After Game 1 win, Sixto Sanchez has a chance to move Marlins into next round of playoffs
Sixto Sanchez, born and raised in the Dominican Republic, was quick to admit he doesn’t know much about Wrigley Field’s rich history.
But the Miami Marlins’ top prospect certainly understands the magnitude of the situation he’s in.
Following the Marlins’ 5-1 win over the Cubs in Game 1 of the best-of-3 wild card series on Wednesday, Miami’s first chance to advance to the National League Division Series will rest on his flamethrower of a right arm. He will match up against the Cubs’ Yu Darvish, a Cy Young Award contender who went 8-3 with a 2.01 ERA in 12 regular-season starts.
“The mentality,” Sanchez said Wednesday, “will be attacking until I finish them.”
That has been Sanchez’s mentality since the 22-year-old rookie was called up to make his MLB debut on Aug. 22. According to Statcast, 50.8 percent of Sanchez’s pitches have been in the strike zone. That ranks 33rd in baseball among the 165 pitchers who threw at least 500 pitches during the regular season.
But teams started to take advantage of that late, evidenced in his final two starts of the season which came against teams he faced earlier in the year. The Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves combined to tack him for nine earned runs over seven innings (an 11.57 ERA) and hit .375 against him in those outings. For comparison, Sanchez had a 1.69 ERA and held opponents to a .214 batting average in his first five starts. That included limiting the Nationals to three earned runs in five innings during his MLB debut and shutting out the Braves for six innings on Sept. 8.
“I learned a lot that since hitters have more experience, they are going to be tough,” Sanchez said, “because the strike zone at this level is smaller and you really have to focus on locating your pitches.”
But with his stuff — five pitches he can throw for strikes, including a four-seam fastball that tops at 100 mph and a change up that hits the low 90s that has produced 18 of his 33 strikeouts — Marlins manager Don Mattingly isn’t worried so long as Sanchez stays within himself.
“Sixto’s stuff is Sixto’s stuff. It’s as good as anybody’s,” Mattingly said. “We’re going to push him to be aggressive. He throws strikes with everything. We’re going to try to get him on the hunt, keep him on the hunt and see what we get with him.”
Rookie-heavy roster
The Marlins are carrying seven rookies on their 28-man playoff roster after adding right-handed pitcher, Nick Neidert, left-handed pitcher Braxton Garrett and first baseman Lewin Diaz on Wednesday. The group joins top-10 prospects Sanchez, outfielder Monte Harrison, shortstop Jazz Chisholm and left-handed pitcher Trevor Rogers.
The additions of Garrett and Neidert, the Marlins’ No. 11 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline, gives the Marlins extra long-relief options with Jose Urena expected to miss the remainder of the season after fracturing his right forearm last week.
Neidert appeared in four games this season compiling a 5.40 ERA over 8 1/3 innings with four strikeouts and two walks. Neidert and fellow rookie Trevor Rogers, a candidate to start should the Marlins advance, are expected to be the Marlins’ primary long relief options.
The Marlins placed Urena on their taxi squad along with reliever Nick Vincent and lefty starter Daniel Castano, another rookie who made his debut in 2020.
Vincent (1-2 with a 4.43 ERA in 22 1/3 innings) assumed a key role in the Marlins’ bullpen after they lost 18 players in late July due to COVID-19. Opposing batters hit .190 against Vincent in high-leverage innings per Baseball-Reference.
Diaz, the Marlins’ No. 8 overall prospect per Baseball America, went 6 for 39 (.154/.195/.205) with two doubles and three RBI over his first 41 major-league plate appearances.
This and that
▪ Outfielder Starling Marte left the game after being hit by a pitch in the ninth inning. The initial diagnosis is a non-displaced fracture on his left pinkie. The team is listing him as day-to-day.
▪ Majority owner Bruce Sherman and CEO Derek Jeter are with the team in Chicago.
This story was originally published September 30, 2020 at 6:45 PM.
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