Command eludes Edward Cabrera in Miami Marlins loss to New York Mets
The highlight of top pitcher prospect Edward Cabrera’s third Miami Marlins start came when he was in the batter’s box.
With a runner on first in the second inning and an 0-1 count, Cabrera showed bunt to New York Mets pitcher Carlos Carrasco before pulling back and swinging away at a four-seam fastball. Cabrera roped the pitch 102.5 mph down the left-field line for a game-tying RBI double, his first career MLB hit.
“At the beginning I thought it was gonna be a foul ball,” Cabrera said afterward, “but then I saw the umpire make the call and I was like ‘Damn. It’s right there. Let me start running.’ But at the plate, I got to tell you, I feel very confident. I guess because since I was little, I was always a good hitter, so I have a lot of confidence when I go to the plate.”
The rest of his outing? Yeah. Cabrera will likely want to forget this one. His command was erratic from the first pitch Tuesday. He didn’t even make it through the third inning of the 9-4 loss.
Cabrera’s final line: Four earned runs on one hit, four walks and two hit by pitches in 2 1/3 innings with one strikeout. The 23-year-old righty threw 65 pitches, with just 31 landing for strikes.
“I didn’t feel bad physically,” Cabrera said, “but I did feel like some of my tempo and some of my balance was completely off on some of those pitches. It’s something that you’ve got to try to find the positive in the negative, learn from it and move on.”
The lone hit he gave up: A Pete Alonso two-run home run on an elevated fastball in the first inning.
Cabrera, the No. 30 overall prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, threw a clean second inning before his start unraveled in the third. After striking out Carrasco to begin the frame, Cabrera loaded the bases with three consecutive walks to Jonathan Villar, Francisco Lindor and Alonso before hitting Michael Conforto and Javier Baez to drive in two more runs.
Through three starts, Cabrera has a 7.11 ERA over 12 2/3 innings.
The Mets scored three runs in the sixth on two hits, one walk and two Marlins errors to go ahead for good and added runs in the eighth and ninth.
The loss drops the Marlins to 57-81, ensuring they will not have a winning season for the 11th time in the past 12 years. The Mets improve to 70-69.
Eddy Alvarez back in The Show
When Eddy Alvarez returned from Tokyo with his second Olympic silver medal in hand, he had one goal in mind: Get back to the big leagues.
Well, that dream became a reality on Tuesday. The Marlins selected his contract from the Triple A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp and added him to the active roster.
In 13 games since returning from the Olympics, Alvarez hit .333 with three home runs, 11 RBI and 13 runs scored for the Jumbo Shrimp. This included five multi-hit games.
Alvarez, a switch-hitter who can play three infield positions (second base, shortstop and third base), started at second base on Tuesday, scored a run on Cabrera’s RBI double in the second and hit an RBI double of his own in the fourth.
“He kind of plays all over the diamond,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “He’s that guy who’s a little bit like [Jon] Berti. He plays a lot of different spots in the infield so we’re gonna be able to use him for sure.”
Roster moves
In addition to Alvarez’s contract being selected, the Marlins also claimed right-handed pitcher Taylor Williams off waivers from the San Diego Padres on Monday.
Williams has spent the bulk of the season on the injured list with right knee inflammation. He allowed just one earned in 5 1/3 innings over five relief appearances before the injury. For his career, he has a 5.17 ERA with 102 strikeouts in 92 1/3 innings over five big-league seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners and Padres.
To make room for both Alvarez and Williams, the Marlins designated for assignment infielder Deven Marrero and left-handed pitcher Ross Detwiler.
Marrero being DFA’d comes as little surprise. This is the fifth time the Marlins have made the transaction with him this season.
Detwiler, though, was a relative surprise. The Marlins signed him to a one-year, $850,000 this offseason. The 35-year-old had a 4.96 ERA in 46 appearances, but 13 of the 25 earned runs he allowed came in two of his five starts. Take out those two performances, and Detwiler’s ERA drops to 2.59 for the season.
“It’s a tough one,” Mattingly said. “If you take out his starts, I feel like he’s been really good out of the bullpen. It’s just hard. You’ve had him the whole year and to do that at this point in the year is not the best situation.”
Injury updates
▪ Mattingly said shortstop Miguel Rojas, who left Sunday’s game with left trapezius soreness, “feels good” but the Marlins gave him the day off Tuesday as a precaution. Mattingly said he anticipates Rojas being back in the starting lineup Wednesday.
▪ Pablo Lopez (right rotator cuff strain) is playing catch with the goal of resuming bullpen sessions at a to-be-determined date later this week.
▪ Brian Anderson (left shoulder subluxation) and Berti (concussion) are continuing their rehab in Miami.
▪ Jesus Aguilar was a late scratch from the starting lineup on Tuesday due to left knee soreness.
This story was originally published September 7, 2021 at 10:41 PM.
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