Isaac Azout

NASHVILLE–The 2023 MLB Winter Meetings commenced Monday morning at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Team executives, managers, scouts, and players roamed the lobby and conference rooms, hoping to sign deals or make additive moves to their respective teams. At the end of Day 1, Marlins President of Baseball Operations Peter Bendix took questions from the media regarding the state of the club. With Monday marking the first time that most of the front office was together again, Bendix was very intent on getting to know everyone. “I look at it as a team bonding event. That was true in my previous job, and it’s even more true now considering that I haven’t spent very much time with these people. So, getting everyone in one place at one time to talk about the small things was a lot of fun.” The Marlins hired Bendix on November 6 after 15 seasons in the Tampa Bay Rays front office. Aside from a minor trade and a few claims off waivers, it has been an inactive offseason thus far. “I think it feels like the market is moving a little more slowly than usual,” said Bendix. “We need to stay prepared for when it starts to speed up, so that’s really just getting as much information from other teams, from agents, so that we can be prepared to move.” https://videopress.com/v/3KYN5l1z?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=trueWhen asked if he anticipates most of their future moves coming via free agency or trades, Bendix smiled and said, “Both. We just have to be prepared for whatever opportunities come and be opportunistic.” Nick Fortes is currently the only catcher on Miami’s 40-man, and he had his struggles in 2023. “We need a catcher, for sure," Bendix admitted. "I don’t think you’re allowed to play with just one. I’d like to increase the number of options that we have to play shortstop. I think we have a few people on the roster who are pretty good options, but nobody who’s the clear ‘everyday shortstop.’” In addition, Bendix declined to comment on potential extensions with his players. “Those conversations are going to stay internal, but when you have young players who are really good, those are going to be natural things for us to think about.” Luis Arraez, Jesús Luzardo, and Eury Pérez are potential candidates for an extension. Never enough pitching!With ace Sandy Alcantara sidelined for the 2024 campaign, Bendix was adamant about adding arms. “You always need more pitchers. No matter how much pitching you have, you always need more.” Miami does have some internal reinforcements coming, as Bendix shared that right-handers Max Meyer and Anthony Bender and lefty Trevor Rogers are all expected to be ready to go by the start of Spring Training. Continue to follow along at Fish on First throughout the Winter Meetings as more coverage will come through Wednesday. Photo by Kyle Schwab-USA TODAY Sports

A very special guest joins Fish Unfiltered for the first time: Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker! Topics covered on Episode 52 with Skip, Isaac Azout, Kevin Barral and Ely Sussman include: Winning NL Manager of the YearGetting into the postseason and facing PhilliesLosing Brant Brown to the MarinersFirst impressions of Peter BendixProjected roles for Vidal Bruján and Calvin FaucherManaging workloads of Eury Pérez, Jesús Luzardo and Braxton GarrettUpgrades the Marlins need to make for 2024Will Jazz Chisholm Jr. continue playing center field?Why not steal more bases?Jesús Sánchez's roleEvaluating Marlins prospects in personIs Tanner Scott your full-time closer? Subscribe to the Fish On First YouTube channel to watch video versions of every Fish Unfiltered episode. In 2023, Schumaker became the fourth Marlins skipper to win NL Manager of the Year and the third to lead them to the playoffs in a full-length season. The club saw a 15-win improvement from the previous year. Schumaker described NL MOY as a "staff award," but that staff will look slightly different in 2024 with his former hitting coach, Brant Brown, becoming the new bench coach of the Seattle Mariners. "Grateful that we had him, but I think he left this place better," Schumaker tells Fish On First. "We're gonna take a lot of what Brant used and apply it this year as well." Another notable change: Kim Ng is no longer Miami's general manager. Schumaker met new president of baseball operations Peter Bendix over dinner earlier this month. "We talk every day," Schumaker says. "You're spending a ton of time with that person. Peter seems like a great guy so far. We've had a lot of really good conversations." For all of the positives that 2023 brought, the Marlins were outscored by their opponents. They'll have a difficult time returning to the postseason if that's the case again. Schumaker acknowledges that: "The season is tough on family," Schumaker says, "so I'm making up for lost time and trying to be a dad and a husband" this winter. He'll also be hosting his annual baseball skills camp for kids from Dec. 22-23 benefitting The Jessie Rees Foundation. Follow Skip (@SSchumaker55), Kevin (@kevin_barral), Isaac (@IsaacAzout), Ely (@RealEly) 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.

Relive all of the ups and downs of the 2023 Miami Marlins with our Fish On First Season Review, containing detailed articles about a wide variety of players. The FOF staff analyzes the individual impact that each of them had and what it means for their future with the organization. This installment focuses on outfielder Jesús Sánchez. 2023 TimelineMay 14—placed on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strainMay 26—sent to Triple-A Jacksonville for a rehab assignmentMay 30—activated from the 10-day injured list and remained on the active roster the rest of the wayJuly 26—left game at Tampa Bay with neck discomfort, able to avoid the ILSeason stats: 125 games played, 402 PA, .253/.327/.450/.777, 108 OPS+, 109 wRC+, 1.3 fWAR (age-25 season) Sánchez has arguably the most offensive upside in the Marlins organization. After a rough 2022 season that included a demotion to the minors, the outfielder needed to re-earn a starting job going into spring training. Outfielders Jazz Chisholm Jr., Bryan De La Cruz, and Avisaíl García were all locks to be on the Opening Day roster. After a successful spring in which he slashed .302/.333./.419, Sánchez was utilized in a bench role for the first month of the season, only starting eight of the team's first 24 games . As perhaps may be expected when a young hitter doesn’t get many at-bats, Sánchez struggled during that period (.172/.333/.241 with a 30.6 K%). Sánchez wasn’t the only outfielder who struggled early on: García's numbers were similarly discouraging. Once García suffered a back injury at the end of April, manager Skip Schumaker turned to the young lefty to start in right field for the rest of the campaign (Sánchez would occasionally sit against certain left-handed pitchers). From May 1 until the end of the regular season (104 games), Sánchez provided well above-average production at the plate. He slashed .256/.324/.462, good for a .786 OPS. As evidenced by his sub-par strikeout percentage, Sánchez has struggled to put balls in play during his young Major League career, and 2023 was no different. With a 26.6 K%, Sánchez ranked in the 23rd percentile among qualified big leaguers, according to Baseball Savant. He also ranked in the 22nd percentile in whiff% and 30th percentile in chase%. However, he more than compensated for that with impressive, strong contact whenever he did hit the ball, as he ranked in the 70th percentile in average exit velocity, 79th in barrel%, and 77th in hard-hit%. An issue for Sánchez heading into 2023 was his inability to turn on fastballs, particularly up and in. He improved in that facet of his game, increasing his batting average against fastballs by 51 points, from .240 to .291. He provided a plus-11 run value against four-seamers, far and away his best for any pitch type. Unfortunately, that was partially offset by significantly worse numbers vs. off-speed pitches (batted .243 vs. offspeed in 2022, but only .192 in 2023). Despite the immense raw power Sánchez possesses, it doesn't always translate to large home run numbers. For example, from July 19-September 1, Sánchez didn't hit a single home run (103 PA). He still slugged close to .400 in that span with an OPS north of .730, which shows he's still a valuable asset in the lineup while not clearing the fence. Regardless, if Sánchez is going to be an everyday big leaguer, he'll have to avoid those types of power droughts. Something that also continued to be an issue for Sánchez were his platoon splits. He carried an .808 OPS against right-handed pitching and a .564 OPS against lefties. Towards the end of last season, Schumaker would very rarely let him take an AB against a southpaw. Sánchez improved his baserunning. After committing six outs on the bases in 2022, there were none from him this past season. He even recorded three stolen bases after entering the year with only one in his Marlins career. Sánchez has one of the strongest outfield arms in baseball. His hardest throw was 95.9 mph on July 2. He ranked in the 88th percentile in arm strength across baseball, according to Baseball Savant. While not quite Roberto Clemente in right field, he still provided above average defense as he finished 2023 with 5 DRS (defensive runs saved), ahead of renowned defensive outfielders like Mookie Betts and Jason Heyward. https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/224f5e83-2f33-46a6-b687-9f5bdd6fff72.mp4Highlightshttps://sporty-clips.mlb.com/2e93ce43-c64a-43fb-b183-ef3d51c2d2f4.mp4https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/14032955-87f8-4dec-8dbd-3b61222d0a68.mp4Future with the MarlinsSánchez will report to spring training as the starting right fielder in 2024. He is not arbitration eligible until 2025, so he will make close to the league minimum next season. While his 2023 numbers more resembled his 2021 breakout campaign, I expect an even bigger season from Sánchez next year. I believe he has All-Star potential.

The iPhone wasn’t invented the last time the Marlins appeared in a traditional postseason game. Eury Perez was six months old. The Houston Astros were in the National League Central. Bryce Harper was nine years old. Twitter did not exist. Most importantly, Miami’s Game 1 starter on Tuesday night was in attendance as a six-year-old at the 2003 World Series between the Florida Marlins and New York Yankees. Safe to say, this was a dream come true for him. “It’s just indescribable for me and my family. I grew up in South Florida, so being a Marlins fan my whole life and then getting this opportunity is something I can’t put into words, and it really hasn’t hit me yet,” said 26-year-old Luzardo on Monday, the day before his start. It wasn’t a storybook start for Jesus Luzardo, though, as he was tagged with the loss and Miami fell to the Phillies 4-1. Luzardo was simply out-pitched by Zack Wheeler. Luzardo and the Marlins immediately felt the pressure on Tuesday night, as Philadelphia led off their half of the first inning with a single and double by Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner, respectively. Despite the crowd getting ready to erupt, Luzardo was able to settle down and miraculously escape the inning unscathed. He did, however, bring his pitch count up to 24. After a clean second, the potent Phillies lineup got a run on the board via a two-out RBI double by Alec Bohm. Luzardo fell behind 2-0 and left a changeup over the middle of the plate, which Bohm hooked down the left field line. Number nine hitter Johan Rojas scored from second to make it 1-0 Philadelphia. The following inning, things unraveled for Luzardo. He allowed four consecutive hits to begin the frame, which resulted in two more Phillies runs. It could have been three more, but on the Bryson Stott RBI single, centerfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. threw out Nick Castellanos at home, who was the trail runner. "They have a good lineup full of veteran hitters and they've been in the postseason, so they know how to grind guys out. They weren't as aggressive as they usually are; not much chasing, just making me come in the zone and grinded me out," Luzardo said. That would be the end for Luzardo, as his final line was: 4 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO. He threw 90 pitches, 54 of them for strikes. Philadelphia would add an extra run in the bottom of the eighth when Nick Castellanos drilled an RBI double that scored Bryce Harper from first. Philadelphia ace Zack Wheeler got the start in Game 1, and he was spectacular. He retired 18 of the first 20 men he faced and only reached a three-ball count three times. "He was excellent tonight. The sinker/sweeper combination gave us trouble," said manager Skip Schumaker postgame. His final line: 6⅔, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO. He threw 100 pitches, 67 of them for strikes. Miami's lone run came in the top of the seventh inning from a two-out RBI single by Bryan De La Cruz. What's nextGame 2 will be on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park in a win-or-go-home situation. "I feel like the entire month of September was win-or-go-home for us. Nothing different tomorrow night and we're still confident," said third baseman Jake Burger. Schumaker added: "They know what's at stake. They know what tomorrow means and we're going to do the same thing we've always done which is go in with a game plan and try to win." For Miami, Braxton Garrett will try and keep the Marlins season alive as he will oppose Aaron Nola. Game is at 8:08 Eastern time on ESPN.

On the final day of the 2023 Major League Baseball regular season, the Miami Marlins were the only team that entered the day with less than 161 games played. On Sunday afternoon, the Marlins closed out their season with a 3-0 loss to Pittsburgh. In 161 games, they finished with an 84-77 record, good for fifth-best in the National League. With the Arizona Diamondbacks' loss to Houston on Sunday, it's confirmed that Miami will face the Philadelphia Phillies in the Wild Card Series. Ryan WeathersPregame, the Marlins designated LHP Matt Moore for assignment as he was ineligible for the 2023 postseason. As the corresponding move, Miami recalled LHP Ryan Weathers from Triple-A Jacksonville to make the start on Sunday. In a possible showcase start for a postseason roster spot, Weathers provided the best start of his Marlins career. He went six innings and allowed only two hits, three walks, and allowed zero runs. He also struck out five. "It was nice going out and feeling relaxed and kind of under a lot more control today. Was able to take a deep breath in between each pitch and that was my biggest takeaway today," Weathers said postgame. With the Wild Card Series being only a best-of-three, Weathers would be unavailable to pitch in the series regardless, so it's unlikely that he'll be on the roster. He could, however, be an asset in the Division Series should Miami advance. "We haven't finalized that yet, we're going over a few different options," manager Skip Schumaker said. "It's probably going to be tough for him to be a part of this round [Wild Card Series], but yeah, he had a really good outing for him to be a part of the conversation." Weathers had struggled in his two appearances as a Marlin going into Sunday's start, as he allowed 11 earned runs in just seven innings of work. What was they key for him in the season finale? "Strike one," Schumaker said. "Getting ahead, the changeup was really effective today and he used all four quadrants of the strike zone." Bryan Hoeing entered the game in the bottom of the eighth inning and that's where the scoring began. He allowed three doubles in the frame that equated to three runs for Pittsburgh. He was tagged with his second loss of the season. Offensively, Miami couldn't push a run across on Sunday. The Pirates used five different pitchers and started Andre Jackson, who threw four innings of one-hit ball. He was followed by Osvaldo Bido, Kyle Nicolas, Dauri Moreta, and David Bednar, who completed the 3-0 shutout for Pittsburgh. What's next?Miami will travel to Philadelphia on Sunday night. They'll have a full-team workout on Monday at Citizen's Bank Park to prepare for the Series opener on Tuesday. LHP Jesus Luzardo will take the ball for Miami in Game One and oppose RHP Zack Wheeler. Notes: Luis Arraez clinched the 2023 National League batting title with a .354 clip. He becomes the first player in MLB history to win the batting title in consecutive seasons in different leagues (he won the award last year with the Minnesota Twins)For Game 2 of the Wild Card Series, Marlins will start Braxton Garrett vs. Philadelphia. They will oppose Aaron Nola.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.