Rough start for Connor Gillispie dooms Marlins in series opener against Diamondbacks
Through the early portion of the 2025 season, Miami Marlins starting pitchers have done a good job of keeping the ball inside the park.
That was far from the case on Tuesday.
Starting pitcher Connor Gillispie gave up a pair of home runs — and Miami gave up three overall — in a 10-4 rout by the Arizona Diamondbacks to begin a three-game series at loanDepot park. Tuesday marked the fourth time through 16 games the Marlins (8-8) have given up 10 runs.
Gillispie, who broke camp in the Marlins’ rotation due to injuries to both Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers during spring training, gave up a three-run home run to Geraldo Perdomo as part of a four-run second inning for Arizona (10-7) and a solo shot to Josh Naylor in the third. He was pulled after giving up three consecutive singles to start the sixth, an inning in which Corbin Carroll would go on to hit a grand slam off reliever George Soriano.
“A tough one, for sure,” Gillispie said.
Gillispie, who has a 5.68 ERA over 19 innings this season, finished Tuesday with six earned runs allowed on eight hits and two walks while striking out six. There were some bright spots mixed in, including retiring nine in a row after the Naylor home run before giving up the three consecutive singles to end his night, but they were overshadowed by the mistakes that came early.
“Overall, I’m sure he’s not happy with the end results,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said, “and it’s tough to extrapolate and just take out certain plays because they all did happen, but you think maybe a pitch or two that he’d like to just maybe locate better could have just changed the final line on that outing.”
Through 16 games this season, Marlins starting pitchers have given up just seven home runs — tied for the third-fewest in MLB — over 75 innings. Gillispie has given up four of those seven home runs across his four starts after also giving up one apiece against the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 28 and New York Mets on April 8.
Catcher Liam Hicks broke up the Marlins’ shutout with an RBI groundout in the second. He added an RBI double in the seventh inning, during which Miami tried to string together a late rally. Xavier Edwards added an RBI single in the frame and the Marlins loaded the bases before Eric Wagaman struck out swinging to end the threat. Miami added one more run in the ninth on a Graham Pauley sacrifice fly that scored Griffin Conine, who led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a Hicks flyout.
This and that
▪ The Marlins activated outfielder Jesus Sanchez from the injured list ahead of Tuesday’s game. Sanchez, who was sidelined with a left oblique strain sustained in spring training, went 1 for 4 with a walk while starting in center field.
▪ To make room for Sanchez on the active roster, the Marlins designated for assignment infielder Jonah Bride, who was hitting .100 (4 for 40) to start the season.
This story was originally published April 15, 2025 at 9:21 PM.
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