The Marlins were ‘manhandled’ on their road trip. Next up: Hosting the Braves and Dodgers
The Miami Marlins embarked on a five-day, six-game road trip coming off a walk-off victory against the Minnesota Twins.
They make their way back to South Florida without picking up another win since that day.
The final blow: A 7-2 loss to the New York Mets on Wednesday to cap a four-game series sweep. Miami lost the first three games of the series 6-2, 5-4 and 5-0 after also being swept in a two game series against the Tampa Rays on Saturday and Sunday.
The Marlins are now 42-71 on the year. The Mets (59-56) have won 13 of their last 14 games.
“We kind of got manhandled the whole trip,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “We’ve got to get back on track.”
And another tough pair of series loom back at home. The Marlins’ upcoming seven-game homestand includes four games against the National League East frontrunners Atlanta Braves and the NL’s top team in the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“It doesn’t get any easier,” Mattingly said. “It’s the big leagues.”
Jordan Yamamoto gave up a pair of two-run home runs to Pete Alonso and Michael Conforto but held a recently hot Mets team in check the rest of the way. The rookie right-handed pitcher struck out six, walked just one and only had multiple runners on the basepaths once. He stranded both when Todd Frazier flew out to center field to end the sixth.
“Just progression, not perfection,” Yamamoto said. “I’m shooting for perfection, but at the same time, I wish I could take back a couple pitches.”
Jeff McNeil added a two-run homer of his own and Conforto hit his second of the game in the seventh off Marlins reliever Jose Quijada.
The Marlins gave up 11 home runs over the four-game series against the Mets.
Lewis Brinson broke up the Marlins’ shutout on Wednesday with an RBI single in the second before being thrown out on a baserunning gaffe. Brian Anderson hit his 18th home run of the year in the sixth inning for a second run.
Pitching depth
The Marlins starting rotation has quickly gone from being its strength to being another weakness.
Miami’s starting pitchers gave up 23 earned runs over 29 innings — equivalent to a 7.14 ERA — over the six-game road trip.
Two of the team’s starters from its Opening Day roster — Pablo Lopez and Jose Urena — are still on the injured list. The team also traded Zac Gallen, a rising prospect who was solid over seven starts with the Marlins, to the Arizona Diamondbacks for top shortstop prospect Jazz Chisholm.
The team’s fifth rotation spot is still in flux, with Hector Noesi currently holding down the role.
Double play doom
The Marlins grounded into 10 double plays and went 9 for 56 (.161) with runners in scoring position over the six road games.
This story was originally published August 7, 2019 at 2:36 PM.
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