‘Control what you can control’: How doubleheader impacts Miami Marlins down the stretch
It’s the final days of the regular season. The Miami Marlins are in the midst of a playoff push, trying to advance to the postseason for the first time in a full season since 2003.
They’re dealing with injuries, with pitchers Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez done for the year and National League batting champion leader Luis Arraez still hobbled by a twice-injured left ankle.
So of course there’s another bump in the road in the final week.
“Every team is going through something,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “Whether it’s injury or issues with the rotation...”
He paused briefly.
“... Or forgetting to tarp the field.”
That’s the crux of what caused in the Marlins’ series opener against the New York Mets being postponed on Tuesday and resulted in the teams having to play a doubleheader on Wednesday at Citi Field.
The field was “unplayable,” the Mets said at the time of the postponement Tuesday and a sentiment Schumaker echoed pregame Tuesday and Wednesday.
Lingering rain throughout the day and the effects of the weather over the past few days from Tropical Storm Ophelia — with no tarp on the field during that time — left the infield in rough shape leading up to game time. The Citi Field groundscrew worked to get the field in proper shape, but the game was ultimately called at about 8:15 p.m., about an hour after the originally scheduled first pitch.
Marlins outfielder Bryan De La Cruz said pregame Wednesday the series opener being postponed “wasn’t well received, to be honest” and that he spent Monday night watching as two more teams — the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies — secured their postseason berths, leaving just two playoff spots left for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Marlins, Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds.
“At the end of the day,” De La Cruz said, “you’ve got to control what you can control. What we can control is just coming in here with a strong mindset and get ready to play good baseball.”
Added third baseman Jake Burger: “It happens in baseball, especially with the majority of the stadiums being outside. We’re lucky in Miami to have the roof. Take care of Game 1 and then focus on Game 2.”
Mets owner Steven Cohen posted on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, a message expressing “sincere apologies to the Marlins and their fans for having to postpone [Tuesday] night’s game.”
“We know how important this series is to the Marlins,” Cohen wrote, “and every effort was made to get the field playable.”
It couldn’t get done, so Miami instead is playing six games over the final five days of the season with a shot at the playoffs on the line. The Marlins entered Wednesday a half game behind the Cubs for the National League’s third and final wild card spot.
“We couldn’t play yesterday. That’s just what it is. We tried,” Schumaker said. “The last thing you want to do is keep the guys here until midnight and then not play. They made the right decision of getting the guys back home at a decent time.
“Every team has adversity through 162,” Schumaker added. “We’re no different. No one feels sorry for any team. They don’t feel sorry for us. We don’t feel sorry for them, no matter where you go.”
How it impacts Marlins pitching
One main area of adversity the Marlins have been navigating down the stretch of the season has been on the mound, specifically with how they organize their rotation with both Alcantara (right UCL sprain) and Perez (SI joint inflammation) out for the season.
Braxton Garrett started Game 1 of the doubleheader Wednesday, with Johnny Cueto slated to start Game 2.
Garrett was originally scheduled to pitch the series Tuesday, which would have had him available on normal rest for the regular-season finale on Sunday if Miami needed him to pitch to secure a playoff spot.
Pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr., however, didn’t rule Garrett out from pitching in that final game.
Jesus Luzardo is scheduled to start the series finale against the Mets on Thursday before Miami closes the regular season with three games at the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Schumaker said he’s not going to “set anything in stone” with the rotation for the Pirates series until after they finish with the Mets.
“After that,” Schumaker said, “we’ll keep you up to speed.”
This and that
▪ Arraez remains “day to day” as he deals with his ankle injury. Schumaker said Tuesday he hoped Arraez would be available to pinch-hit off the bench.
▪ Closer Tanner Scott is on the paternity list as his wife gave birth Tuesday to their first child. Scott is expected to return to the team either Thursday or Friday. With Scott out, the Marlins activated Huascar Brazoban from the 15-day injured list to fill his spot in the bullpen and the team is going to mix and match closing duties until Scott returns.
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