Marlins not panicking despite 1-4 start to season, with home opener on the horizon
%20(1).JPG "Los Angeles Angels’ Tyler Wade, left, scores on a Max Stassi walk off fielder’s choice as Miami Marlins catcher Jacob Stallings takes a late throw during the ninth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 12, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. The Angels won 4-3.")
As the Miami Marlins wrapped up their first road trip and prepare to play in front of their home crowd for the first time this season, Don Mattingly had a simple summation of his team’s opening two series of the 2022 season.
“Not so bad,” the manager said, “other than the losses.”
Ah, yes. The losses. Four in the first five games of the season. Three of which were decided by one run. Two of which came in walk-off fashion after the team rallied late.
The fast start the Marlins were hoping to achieve? It eluded them in their season-opening road trip, with Miami going 1-2 against the San Francisco Giants and 0-2 against the Los Angeles Angels.
But with 157 games to play, the Marlins aren’t ready to hit the panic button two series into the season.
“It’s just not all together yet,” second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. said, “but you see that we’re staying close and we’re not close to our peak yet as a team.”
After five games, Miami’s retooled offense has yet to break out.
Through games played Tuesday, the Marlins are tied for 24th in runs scored (14) and 27th in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.577). Their 26.4 percent strikeout rate is the third highest in the league.
“Obviously,” Mattingly said, “we haven’t been able to throw a bunch of runs up yet.”
There have been some individual bright spots, though.
Chisholm, for example, has two home runs and five RBI through his first 14 plate appearances. His three-run home run in the ninth inning against the Giants on Friday temporarily gave Miami a one-run lead before San Francisco tied the score in the bottom of the ninth and won it in the 10th inning. His two-run homer in the seventh inning Tuesday tied the score against the Angels before Los Angeles won in walk-off fashion two innings later.
Outfielder Jesus Sanchez has also showcased his potential at the plate with two long home runs Monday and a slew of lengthy plate appearances.
Outside of that group, results have been minimal.
Jorge Soler is hitting .158, with all three of his hits coming in one game. Avisail Garcia is hitting .133 and missed both games against the Angels with back tenderness. Brian Anderson (.133), Miguel Rojas (.118) and Jesus Aguilar (.063) are all hitting below .150 through the first handful of games.
“We’re gonna get it right,” Aguilar said.
The sooner they do, the better. Throughout spring training and into the first week of the season, the Marlins have talked about the need to turn optimism into wins. Consolation prizes of keeping games close, as Mattingly put it Sunday, need to start being a thing of the past.
Alas, they remained a thing of the present in the early going of the 2022 season.
Their next chance to get it right comes at home, with the Marlins hosting the Philadelphia Phillies for four games from Thursday through Sunday before hosting the St. Louis Cardinals for a three-game set that starts Tuesday.
“I don’t think there’s anyone pressing or anyone worried,” said starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo, who struck out 12 in five innings Tuesday. “Obviously there’s frustration, but that comes with losing.”
This and that
▪ Anthony Bender pitched the ninth inning of each of Miami’s three games where they had a chance to record a save or send the game to extra innings. He gave up a game-tying home run on Friday, bounced back to get a save on Saturday and allowed the winning run to get around the basepaths Tuesday (although a non-call on a caught stealing also played a factor there). Until Dylan Floro (right rotator cuff tendinitis) returns from the injured list, Bender will likely continue to be Miami’s go-to option.
▪ Mattingly is optimistic Garcia will return to the lineup Thursday.
This story was originally published April 13, 2022 at 2:26 PM.
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