Isaac Azout

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.

While their two-city, six game road trip didn't go as planned (2-4), Miami still finds themselves in the thick of things on August 26. Prior to Wednesday's loss against the San Diego Padres, Marlins general manager Kim Ng met with a small group of reporters to give an update on a myriad of topics, including some of this year's top performers. New additionsJake BurgerKim Ng: "The new additions to the club have really made a difference. These guys are ultimate pros. I can tell you that when we acquired Jake (Burger), I got a number of texts and phone calls from my White Sox colleagues from when I worked there saying how great of a guy this was and what a hard worker he is, etc. Our pre-trade vetting really bore that out and same on Josh Bell as well." David Robertsont's been an uneven Marlin tenure for David Robertson thus far (eight ER in 10 IP), but Kim still values the experience he brings. "David Robertson obviously doing what he can do and you know, he's been in high-pressure situations for postseason clubs, so we love having that experience." Josh Bell Acquired from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for former first-round pick Kahlil Watson and Jean Segura, Josh Bell has been a phenomenal addition to Miami's lineup. Bell has a $16.5 million player option for the 2024 season. Asked if the assumption was that the Marlins would be able to have him next year as well, Kim said: "For us, Josh fits the profile that we're looking for. Strike zone discipline, strike zone awareness, he's just a good hitter who also has power. He plays to the scoreboard, he knows what to do in various situations and you get quite a good quality veteran presence. So yeah, we're hoping that we have him next year." Ryan Weathers "Fantastic arm that he's got. We've actually had our eye on Ryan for a while now, since last year and have tried to acquire him. Obviously we were fortunate enough to get him at the deadline, but fantastic arm. Needs to work on some of his secondary and he knows that, but this dude isn not afraid to pitch inside either. That was my second time seeing him live [August 21 in San Diego], and yeah, he is not afraid to pitch inside so it's pretty interesting." Other arms Trevor RogersThe 2021 NL Rookie of the Year runner-up has thrown only 18 innings this year, last appearing in a game on April 19. With only 33 games left in the regular season, Kim mentioned it might be tough to get him back soon. "I think if he comes back at some point this year, it's icing on the cake, but really, what's most important is Trevor long term. Making sure he feels comfortable physically and in his progression." Edward CabreraCabrera was optioned to AAA on August 2 to work on his command and reportedly his attitude as well. He has been pitching in Jacksonville since, but this is the last season in which he'll have a Minor League option. The Marlins won't be able to send him down in future seasons unless he clears waivers. Kim's update on Cabrera: "He had a couple of good starts and this last one wasn't as positive. We've just got to hang with him and hope that he works this out as quickly as you can." Other players of noteJorge SolerSoler has a player option for 2024. The value of that option will max out at $13 million once he accrues 550 plate appearances this season. He's hit 34 home runs, which is tied for fourth in the National League. When asked about his future with the team, Kim said, "Any contract negotiations, I'll probably decline to comment at this time, but he's somebody that we hope to have in the future." Jacob Berry and Noble MeyerBerry, the sixth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, was promoted to AA Pensacola on July 24th, where he's slashed .264/.307/.472 in 26 games. Meyer, the tenth overall pick in this year's draft, was recently promoted to Low-A Jupiter. In seven professional innings, he's allowed four hits, two earned runs, and has struck out ten. "Jacob has been doing pretty well in AA, so that's nice to see. Especially with a decent number of AB's under his belt. And then with Noble, I think we can see he's a fairly polished pitcher."

SAN DIEGO—"They don't score any runs for me." With their ace on the mound, the Marlins had the opportunity to salvage a 3-3 road trip and fly home happy on Wednesday afternoon. Padres starting pitcher Seth Lugo had other plans, as he dominated Miami for six shutout innings and San Diego beat the Marlins 4-0. Miami finished their six-game road trip 2-4. Sandy Alcantara is in the midst of his best stretch of the 2023 season. In his last eight starts heading into Wednesday, he’s 3-3 with a 2.54 ERA in 56.2 IP. He provided the team with quality starts in six of those eight outings. While it wasn’t technically a quality start, in today's game, Sandy did his part and held the Padres to four runs over 6.2 IP. He threw 105 pitches, 67 of them for strikes. “He’ll tell you he’s disappointed. I’ll say he made a couple of bad pitches, but it was good. He was throwing the ball really well against a tough lineup,” said manager Skip Schumaker postgame. Unfortunately for Sandy, his offense gave him no run support, something that’s become all too common. “It’s not Sandy—we just have not scored lately on this whole road trip except for maybe one game,” Skip added. After giving their ace ten runs of support on Friday, Miami has combined to give their pitchers seven runs in five games since. "They didn't score any runs for me, so next time we gotta score more runs and try and win the game." Sandy's startOn Wednesday, San Diego got to Alcantara early, as Ha-Seong Kim flared a lead off double in the first and scored on a Juan Soto RBI single with the infield in. "Sandy's on the ground a lot. So you know we go infield in most of the time, so you're going to continue to see that as long as I'm here." After that, Sandy settled in nicely and kept the Padres off the scoreboard for the next four innings, but ran into trouble in the sixth and seventh. After what he described as a frustrating walk to Manny Machado, he left a middle-middle fastball over the plate to Xander Bogaerts that was crushed for a two-run home run, his 14th on the year. "When I walk people that I know I can strike out, it's frustrating. Not saying i can strike out Machado, he and I have a good relationship. I just want to win the battle right there and I didn't," said Alcantara. San Diego would tack on another run to make it 4-0, and that's when Skip went out to get his pitcher. As he got back in the dugout, Sandy vented his frustration, slamming his glove on the bench multiple times. "It's not just Sandy, there's guys that were upset that are just showing it underneath the tunnel so it's not outside in the dugout. I have no problem with guys being being frustrated, that shows you care and he cares. If he sat down and didn't care, then we have a problem," said Skip. Sandy's final line: 6.2 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO, 1 HR. His record fell to 6-11. What's next After a much-needed off-day on Thursday, Miami begins a three-game set against the Washington Nationals. The probables are Braxton Garrett on Friday, Eury Pérez on Saturday, and TBA for Sunday. Miami is now 65-63, 1.5 games back of the third Wild Card spot. News and NotesPregame, the Marlins made a flurry of roster moves. RHP Tommy Nance was activated off the 60-day IL and INF/OF Garrett Hampson was recalled from AAA Jacksonville. LHP Ryan Weathers was optioned to AAA and OF Avisail Garcia was placed on the 10-day IL with a left hamstring strain. Former Marlin Garrett Cooper went 2-for-3 against his old team.

SAN DIEGO -- In his four starts since the 30th of July, Jesús Luzardo had posted a 10.59 ERA in 17 innings pitched, allowing a whopping eight home runs during that stretch. On Tuesday night, vintage Luzardo returned to form and gave the Marlins six shutout innings, helping the team snap their three-game losing streak and beat San Diego, 3-0. It had been a rough stretch for Miami’s left-hander, as he’d only completed six or more innings once since the All-Star break. While he has flown past his career-high in innings this season, there was no worry that he was experiencing any fatigue during the second half. He proved that in Game Two in San Diego, averaging 97 mph on his fastball and flashing some of his best stuff all season. "I feel like I got back on track, obviously a frustrating second half so far but good to get my feet back under me, especially against a good team like that," said Luzardo after the game. "My arm felt really good, it was just about getting it in good places and that's something we focused on with Mel (Stottlemyre Jr.) in between starts." Skip mentioned, "We needed this from him, he needed it as well. Gosh, his fastball was electric tonight with the slider, he didn't walk guys, was on the attack against a good lineup that hits lefties well." Luzardo's final line: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO. He threw 88 pitches, 54 of them for strikes. On the other side was Blake Snell, who is in firm contention for the National League Cy Young award. In his last 16 starts going into Tuesday (91 IP), Snell sported a minuscule 1.29 ERA along with a .165 opponent's batting average. To say he's been dominant would be an understatement. In the first two innings, he looked every bit that. "Yeah, we were not seeing his curveball. We were swinging at the changeup and his curveball a lot. They just could not pick it up almost like the Wacha changeup last night. We just could not pick it up. Heck, the league can't pick it up," said Skip Miami was able to get to him in the third, though, as Jorge Soler swatted a long home run to straightaway centerfield. The solo shot traveled 442 feet, his third longest home run of the season. "I was hoping and ready for that fastball (in a full count) against Snell," said Soler through an interpreter. Miami was able to manufacture a couple more runs in the third thanks to three consecutive singles from Luis Arraez, Josh Bell, and Jake Burger. After a mound visit, Avisaíl García would put the ball in play and groundout to third, which scored another run. Unfortunately, as soon as he reached the bag, Avi pulled up grabbing his left hamstring. Asked postgame how García was doing, Schumaker said "not great." Avi added "I felt my hamstring pull when I stepped on the bag. I hadn't felt anything yesterday or today." After missing three months of the season with a back issue, being potentially sidelined for an extended period of time is frustrating for the Marlins outfielder. "I'm feeling mad, frustrated and everything. Being hurt for like three months and now I get this new injury, I feel mad because I've been doing everything right with my exercise. Even in the day off, I went to the gym to do my routine. It's just out of my control." Seventh, eighth, and ninthAfter Luzardo did his part, Skip handed the ball over to his bullpen. Andrew Nardi, Tanner Scott, and David Robertson combined to close the game out with three innings of one-hit ball. Robertson got the save, his fourth as a Marlin in six opportunities. Miami improved to 65-62 while San Diego dropped to 60-67. Miami remains one game out of the National League's third Wild Card spot as Arizona and Cincinnati both won their respective games on Tuesday. Sandy Alcantara will get the ball on Wednesday afternoon for the rubber match against Seth Lugo and the Padres. News and notes;Andrew Nardi was dominant again on Tuesday, striking out the side in the seventh that consisted of Juan Soto, Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts.If an IL stint is needed for García, Xavier Edwards and Garrett Hampson are potential options to replace him on the active roster. Soler is now third in Major League Baseball in OPS against left-handed pitchers.Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

SAN DIEGO -- Monday morning, Marlins starting pitcher Johnny Cueto was placed on the 15-day IL with a viral infection. As the corresponding move, LHP Ryan Weathers was recalled from AAA Jacksonville to make the start on Monday night. Making his first one as a Marlin, Ryan ran into inclement "Weather" in Slam Diego as Miami dropped the series opener, 6-2. The Marlins acquired Weathers as part of a three-player trade on August 1 when they sent first-baseman Garrett Cooper and RHP Sean Reynolds to the Padres on Deadline Day. A former seventh overall pick, the acquisition of Weathers seemed like a project for Mel Stottlemyre Jr. and Miami as he'd struggled in the Majors since being rushed to the big leagues during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Facing his former team on Monday night, Weathers had a rough time throwing strikes and managing his nerves, especially against his buddy Ha-Seong Kim. In the bottom of the first, Kim laced a double down the right field line and later scored on a Manny Machado sac fly. In the following inning, facing the bottom of the order, Weathers walked the bases loaded with one out for the team leader in WAR, Ha-Seong Kim. The infielder belted an 0-2 pitch over the left field wall for a grand slam, the first of his career. While the pitch was on the black, manager Skip Schumaker said "a little bit up and in would have been more ideal. It was in, but if you ask him, 0-2 count, he maybe wants it in a different spot." Weathers would settle in after that, throwing two scoreless innings after the grand slam. "I just started hitting my spots better, started locating, getting ahead of the count. I think all those walks and hits obviously came from behind in the count so I put an emphasis on getting ahead and staying aggressive." Weathers' final line was: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 5 BB, 4 SO, 1 HR. He threw 83 pitches, only 45 of them for strikes. Walks continue to be an issue for the left-hander, as he went into Monday's outing walking 9.8 batters per nine innings. "You can't walk five guys. Against a good team up and down the lineup, to walk the bottom of the order to get to the top, it's just not ideal," said Skip postgame. "We're at the point in the season that every game, inning, and pitch is meaningful, and we can't give free passes." "Lots of nerves, you know. Still pretty fresh, it's only been 20 or so days since I've been traded. There were just a lot of emotions today and it was just a weird outing. I felt the misses were small. With the grand slam, if I don't walk three people, it's a solo shot instead of four runs," Weathers told the media. "I hate that Kim got me, Kim's one of my better friends over there. All those guys, you know. The Padres were all I knew. I got drafted by them when I was 18. Just a lot of emotions that went into it today." When asked what the plan is moving forward regarding that fifth spot in the rotation, Skip was non-committal. "We'll talk about it later, yeah. We don't have an exact plan, we're just going to watch and see how Weathers did and make a decision moving forward." If Miami decides not to give Weathers another start, options are slim for their rotation opening. Edward Cabrera, who was optioned to AAA Jacksonville on August 2, has also struggled with command all season long, evidenced by his 6.1 BB/9. Another option is Bryan Hoeing, who pitched 4.2 innings of one-run ball on Monday night, essentially saving Miami's pen for the rest of the roadtrip. He's shown promise in a long-relief role and could potentially give Miami a start this weekend against Washington. Miami would muster a couple of runs in the top of the sixth inning, as former Padre Josh Bell belted his seventh home run as a Marlin. The solo shot tied him with Charles Johnson for the most HR in their first 18 games as a Marlin. A couple of batters later, Jesus Sanchez would double home Jake Burger to cut the lead to 6-2. That's where the offense stopped for both teams as Miami dropped the series opener and fell to 64-62. With Arizona's dramatic walk off win on Monday night, Miami now sits 1.5 GB of the third Wild Card spot. Jesús Luzardo gets the ball on Tuesday night looking to even the series at one game apiece. He will oppose 2018 Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell. News and notes: Luis Arraez left Monday's ballgame in the third inning with a stomach cramp. He told reporters postgame that he started feeling uncomfortable after the second inning and told Skip. "When I got here, I felt great. I saw the ball well, but after my second at-bat, I felt a cramp in my stomach so bad. I couldn't breathe for two seconds so that's when I knew it wasn't something good," said Arraez. He says he's hopeful he'll feel better on Tuesday.Jake Burger recorded two more hits, raising his batting average as a Marlin to .373.Jazz Chisholm Jr. went 0-for-4 on Monday night, making him eight for his last 44 (.182 BA).Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Los Angeles— L.A. Lakers star LeBron James was in the house on Saturday night to watch the rubber match between the Marlins and Dodgers on his bobblehead night. Unfortunately for the Marlins, he and 52,688 Dodger fans went home happy as Mookie Betts put on a show to help LA take the ballgame and series from Miami. Marlins score firstJust like they did in Game one, Miami struck first on the scoreboard. With two out in the top of the first, Josh Bell crushed his 17th home run of the year halfway up the bleachers in left. It was his sixth homer as a Marlin which tied him with Moises Alou and Derrek Lee for second most HR in their first 17 games with the team. Bell's are the most for a Marlin whose fist 17 games came outside of April. according to Sarah Langs. "I've known Bell throughout the years, playing and coaching against him for a while and this guy's a real bat. Real power potential that we're lucky to have," Skip Schumaker shared on his first baseman. Braxton vs. MookieLeft-hander Braxton Garrett was on the bump for the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, making his first career start against the Dodgers. "It was awesome, I love Dodger Stadium. Pretty cool that LeBron was here too," said Garrett. Garrett would have to contend with a potent Dodger lineup featuring Mookie Betts who last faced the Marlins in August of 2022, when he went 8-for-15 with four homers in a four-game set in Miami. After delivering the decisive two-run single in Game one of the doubleheader, he decided to flex his muscles in Game 2. In the bottom of the third, Betts slammed an up-and-in pitch over the left field wall for his 33rd long ball of the year. When asked postgame if he located that pitch to Mookie where he wanted, Brax said "I did, yeah. But again, 2-1 count, fastball anywhere in the zone to that guy is probably not the best bet. We take something else—we'll take a walk or a single next time—but we learned from it and Mel (Stottlemyre Jr.) gave me constructive criticism about it afterwards." Two innings later, Betts did it again, this time on a middle-away pitch. That homer extended LA's lead to 3-1, which wound up being the final score. After each home run, he saluted to fellow LA star LeBron James who was sitting in the club suites down the first base line. While Ronald Acuña Jr is the favorite for the National League MVP award, Betts is making a case for himself as he's tied for the league lead in wRC+ at 165. He also adds incredible defense in right, second, and short. (He can also bowl a perfect game, dunk on a ten-foot rim and throw spirals, but I digress.) The dangers of shaggingSkip revealed to the media that Miami almost had to do a bullpen day for this game as Braxton Garrett fell down during batting practice on Friday. "That's the reason we had (Bryan) Hoeing and (George) Soriano down because it might have been a bullpen game today. He was checked out and recovered and really manned up and stepped up for us." Brax added: "I was nonchalantly trying to catch a ball behind my back and sort of fell. I got an MRI last night, got the results this morning and nothing was there so my head was spinning. Then I spoke with (Marlins head athletic trainer) Lee (Meyer) this morning and we threw and I felt fine. Kind of a freak thing, but we got through it." What's next Miami dropped the game and series to the Dodgers, falling to 64-61 on the year. Braxton received the loss while Julio Urías earned his 11th win of the season. This was just the 16th time in franchise history that the Marlins were swept in a doubleheader. "You don't want to come in losing both games in a doubleheader. Especially the way we lost that first one kind of stung. Proud of the guys with how they came back, we just didn't score enough runs. With that offense over there, we had to match them and our pitching did a really good job. There's not too many moral victories at this point in the season, but I will say that I'm proud of these guys" added Skip. Miami has an off-day on Sunday due to the scheduling change and will begin a three-game set in San Diego on Monday. Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

Los Angeles—All seemed well in Miami's world on Saturday afternoon. Their young phenom gave them 6 shutout innings and their 3-headed monster of Andrew Nardi, Tanner Scott, and David Robertson was ready to go. Unfortunately for Miami, disaster struck in the bottom of the 8th and the Dodgers stole Game 1 of Saturday's day/night doubleheader in Los Angeles. Eury Day in LAThe last time Eury Pérez toed the rubber at Dodger Stadium, it was as a representative of the National League in the 2022 MLB Futures Game. At the time, Pérez was ranked as the #1 prospect in the Marlins system and the #16 prospect in all of Major League Baseball. https://videos.files.wordpress.com/whRrl9SA/387901f8-6178-4a89-bb35-93edd1b5fc8e.mp4"I felt really comfortable because I already knew the stadium and it was nice to remember that special moment" said Pérez in Spanish. He's since graduated from prospect eligibility and blossomed into one of baseball's most exciting rookies. Heading into his start on Saturday against the Dodgers, Pérez had made 13 starts in his rookie campaign, going 5-4 with a 3.19 ERA and 10.6 K/9. He had struggled in his two starts since being recalled on August 7, allowing 8 ER in 8.2 IP. Those struggles ended abruptly as he tossed arguably the best start 0f his career in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader. The 20-year-old went six shutout innings, allowed two hits, no runs, no walks, and struck out a career-high ten batters. He threw 90 pitches, 60 of them for strikes. "Against an offense like this, yeah, best I've seen his stuff" said manager Skip Schumaker postgame. He threw his changeup only seven times and relied heavily on his fastball and slider which generated 15 of his 22 whiffs. His fastball ranged from 96.7-99.7 mph. Overall, the velocity on that pitch was up for Pérez in this one, averaging 98.2 mph. "It's something that we're working on, with that pitch specifically. When it's not working as well, we throw it less. Luckily the fastball and slider were." Bottom of the 8thMiami had been clinging to a 1-0 lead since the top of the fourth inning when Bryan De La Cruz drilled an RBI double to score Jake Burger. That was the lone run of the game for Miami. After Nardi pitched a perfect seventh, usual closer David Robertson got the 8th. "We planned before the game that he was going to get that part of the order and we're going to have (Tanner) Scott get the top of the lineup. It didn't matter if it was the eighth or ninth." A one-out walk to James Outman began the downturn for Robertson, and Enrique Hernández followed with a sharp single up the middle. With runners on the corners and one out, Austin Barnes was called to put down a safety squeeze, which was executed perfectly and scored Outman. First baseman Josh Bell threw it to the backstop which allowed Hernández and Barnes to move up. "It's tough to defend that safety squeeze with a guy on first base. Barnes put down a perfect bunt, executed perfectly. Guy with speed on third base made it even tougher to defend" said Skip. MVP candidate Mookie Betts put the nail in the coffin with a two-run single to give the Dodgers a 3-1 lead and handed Robertson his second loss as a Marlin. "Things went wrong when you got a runner on first and then they just kept coming around and everybody kept scoring" said Robertson postgame to reporters. "I'm throwing the ball as well as I can throw it. That's me. Nothing I can do about it, you get beat sometimes. Those guys get paid a lot of money to hit the ball and have good at-bats." Robertson has been inconsistent since coming over to Miami in a three-player trade with the New York Mets, as he's allowed seven ER in eight innings pitched as a Marlin. Miami fell to 64-60 while the Dodgers improved to 75-47. Pérez got the no-decision and Ryan Yarbrough earned the win for Los Angeles. Evan Phillips set the Marlins down in order in the 9th to earn his 19th save. Miami will continue the 63rd doubleheader in franchise history at 9:10 pm ET on Saturday, going up against Julio Urías. Braxton Garrett will get the ball in the rubber game for Miami. Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

Los Angeles - The key ingredient missing to Sandy's success at Dodger Stadium? Run support. Miami backed their ace on Friday night with an 11-run outburst that helped him earn his sixth win of the season and 40th of his career. LA Sandy Every player has their own personal house of horror. For Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara, that place had been Dodger Stadium. In three career starts at Chavez Ravine, Alcantara was 0-2 with an 18.00 ERA going into Friday night. In his 10 innings pitched there, he had allowed 24 hits, 6 walks, and 4 (!) home runs. The only stadiums in which he's allowed more than 4 home runs are Truist Park, Citi Field, Coors Field, and of course, loanDepot Park. "It's different lineups hopefully that he's probably facing. I know ballparks are different. You like hitting in different ballparks. I think there are places that you don't want to play in for whatever reason but I think that you know as you go on in your career, sometimes you get over those 'jitters' and move past that. Sandy's in a different spot than maybe he was when he faced them" said manager Skip Schumaker pregame on his starting pitcher. It seems he did indeed move on from those jitters, as he gave the team easily his best performance at Dodger Stadium. His final line: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO. All three runs were scored on solo shots (Betts, Muncy, and Outman). "We can deal with solo home runs. When it's guys on base, then we have some issues. He just missed location; I think he tried to go up a couple of times and just missed middle-middle. Like we said pregame, if you miss your spots against a really good team like this, they're going to do damage, even when your guy is throwing 100 mph." Skip also mentioned he thought his two-seam was moving more than he wanted at times and that's where the missed location came from, but the slider was really good and helped bail him out on Friday. Leadoff homers! Both teams wasted no time getting on the board in this one. In the top of the first, Jorge Soler slammed the 2nd pitch of the game into the right field seats for his 31st long ball of the season. On Sandy's fourth pitch of the night, however, Mookie Betts returned the favor with a 420-foot homer to dead center. It was Mookie's 11th leadoff home run of the season, which extends his Dodger single season record. The homer also tied Mookie with Curtis Granderson for the 6th most leadoff home runs in MLB history. Power-hitting ball club The Marlins went 11 years without hitting 5+ home runs in a single game. That drought ended on Friday night as the team erupted for 5 round trippers through the first four innings, highlighted by a 3-homer third inning. After Soler hit his second homer of the game to lead off the frame, Jake Burger pummeled a 3-run shot to dead centerfield. It was his 27th of the season, 2nd as a Marlin, and second against Dodger starter Tony Gonsolin. A few batters later, unlikely power threat Jacob Stallings joined in on the fun and blasted his second homer of the year. The ball traveled 415 feet to center field, the second longest home run of his career. Stallings mentioned postgame that this one felt like the longest one he's ever hit In the top of the fifth, with a couple of runners on, Jazz Chisholm Jr. lifted his 12th home run of the season which extended Miami's lead to 10-1. When asked about his offense, Sandy said "It's exciting" with what they provided on Friday. "They've (Burger and Bell) been hitting bombs since they got here so we feel really happy about it." Steven Okert, Jorge López, and David Robertson pitched the last three innings of Friday night's 11-3 win. The team snapped the Dodgers' 11-game win streak and handed them their second loss of the month of August. Miami improved to 64-59, staying tied with Cincinnati for the third Wild Card spot. News and notes: The Marlins 5 home runs marked the club's first 5-homer game since July 3, 2012 at Milwaukee and just the 8th in franchise history Jorge Soler is the 7th Marlins player to hit two home runs in a single game at Dodger Stadium, last done by JT Realmuto in 2018. Former Marlin Miguel Rojas started the game at shortstop, but pitched a perfect 9th inning, retiring Jazz Chisholm, Jake Burger, and Bryan De La Cruz in order. Sandy's thoughts: "He always tries to pitch, we saw it here in Miami a couple of ties. I think he enjoyed it. He got Jazz Chisholm out and a couple of guys."Miami has a double-header on Saturday beginning at 3:00 pm ET. Eury Pérez will pitch Game 1 while Braxton Garrett gets the ball for Game 2. Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images

Isaac Azout and Kevin Barral are joined by Joe Frisaro to react to this week's Marlins trades and discuss the key decisions that still lie ahead between now and Tuesday's deadline. Also, Joe reflects on the career of Miguel Cabrera as he makes his final trip to Miami as an active player. Enjoy episode #46! Subscribe to the Fish On First YouTube channel to watch video versions of every Fish Unfiltered episode. On Wednesday, the Marlins traded Dylan Floro to the Minnesota Twins for Jorge López. Then late Thursday night, they made an even bigger splash by sending prospects Marco Vargas (No. 15 on the FOF Top 30) and Ronald Hernandez (No. 18) to the New York Mets for David Robertson. With four more days remaining until the MLB trade deadline, Frisaro says to "keep an eye" on Washington Nationals third baseman Jeimer Candelario as a serious possibility for the Fish. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic has also reported that Miami is interested in him. A 2003 World Series champion and four-time All-Star during his Marlins tenure, Miguel Cabrera is visiting LoanDepot Park this weekend as a member of the Detroit Tigers. He'll be honored with a pregame ceremony prior to Friday's series opener. Follow Joe (@JoeFrisaro), 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.

Former Marlins ace speaks on Toronto trade, Eury Pérez, and much more.From 2009-2011, Josh Johnson was one of, if not the best pitcher in baseball. A decade removed from his final MLB appearance, the two-time All-Star returned to loanDepot Park for the latest Flashback Friday Marlins alumni celebration. Johnson, Justin Bour, and Gaby Sanchez threw out the ceremonial first pitches before Miami’s devastating 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. After the media scrum, Josh sat down with me for a few minutes and allowed me to discuss a myriad of topics. Here’s that conversation. Fish On First: I’m here with former Marlins ace Josh Johnson. Thanks so much for taking the time. First off, how’s retirement been? What have you been up to? Josh Johnson: It’s been great. Coaching, coaching, and more coaching. Working with different age levels of kids, was doing lessons for a while, but now I’m actually coaching teams, and I’m teaching them the right ways to play baseball. FOF: We spoke briefly before the interview about some of the rule changes. You’re a big fan of the pitch clock? JJ: I would have loved it, that’s all I know. As soon as I heard it, I figured the hitters would have the toughest time with it, not all hitters. There were only a few pitchers that I remember who really took their time. As far as hitters, they like to fix the batting gloves, all that kind of stuff, and now they have to get ready right away, but I think the league has adjusted well. FOF: You actually threw the first pitch ever in this stadium as you were part of the team that broke in Marlins Park. What was your favorite memory from that tumultuous 2012 season? JJ: Ooh. I like just how I battled, honestly. That was a rough year with different things. The way my body felt wasn’t great basically all year. And then I get to the end of the year with 191 innings, I had a chance to get 200. The hamstring is tight, the shoulder is tight, seemed like everything wasn’t in the cards to throw 200 innings, you know. The way I actually battled through that season was actually one of my proudest moments as a big leaguer. FOF: Like most very tall pitchers, you struggled with command early on in your career. What’s it like to see someone like Eury Perez come up and attack the strike zone like he has at 6’8" and 20 years old? JJ: It’s, honestly it’s a little mind-blowing really to watch him. I started watching him the last couple weeks, just to get a feel for who’s pitching, just to see what I’ve been hearing about and the things that have been said about him, and he’s the real deal. Whenever you can control the ball like that and have four pitches and be as good as he has been, he’ll be in this game for a long time. FOF: Your reaction to that infamous Toronto trade in November of 2012? JJ: Honestly, we were all a little bummed. We thought we were gonna get one more season. We thought we were really close to being a playoff contender in '13. Everyone in that clubhouse thought it. Once José Reyes got comfortable playing out of New York, we were all really excited. I actually talked to Mike Redmond maybe a day or two before the trade, and we spoke about how big that season was going to be. Spoke to Buehrle, John Buck. Another year of working with Buehrle and talking to Buehrle and learning from him was really looking forward to it in Miami. We really had a fun and great team that loved being around each other, and I thought we were close to making a serious run. FOF: You’re on the other side of history when you faced Roy Halladay. Perfect game, obviously. I was there, you pitched very well. What was that day like? JJ: It’s awesome, honestly. It’s funny because the first thing that comes to mind is that when 12-year-olds go to Cooperstown for baseball, I get to say I have something in the Hall of Fame. I am a lifetime Hall of Fame member, not for something I did—well, actually, for one thing, I did, which was throwing the first pitch in the stadium—but I have two things in there, and one of them was having my jersey taken for Halladay’s perfect game. FOF: Amazing. Thanks so much for the time, JJ. JJ: It was a pleasure. JJ goes down as one of the franchise’s best starting pitchers of all time. He ranks first in team history in pitching WAR, ERA, Adjusted ERA +, and WPA. He also struck out future Marlin CEO Derek Jeter in the 2010 All-Star Game. https://streamable.com/l/texalm/mp4.mp4One of my personal favorites as a child, it was an honor to speak with JJ.

Kevin Barral and Isaac Azout are joined by Miami Marlins shortstop Joey Wendle. Topics covered on Episode 44 of Fish Unfiltered include: The Marlins' recent series against the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves Every step of Wendle's professional baseball journey Playing for small-market teamsWhy the Marlins have improved so much from 2022 to 2023Why he doesn't use batting glovesHis clutch home run against the Marlins in 2021 Subscribe to the Fish On First YouTube channel to watch video versions of every Fish Unfiltered episode. In his age-33 season, Wendle is slashing .271/.309/.381 (89 wRC+) through 53 games played. He has already started 40 games at shortstop, nearly doubling his previous high for a single season. Wendle was also with the Marlins in 2022 when they disappointed to the tune of a 69-93 record. Here's how he explains what's made the difference in 2023: Follow 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, Fishology, State of the Fish 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.