USA, coming out here to the workout I learned a few things that I can take into my future career as a center fielder," said Morlando. "I'm going to give it my very all and this is one of the things I'm most excited for is playing center field." In an exclusive interview with Fish On First, Morlando compared his skill-set to current big leaguer Bryce Harper. "The swings are similar. We both started as catchers, became outfielders. He now plays first base and that's a position I also have in my back pocket." View full article

Sources tell Fish On First that Head is expected to make a full recovery in time for next spring training. The 19-year-old prospect has appeared in only five games since coming to the Marlins organization. In a season where many eyes will be focused on the minor league system, the injury to Fish On First's fifth-ranked Marlins prospect is a tough blow. Outfielder Dillon Head was the centerpiece of the package Miami received in the Luis Arraez trade, consisting of him, Jakob Marsee, Nathan Martorella, and Woo-Suk Go. After missing the first ten days of minor league action following the trade, Head was finally activated to the Jupiter Hammerheads roster on May 14. In his three games with Jupiter, the speedy center fielder went 4-for-12 with a triple and two stolen bases. Unfortunately, a few days later, Head was placed on the 7-day injured list with what the team described as an adductor strain. Despite playing rehab games on June 4 and June 5 with the FCL Marlins, he was never reinstated and now we know why. The first-round draft pick is expected to have left hip femoral acetabular impingement surgery on Friday, per MLB.com's Christina De Nicola, and miss the remainder of the 2024 season. Head's hip procedure isn't considered major, but the organization preferred to get it done now so he can have an entire offseason to recover and prepare for spring training. When Marlins reliever Matt Barnes underwent the same surgery in 2023, the team estimated that he'd return to baseball activities after three months of rehab. Head, arguably the organization's top position player prospect, was selected 25th overall in the 2023 MLB draft (15 picks after Miami selected Noble Meyer). As a 2023 pick, Head was in the midst of what should have been his first full-length professional season. Instead, injuries will limit him to 24 games at the Low-A level. He slashed .248/.319/.381 with a 92 wRC+, one home run and five stolen bases on the season. This isn't the first time the Marlins have fallen victim to San Diego Padres' GM AJ Preller's damaged goods. In 2016, right-handed pitcher Colin Rea was part of a seven-player trade that saw him, Andrew Cashner, and Tayron Guerrero get traded to the Marlins in exchange for Carter Capps, Jarred Cosart, Josh Naylor, and Luis Castillo. The next day, Rea's Marlins debut was cut short as a right elbow strain landed him on the 15-day disabled list. Four days later, Rea and Castillo were returned to their original teams after Miami reported that they felt they had been sent an injured player in Rea. View full article

Fish Unfiltered—Episode #59 We've done it again: enjoy an exclusive interview with second-year Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker, co-hosted by Fish On First's Isaac Azout, Kevin Barral and Ely Sussman. Schumaker previous appeared on Fish Unfiltered in November (Episode #52). In this conversation, Schumaker discusses his family life (1:15), Avisaíl García getting designated for assignment (3:20), the Luis Arraez trade (6:30), his relationship with Peter Bendix (9:50), criticism from fans and media (17:00), the development of Ryan Weathers (19:30) and Max Meyer (22:15), call-ups candidates for the second half of the season (24:45) and his interest in continuing to manage next season (26:15). Find Fish Unfiltered on the Fish On First YouTube channel, our new-look Apple Podcasts channel and wherever else you get your pods. FOF's audio programming also includes The Offishial Show, Swimming Upstream, Big Fish Small Pod and more. The Fish On First podcast is now being presented by MPT College Consulting! They pride themselves on helping clients navigate the college application process. This includes preparation for standardized testing, guidance through high school, assistance with essays and applications, and choosing the right college. Visit them today at mptcollegeconsulting.com to learn more about their services and schedule a free consultation. In 2023, Schumaker was crucial to leading the Marlins to their first postseason berth in a full-length season since 2003. He earned National League Manager of the Year honors from the BBWAA. It's been an entirely different story in 2024, however. The Marlins enter Thursday with an NL-worst 21-41 record. Even in a year where the Wild Card race is wide open, they're firmly out of contention. Overall, Skip's managerial record is 105-119. As first reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Schumaker is unsigned beyond this season after asking the Marlins to void the 2025 option in his contract. Here's what the 44-year-old told us about his future plans: "I am very grateful that I get to manage the Miami Marlins. I'm also grateful—this is gonna sound weird—but I'm grateful that I had to go through this type of situation because you kinda find out what you're made of...When you're getting your butt kicked, you kinda figure out who you are. Do you really want to do this? Are you finger-pointing? Are you deflecting some blame on others? You grow up quick, and I grew up in this seat this year. "You definitely have to make sure that, when you're a manager, it's not always gonna be winning. There's gonna be some highs and lows. I didn't want to lose a lot of games—that's not where I'm going with this. But I do feel like I needed this also, just selfishly, to figure out exactly who I am. Am I still worthy of this seat? Can I get guys to come in still wanting to come to the clubhouse, still positive, still willing to work, still trying to win even though the record is the record? And I think the answer is yes. I'm still loving coming to the ballpark. I still love trying to get guys better. I'm still trying to empower guys to become moral leaders. I'm still loving the staff I have and they're still having a great time until the end of the game. But I think the willingness, the energy level, all that stuff, man, I still love being a manager of the Marlins. "Now having said that, all this stuff is not in my control. Being a manager, also there is if you don't do the job, they'll find somebody else. I'm very aware of how this seat works. If I wanted to be a first base coach my whole life and take shin guards and pat guys on the butt, I could've done that. But I wanted more of a challenge and more of a voice and see if I could do it. I'm very grateful for the opportunity that I got and I'm giving everything that I have to it, last year and this year and that will never change whatever position I'm in, whatever that means for my future. "The one thing is, I'm not one foot in, one foot out, man. I love being here and trying to get these guys to a position where it's not only good for this year, but for their futures as well for these players because they mean a lot to me, and so does the staff. Having said that, I don't know what's gonna happen, but that's okay too." Follow Isaac (@IsaacAzout), Kevin (@kevin_barral), Ely (@RealEly) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. View full article

Now that MLB All-Star voting has begun, it's a good time to discuss which Marlins player(s) might be representing the Fish in this year's Midsummer Classic. The 94th MLB All-Star Game will be held on July 16 in Arlington, Texas. Fan voting to determine the starters is now underway here. As is tradition, every team will get at least one representative on the roster, even the Marlins who enter Wednesday with the National League's worst record. A season ago, Miami had two (quite deserving) All-Stars in Luis Arraez and Jorge Soler. In 2022, they had three (Jazz Chisholm Jr., Sandy Alcantara and Garrett Cooper). At this stage of the process, there isn't an obvious lock to represent the Marlins, but these candidates appear to have the most compelling cases. Jazz Chisholm Jr. Bidding for his second career selection, Jazz followed a challenging April with a great month of May to put himself at the forefront of this conversation. In 27 games played in May, he slashed .286/.330/.514 (very reminiscent of his 2022 slash line). He's also added eight home runs and 11 stolen bases on the campaign. While also playing a premium position in center field, Chisholm has provided speed and power from the now-vacant leadoff spot. His 112 wRC+ to go along with his career-low 24% K rate has made him the most dangerous hitter in Miami's order. Along the way, he also has surpassed Chris Coghlan for second-most leadoff home runs in franchise history with seven (Hanley Ramirez tops the list with 25). Given his strong performance, marketability and "flare," I predict Chisholm to be Miami's lone representative during this year's All-Star festivities. Ryan Weathers Acquired by Miami during last year's trade deadline, Weathers has experienced a breakout season in 2024. Weathers leads Miami's starting staff in innings pitched, wins and strikeouts. He also leads the entire roster in bWAR (1.6). He is averaging almost a strikeout per inning and has a 2.62 BB/9, easily the lowest walk rate of his career. Weathers, like a lot of guys on Miami's roster, really heated up when the calendar flipped to May. Since May 3, Weathers has a 2.54 ERA (2.73 FIP) in 39 innings pitched. He's held opponents to a .542 OPS and has had multiple double-digit strikeout performances. With all the injuries endured by Miami's starting pitchers, a strong argument should be made that Weathers has been the team's most valuable player and deserves the All-Star nod. Another month maintaining his current pace would make the 24-year-old a very strong candidate. Jesús Luzardo When the Marlins took the field on Opening Day, starter Jesús Luzardo probably would have been the favorite to represent Miami in this year's Midsummer Classic. Unfortunately, inconsistencies and a brief IL stint have hurt the South Floridian's chances. When Luzardo returned from the 15-day IL (left elbow tightness), the left-hander made four starts in May. He pitched to a 1.75 ERA and even completed eight innings for the first time in his career in that stretch. Unfortunately, a rough start to June has put him on the outside looking in regarding All-Star candidacy. Luzardo's overall 2024 numbers are not pretty as he sits at 2-5 with a 5.30 ERA following a breakout 2023 campaign. With it likely that he will be dealt at some point this summer, his trade value has certainly dipped compared to where it was this offseason. Honorable Mention: Tanner Scott One of the most dominant relievers since the start of 2023, left-handed closer Tanner Scott has an outside chance to earn his first career All-Star selection. Granted, only a few relievers get selected per league and save opportunities have been scarce for him on a struggling team. Regardless, Scott deserves some recognition. A season after his career year in which he had a 2.31 ERA and a 12.0 SO/9, Scott is doing more of the same in 2024. In addition to his minuscule 1.57 ERA this season, Scott hasn't allowed an earned run since April 14! Over 16 appearances (15.1 IP) in that span and not a single earned run. He's held opponents to a .154 batting average and has struck out a batter per inning. Should Scott continue this performance through June, I could see him being an All-Star for Miami...or for whichever team acquires him before then. View full article

Back at loanDepot park as a member of the Colorado Rockies, ex-Marlins catcher Jacob Stallings talks to Fish On First about his hot start to the 2024 season and his best memories from the previous two years in Miami. View full video

The Marlins were three outs away from falling to 2-16 at home and 6-25 overall, but then a magical bottom of the ninth inning saved the Fish as they walked off for the first time in 2024. MIAMI -- The Colorado Rockies had a 99% chance to win on Tuesday night (according to Baseball Savant) as the game entered the bottom of the ninth. They led Miami 5-0 and Rockies starter Ryan Feltner threw eight shutout innings on just 77 pitches. He was well on his way to a "Maddux". In a miraculous turn of events, Miami scored five in the 9th and two in the 10th to defeat the Rockies and come away with their first walk-off win of the season in front of 6,706 at loanDepot park. The hero of the night was someone who wasn't even in the starting lineup: Dane Myers. In the bottom of the seventh inning, CF Jazz Chisholm Jr. was ejected by home plate umpire Jansen Visconti for arguing balls and strikes. It wasn't the first time that Visconti had ejected Chisholm. "I felt a lot of things weren't going our way, and I probably don't have a good history with this umpire. I just feel like it's every time with this guy," said Chisholm. Once Jazz was ejected, Dane Myers entered the game in center. "Me and Otto [López] were hitting in the cage and we saw Jazz go off and Otto was like 'hey, you gotta get out there,'" said Myers laughingly. Both teams were kept scoreless through eight after the Rockies' five-run first inning. Then came the bottom of the ninth, with Myers now in Jazz's spot in the lineup (third). Four consecutive batters -- Vidal Bruján, Christian Bethancourt, Luis Arraez, and Bryan De La Cruz -- reached base and loaded the bases for Myers in a now 5-1 game. Myers pounced on the first pitch for a two-run single to cut the deficit to two. A Josh Bell RBI single and Emmanuel Rivera sac-fly tied the game as Miami made it all the way back. "For anybody who says that we don't care, that [game] kind of proves them wrong," said manager Skip Schumaker postgame. The Rockies then scored a run in the top of the 10th against Tanner Scott and took a 6-5 lead, but Miami continued to persevere. Tim Anderson entered the game in the bottom of the frame as the placed runner at second base. After an Arraez flyout, Bryan De La Cruz drilled a clutch RBI double off Jalen Beeks to tie the game at six. Myers followed with his first career walk-off as he singled to right to snap Miami's seven-game losing streak. Per Sarah Langs, Tuesday's thriller was the first game in MLB history with a 5+ run top of the first, a 5+ run bottom of the ninth, and no runs in between. "Definitely a cool moment. I know my wife, son and mom were in the stands so it was pretty cool to have the first one in front of them," said Myers. He also added that Chisholm was the first one to thank him after the game. "He knows he messed up but he's the first one to admit that. He's a good clubhouse guy and good teammate, so yeah, it feels good to pick up a guy like Jazz." For a team that lost 24 times in March/April, a game like this could do wonders. "You hope it builds momentum. You hope you come in tomorrow feeling pretty good about it. Anytime you walk it off, you feel pretty good. It was a pretty incredible ending," added Schumaker. Sixto Sánchez Sixto Sánchez made his second start of the season and his first at loanDepot park since September 18, 2020. Unfortunately for him, things didn't go his way early on as it only took six pitches for the Rockies to strike first. Sánchez allowed a total of six hits in the frame, highlighted by a massive two-run home run by Elehuris Montero to make it 5-0 in the first. "I felt pretty good out there. I know that's a team that attacks the zone, but I think I was staying in the zone too much. I was speeding myself up there a bit but I need to be a bit more calm and patient," said the right-hander postgame. Following the rough first inning, Sánchez was able to settle in and complete four frames for the first time since his start in game two of the 2020 Wild Card Series. His final line: 4 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO, 1 HR. He threw 68 pitches, 53 for strikes. The Marlins improved to 7-24 while the Rockies fell to 7-22. Right-hander Roddery Muñoz is set to make his second career start on Wednesday night against Dakota Hudson. View full article

Fish Unfiltered—Episode #57 Isaac Azout is joined by returning guest Kyle Sielaff. One month into a miserable start to the 2024 Miami Marlins season, the team's radio play-by-play announcer discusses what he's learned in his second year on the job, his "honest" broadcasting style and what's gone wrong on the field for the Fish. Find Fish Unfiltered on the Fish On First YouTube channel, our new-look Apple Podcasts channel and wherever else you get your pods. FOF's audio programming also includes The Offishial Show, Big Fish Small Pod, Swimming Upstream and more. The Fish On First podcast is now being presented by MPT College Consulting! They pride themselves on helping clients navigate the college application process. This includes preparation for standardized testing, guidance through high school, assistance with essays and applications, and choosing the right college. Visit them today at mptcollegeconsulting.com to learn more about their services and schedule a free consultation. Listen to all of Sielaff's game broadcasts via MLB.TV, the MLB app or on local radio. Follow Kyle (@Kyle_Sielaff), Isaac (@IsaacAzout) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. View full article

Roddery Muñoz gave Miami way more than they expected, but a sixth-inning bullpen implosion costs Miami a chance at a doubleheader sweep. Less than three hours after their most dramatic win of the season, the Marlins had nine more innings of baseball to play on Saturday night. Right-hander Roddery Muñoz made the start in his Major League debut vs. Japanese phenom Shota Imanaga. Muñoz, 24, was just as effective as Imanaga in game two of Saturday's twin bill, but it wasn't enough as Miami's bullpen faltered late and handed the Cubs their 13th win of the season. Muñoz was acquired for cash in the off-season after he was designated for assignment by Pittsburgh. He struggled in his three appearances for Triple-A Jacksonville, evidenced by his 10.97 ERA in 10.2 IP. Despite the struggles, Miami gave him the opportunity and appointed him the 27th man for Saturday's doubleheader. "He was throwing strikes, velocity was up. I mean, he pitched as good as anybody has this year. It was a really impressive start," said manager Skip Schumaker postgame. Impressive it was as the Dominican right-hander was able to get through five strong innings of two-run ball. He struck out seven and only walked one. He was greeted abruptly, though, in the first inning when Silver Slugger Award winner Cody Bellinger launched a 1-1 changeup over the wall in right field for his fourth home run of the season. Muñoz allowed a walk after the home run but then retired 14 straight. "I was pitching exactly where I wanted to. I located where I wanted and when I was missing, I was missing where I wanted to as well," said the right-hander through a translator. While Muñoz was mowing down Cub hitters, the Marlins were able to put up a crooked number against Imanaga. In the top of the fourth, Tim Anderson roped an RBI double to drive in Josh Bell and was followed by a Jazz Chisholm Jr. RBI single, which gave the Marlins a 2-1 lead. A couple of innings later, Bell, who had been struggling mightily as of late, took Imanaga deep to left for his third home run of the season and extend Miami's lead to 3-1. "Bell is a really good hitter. He's going to hit, there's no doubt about it," said Schumaker. "I think the last couple of games, he's been taking really good swings and has looked much better." After retiring the 14 straight through five, Muñoz was sent back out for the sixth when he immediately gave up a titanic solo shot to Alexander Canario that trimmed the lead back to one. Schumaker went out to get Muñoz, but not before he patted his chest in encouragement. Muñoz's final line: 5 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 2 HR. He threw 77 pitches, 48 for strikes. Making your Major League debut is never easy, but to do so at the historic Wrigley field in front of 32, 389 screaming fans didn't make it much easier. "I was seriously a little bit nervous out there, I'm not going to lie," said Muñoz. "But in my mind, I was focused and I knew that I just had to be confident out there and I think I did that." Right-hander Anthony Bender replaced Muñoz and that's where things went south for Miami. Bender allowed four hits, a walk, and three earned runs in 0.2 innings pitched. When it was all said and done, the Cubs had a 5-3 lead and never looked back. "It just feels like very ball that's hit finds a hole. I don't think he's going to have a .500+ batting average against him all year, but we definitely have to get more outs with him later in the game," added Schumaker. For the Cubs, relievers Ben Brown and Hector Neris pitched three shutout innings to keep the game at 5-3 and secure the victory for the Cubs. They improved to 13-8 while Miami fell to 5-17. Imanaga improved to 3-0 on the season and Bender suffered the loss and blown save. Miami will look to salvage a series split on Sunday afternoon at 2:20 ET. Edward Cabrera will toe the rubber against Kyle Hendricks. View full article

"I don't want to say he called it, but he sort of called it," said manager Skip Schumaker about Bryan De La Cruz's dramatic game-winning home run in the ninth. As Miami's hottest hitter stepped into the box in the top of the ninth inning down by one, the Marlins were two outs away from their 17th loss in 21 games. Cubs closer Adbert Alzolay was on the mound looking to secure his fourth save of the season in front of 36,379 boisterous Chicago fans. With a runner on first and one out, Bryan De La Cruz launched a 2-0 middle-in sinker over the wall in left to give Miami a 3-2 lead in the ninth, a lead the Marlins would not surrender. He flipped his bat and jumped with excitement and emotion as he trotted down the first base line. "You know, when I was over there on the bench and our coach told the manager that they were going to move me for a pinch-runner, I told them, 'What do you mean a pinch-runner? I'm going to get a homer here and you're not going to need to do that,'" said De La Cruz postgame through a translator. In the end, De La Cruz was spot-on, as his game-winning homer saved Miami and helped the team improve to 5-16 on the season. The Fish also secured their first one-run win of the year. The victory also got starting pitcher Jesús Luzardo—who was in the clubhouse when De La Cruz hit the homer—off the hook for the loss on Saturday. "Yeah. I was up here, and everyone was celebrating. You could just feel it in the air. He's hot right now and he's our guy at the moment," said Luzardo. Since Jake Burger landed on the IL with an oblique strain, De La Cruz has become Miami's most consistent offensive performer. He has an eight-game hit streak, including at least one extra-base hit and RBI in seven consecutive games, which is the second-longest streak in club history. When asked what has been the key to him feeling as good as he does right now, De La Cruz said, "I think it's the consistency that I've developed. That routine that I keep going every single time. I think that's what's getting me the results right now." The results are indeed there, as his season slash line improved to .287/.300/.506. He leads the team with five home runs and is second to Burger with 14 RBI. "He's had good at-bats all year long. He and Luis [Arraez] at the top are really good and they had a really good day," said manager Skip Schumaker. Luzardo gets back on track With his parents in attendance, Jesús Luzardo turned in his best start of the 2024 season on Saturday. Despite the challenges of facing Major League Baseball's toughest offense vs. left-handed pitching (162 wRC+ as a team), Luzardo completed six innings for the first time this season. "I even tried to lobby for a seventh, but Skip said no way," said Luzardo. "On a day like today, I felt like it was important to go and get that sixth at least, but I always want to go as deep as possible." After two solid innings to begin his day, the southpaw's lone hiccup came in the third. Following back-to-back one-out singles by Alexander Canario and Nico Hoerner, Patrick Wisdom drilled a two-run triple off the right-center field wall to give the Cubs the early lead. However, Luzardo didn't allow a walk or hit from the fourth inning on. "I came into the dugout [after the third], me and Mel had a conversation and he said I gotta get in the zone and keep attacking and I feel like my mentality kind of changed. I had to trust my stuff and let them hit it," said the left-hander postgame. Luzardo's final line: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO. He threw a season-high 104 pitches, 64 for strikes. On a day where Miami desperately needed their starting pitcher to go deep, their ace came through. "We need him to be that guy. He was the opening day starter for a reason. He's supposed to help us stop the bleeding and he did that today," said Schumaker. It's never easy After the dramatic top of the ninth, Miami still had some work to do in the bottom half. Closer Tanner Scott came in looking for his third save of the season, but allowed back-to-back singles to begin the frame. A perfectly-executed sacrifice bunt by Miguel Amaya put the Cubs a measly single away from winning the game. Scott put his head down and struck out Canario and got the hot-hitting Hoerner to ground out to first. Miami improved to 5-16 while the Cubs fell to 12-8. The second game of Saturday's doubleheader is at 7:40 ET when Roddery Muñoz will make his Major League debut against Shota Imanaga. View full article

AJ Puk's rough times continued as the Cubs made it uncompetitive early on Friday. CHICAGO -- It's been a rough transition to the rotation for left-hander A.J. Puk. After dominating Grapefruit League play this spring (1.32 ERA, 15.1 SO/9), manager Skip Schumaker appointed Puk the #2 starter to begin the regular season. Including Friday's midday start against the Chicago Cubs, in which Miami fell 8-3, Puk's four starts to begin the regular season have certainly been sub-optimal. "The off-speed was a little erratic, he was behind every hitter and that's a really good lineup," said Schumaker postgame on Friday. "When you're behind, you're giving them a really good chance and he paid the price." Puk, 28, was a starting pitcher at the University of Florida and during his first year of pro ball with the Oakland Athletics in 2016. Since then, he has mainly been used out of the bullpen in his professional career. Before he was traded to Miami in February of 2023, the Athletics reportedly planned to transition him into a starter. After a mixed performance in the bullpen for Miami in '23, it was decided to experiment with Puk in the rotation. This move aimed to bolster Miami's starting pitching depth and potentially enhance Puk's value if he could excel in this new role. Things couldn't have gotten off to a worse start for the young left-hander in 2024. He is 0-4 with a 9.22 ERA and an 11.20 BB/9 through four big league starts. "It's just one of those things, I gotta go out there and keep on competing and over time, hopefully it's going to turn in my favor," said the southpaw following Friday's game. Prior to the game, Skip touched on the importance of Puk commanding his sinker and fastball to be able to get to his strikeout pitches. "The sinker is a real pitch for him. He gets early ground ball outs and doesn't have to get into long counts. He can then attack with the four-seam, which makes the slider much better; but he can't get to the slider and wipe-out pitches without the fastball command." Skip's fears once again came to fruition as Puk constantly fell behind batters and only threw strikes 57% of the time. Additionally, his velocity was down on all five of his pitches. "Just came up with the flu, don't know if that had anything to do with it but nobody is feeling good," said Puk. As of Friday evening, the Marlins have had no conversations about moving Puk back to the bullpen. "We haven't had that conversation yet. He just has to be a little better and give us a chance each time out. He's had a couple of rough starts but we gotta figure out a way to get him back on track," said the skipper. Cubs offense got going early The Cubs' up-the-middle stars produced most of the offense on Friday afternoon. Second baseman Nico Hoerner set the tone with two doubles and an RBI in the first three frames. Center fielder Cody Bellinger went 2-for-4 with a RBI, and shortstop Dansby Swanson went 2-for-3 with a walk and RBI. "Swanson, Hoerner up the middle and Bellinger are three really good players at the top of the lineup that are tough to navigate through. They're winners, they know what winning looks like so it's definitely going to be a challenge," said Schumaker on what makes the Cubs a tough opponent. De La Cruz stays hot The lone bright spot of the day offensively for Miami was designated hitter Bryan De La Cruz as he launched his fourth home run of the season. He now has a seven-game hit streak going into Saturday's doubleheader. "He's been taking some really good at-bats. From spring training to now it's been great. That's why he's hitting where he's hitting and I think he's building off a really good sophomore year, so i plan on him being in the middle of the order the whole year." Miami was able to manufacture a couple more runs in the top of the ninth but eventually fell by a score of 8-3. The club fell to 4-16, their worst 20-game start in franchise history. They will play two on Saturday to make up for Thursday night's postponement. Miami's ace Jesus Luzardo will get the nod in game 1 while RHP Roddery Muñoz will get the start in game 2. View full article

Ryan Weathers continues to impress as Miami holds on for their fourth win of the young season. MIAMI -- Entering Tuesday night at 3-14, the Marlins were off to their worst 17-game start in franchise history. With all the pitching injuries the club has endured to begin 2024, Miami will need left-hander Ryan Weathers to continue to trend upwards and become a staple in their rotation. He did just that in Tuesday's contest in front of 8,076 at loanDepot Park as he led the fish to a 6-3 win over the San Francisco Giants. The Marlins are now ten games under .500 at 4-14. Ryan Weathers Aside from a couple of middle-middle mistakes to some dangerous Giant hitters, Weathers was nothing short of dominant on Tuesday night. The left-hander was getting all of his pitches over for strikes and generated 19 whiffs overall. He used his sweeper 34% of the time which kept the Giants off-balance all game long. "He navigated that lineup as good as anybody. It's a really good team, some really good right-handers than can hit lefties well, especially at the top," said manager Skip Schumaker postgame. Weathers' final line: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 K (career-high). Speaking to media postgame, Ryan mentioned that he has never felt that good in a big league game. "Feeling that rhythm of the delivery, I think that's the best command I've ever probably had in a big league atmosphere," said Weathers. Additionally, Weathers incorporated a new-look slider on Tuesday. It's a pitch that sits in the low 90s and is harder than his sweeper. "I used to throw it in 2021 and kind of went away from it and went to the sweeper. I started throwing it in the bullpen this week and I was like 'oh, we're going to find a spot to throw it tonight' and I got a couple swing-and-misses," said Weathers. The left-hander's night ended a bit prematurely, though, as while he was warming up to pitch the seventh, manager Skip Schumaker and the head athletic trainer went out to the mound to check on the young pitcher who seemed to be flexing his left hand. He was removed from the game and it was later announced that he left due to cramping in his left hand. "I threw a pitch and both my fingers stayed down and it felt like a cramp. I threw another one and my fingers went down again and I was like 'now's not the time to be cramping,' but I'm just thankful it's only a cramp." Manufacturing runs Once the Giants took a 2-0 lead after three frames, Miami's offense was able to get to Giants starter Jordan Hicks in the fourth. A couple of frozen-rope doubles courtesy of Luis Arraez and Bryan De La Cruz gave Miami their first run of the game. After De La Cruz stole third base - his first of the season and tenth of his career - Jesus Sanchez drove him in with a fielder's choice to tie the game at two. That score remained until the bottom of the sixth when Miami scored again on a fielder's choice by Tim Anderson. A few batters later, Luis Arraez came through with a two-run single to extend the lead to 5-2 and supply the Marlins with some much-needed insurance. "Hitting the ball is hard, so I just need to put my mind to it and plan to put the ball in play. That's what I do," said Arraez postgame. After going back-and-forth one last time, Miami was finally able to hang onto a lead and earn themselves their fourth victory of the season. Tanner Scott closed it out to earn his second save of the season. Calvin Faucher gave Miami five pivotal outs to bridge it to Scott. "I'm still trying to figure out roles right now," said Schumaker. "We're putting guys in different spots to see who can do it. Some guys run to the stage, some guys run from it. We're trying to figure out who is trying to run to it right now." Ryan Weathers was the winning pitcher (2-1) while Giants righty Ryan Walker suffered his second loss of the season. The Marlins have a chance to secure their first series victory of the season on Wednesday afternoon as Trevor Rogers will get the start against Keaton Winn. View full article