From the Vets Before Them: Marlins’ young core learns in loss to Nationals

Before Xavier Edwards delivered the hit that ignited Miami’s fifth-inning rally, he thought about the conversations that helped him get there.

“A big part of it,” Edwards said, referring to former Marlin Josh Bell. “A good friend of mine…just bouncing ideas off each other and what it takes to get through the whole season. I would say [he] has been a big help.”

On Friday night, the two shared the field again — one leading the charge for Miami’s young core, the other haunting his former team with a home run, a walk, and a go-ahead run in the Nationals’ 7-4 comeback win. The result flipped late, but the relationship between Bell and Edwards remained one of the night’s most enduring through-lines: the veteran shaping the next wave.

“X is a great player,” Bell said. “It’s cool knowing that I can plant a seed in there and he’ll be doing the same thing for a rookie whenever he’s like the next Jimmy Rollins.”

The Marlins led 4–0 after five innings, fueled by Edwards’ two-run single and a two-run double by Kyle Stowers. The game seemed like a showcase of Miami’s youth movement — until it wasn’t.

Edward Cabrera, making his first start since returning from the injured list, was sharp early. The right-hander touched 99 mph in the first inning and allowed just two runs across 5.2 innings, striking out five while walking three. He exited with a 4–2 lead after surrendering a two-run homer to Bell and a two-out walk in the sixth.

“We’re a bunch of young guys in here… we bring a lot of energy to the field every day,”

Edwards said before the game. “We spend a lot of time together off the field as well… it’s all fun and the game we love to play and compete at.”

That camaraderie turned into production in the bottom of the fifth. After a sacrifice bunt from Graham Pauley and a throwing error loaded the bases, Edwards shot a ground ball up the middle, scoring two. Stowers followed with a two-run double down the first base line, drawing one of the loudest cheers of the night from the 9,094 in attendance — many of them Franklin Academy students seated down the left-field line.

Bell, who played for Miami last season, showed both his poise and power — launching a solo homer, drawing a walk, and scoring from first on a ninth-inning double by Alex Call. He also made a full-extension catch near the dugout railing and leaned into his role as a veteran mentor.

“It’s not an easy road,” Bell said. “It’s really tough to stick around in this game. The lessons I learned from the vets are the reason why I’m still playing.”

Griffin Conine — another Marlins rookie — added a single and nearly made a game-saving diving catch in the ninth. Earlier, Conine reflected on what it means to be part of a group this young.

“It’s definitely a unique clubhouse,” he said. “Everyone comes to the field every day ready to get to work… we’re all on the same boat. Performing, being at our best, making an impact.”

For Nationals manager Dave Martinez, Bell’s influence is exactly what the team sought.

“We are so young… I believe in those young guys just as much as I do the veterans,” Martinez said. “But having that veteran presence definitely helps in that clubhouse… they play the game the right way. Riz and I… we want our young guys to learn from some of the best.”

Martinez added: “These guys are learning and they’re hungry… they’re playing every game to win every game.”

The Marlins had one last chance in the bottom of the ninth. Otto Lopez lined a leadoff double, but three quick outs followed — the last coming on a grounder to Bell at first.

Pauley, part of Miami’s youth wave, said the connection between the team’s young players has made the transition to the majors smoother.

“We like being around each other,” he said. “That makes going out there and playing a lot easier.”

So does support. Paul DeJong, now in Washington’s infield, said the mentorship he received from players like Matt Carpenter and Paul Goldschmidt shaped the way he approaches games — and teammates.

“They’re just young and humble guys that want to go out there and play the game and beat you on the field… and enjoy time together,” DeJong said. “I’ve really appreciated kind of the family unit that these young guys have established together.”

With so many players on both rosters still early in their careers, the memories of the minors aren’t distant. Some, like Edwards and Pauley, admitted there are parts they even miss — the smaller towns, the long bus rides, the tight-knit clubhouse rhythms. But nostalgia doesn’t cloud their vision. They know where they are now — and where they’re trying to stay.

Before the Game: A Moment of Silence for the Dominican Republic

Before first pitch Friday, the Marlins held a moment of silence to honor the victims of a nightclub roof collapse in the Dominican Republic — a tragedy that left more than 200 people dead and many more injured.

Edward Cabrera, who made his return to the mound as Miami’s starter, was born in Santiago. Additionally, Marlins ace, Sandy Alcantara, also from the Dominican Republic, addressed the tragedy before the game.

“Everybody is heartbroken right now, something that’s never happened in our country… everybody feels bad about it,” Alcantara said. “There are a lot of families crying right now… you’re heartbroken and you feel very, very bad about what happened.”

Alcantara added: “We’re praying, we’re praying for them and God be with them.”

He also reflected on Octavio Dotel, one of the victims, who was a former professional pitcher and a well-known figure in Dominican baseball.

“I didn’t know him like personally, but I mean, I know who he is or who he was, and he was a great person.”

This story was originally published April 11, 2025 at 11:07 PM.