Trevor Rogers impresses, but Marlins drop first game of doubleheader to Rangers

Don Mattingly and Trevor Rogers agreed: Monday was the best Rogers has looked on the mound in over a year.

But the Miami Marlins couldn’t back the left-handed pitcher’s outing, dropping the first game of a split doubleheader against the Texas Rangers, 3-2, at loanDepot park. The Marlins are now 57-83 on the season, including 22-33 in one-run games.

The Rangers (61-79) took the lead in the top of the eighth when Steven Okert allowed four consecutive batters to reach base with two outs, as Mark Mathias’ bases-loaded walk brought Corey Seager home.

Monday’s loss dampered Rogers’ impressive performance, his third start since coming off the injured list Aug. 31.

His 6 1/3 innings was the deepest he has pitched in a game this season, and his nine strikeouts were a season-high. He gave up just four hits and walked two batters, cruising before getting into trouble in the seventh. Rogers gave up a double to Adolis Garcia, walked Mathias on a full count and allowed an RBI double to Josh Jung over consecutive one-out plate appearances to end his outing.

“It was definitely, probably the best I’ve felt all year,” Rogers said. “Just mentality wise, my body felt great, all my pitches were playing. …So just for me being able to put all the pieces together and really go execute my pitches, it felt good.”

Over his three starts since coming off the injured list, Rogers has a 2.95 ERA (six earned runs over 18 1/3 innings) with 22 strikeouts against three walks. He has pitched at least six innings in each of those three starts after only getting that far in a game twice in his first 19 starts, a stretch in which he pitched to a 5.85 ERA.

“He looked like he was synced up all day long, [and it] didn’t seem like he ever really lost that,” Mattingly said. “So that was really encouraging.”

While it was an undeniably efficient showing from Rogers, heroics from the Marlins defense certainly aided his statline.

Third baseman Brian Anderson was key in the sixth, making a strong throw across the diamond to get Bubba Thompson out on a leadoff groundout and then started an inning-ending double play in the shift.

Sam Huff’s RBI groundout against Tommy Nance in the seventh tied the game but could have led to more if not for shortstop Miguel Rojas making a sliding grab to stop the ball from going into the outfield.

Miami opened scoring in the fifth inning, when Rojas scored on a Lewin Diaz sacrifice fly after reaching base when Rangers starting pitcher Glenn Otto hit him in the stomach to lead off the inning before moving to second on a failed pickoff attempt and advancing to third on a wild pitch.

A Jon Berti RBI single then scored Jacob Stallings, who walked, to put Miami up 2-0 before the Rangers rallied late.

This and that

▪ Outfielder Jorge Soler confirmed that his first season with the Marlins is all but over as he continues to rehab a lower back injury.

“I don’t think I’ll be back this year,” Soler said, adding this is the first time in his playing career he has dealt with a back injury and that he will rehab in Miami for the next month.

It puts a tough end to a frustrating season for the 30-year-old slugger who signed as a free agent with the Marlins about a week into spring training.In 72 games this season, Soler hit just .207 with a .695 on-base-plus-slugging mark but had 13 home runs — which had him on pace for 29 home runs over a full 162-game season — and 34 RBI.

▪ Prior to Game 1 of the doubleheader, the Marlins selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Aneurys Zabala, selected right-handed pitcher Bryan Hoeing as the 29th man for the doubleheader and optioned left-handed pitcher Andrew Nardi to Triple A Jacksonville. Braxton Garrett, who is scheduled to start the nightcap, is expected to be activated from the injured list and added to the roster between games.

This story was originally published September 12, 2022 at 4:12 PM.