Marlins’ supporting cast disappears as losing streak reaches 11
June’s hottest team has gone ice-cold.
After Saturday’s 7-2 loss to the San Diego Padres, the Marlins tied a franchise record with 11 straight losses.
“All parts will have to be involved for us to turn this around,” said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough. “One person isn’t going to stop it. Ultimately, it’s what does our team need to do break it. It’s going to be a collective effort.”
The freeze began with Miami’s bats, which have produced the league’s lowest on-base percentage (.273) and second-lowest batting average (.214) during the losing streak.
Steady contributions are still coming from the league’s top hitter, shortstop Otto Lopez, second baseman Xavier Edwards and Liam Hicks, but unlike Miami’s historic June, the Marlins haven’t received enough timely production from the role players around them.
Similarly, the Marlins’ starting pitchers have held steady throughout the skid, but the bullpen has struggled to finish the job behind them.
On Saturday, Eury Pérez continued to string together encouraging outings, allowing three runs over seven innings. But Dax Fulton was hit hard after entering in relief in the eighth, giving up three runs as San Diego pulled away.
Offensively, Miami logged five hits and finished well below its season average of 4.4 runs for the eighth time during the losing streak, with Lopez and Kyle Stowers driving in the Marlins’ only runs.
The Marlins also struggled to capitalize when runs were most needed, leaving four runners, including Lopez, on base and going 2-for-5 with runners in scoring position
Miami’s top players have continued to set the table. The rest of the roster hasn’t done enough to capitalize.
The support disappears
As Pérez continues to showcase his development, his leash continues to get longer. The 23-year-old hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any of his past seven starts.
The 23-year-old has posted a 1.58 ERA over his past seven starts, allowing just seven earned runs across 40 innings. Saturday also marked his fourth consecutive quality start, with Pérez throwing a season-high 104 pitches.
Even in the seventh inning Saturday, when he allowed a run and appeared in danger of giving up more, Pérez maintained his composure and leaned on his best pitches to limit the damage.
“I’m very grateful that they left me finish that 7th inning,” Pérez said. “The trust is something I really appreciate.”
That said, only four of Pérez’s past seven strong starts have translated into wins, with the bullpen repeatedly failing to hold up behind him. That doesn’t even include his near-perfect game, when Miami’s relievers allowed eight runs after he exited.
Since the losing streak began, the Marlins’ bullpen ERA has ranked among the 10 worst in baseball, a stark contrast from June, when the unit ranked inside MLB’s top five.
Offensively, if players such as Jakob Marsee (.195 batting average) and Stowers (.230), who both reached base Saturday, can produce more consistently, it could eventually coincide with the steady production Miami is already receiving from Lopez, Edwards and Hicks.
But for now, the contributions haven’t aligned enough to make the entire lineup click.
“The seas that we’re navigating, they’ll end. I wish I had a crystal ball to know when,” McCullough said. “But still a ton of confidence that we’ll get this thing turned in a different direction.”
What’s next
The Marlins will look to avoid setting a new franchise record on Sunday with their 12th consecutive loss when they close their three-game series against the Padres at 1:40 p.m. at loanDepot park.
Janson Junk (4-6, 5.09 ERA) will start for Miami against right-hander Walker Buehler (6-5, 5.23).
This story was originally published July 25, 2026 at 8:35 PM with the headline "Marlins’ supporting cast disappears as losing streak reaches 11."