The Miami Marlins are 3-14 and off to the worst 17-game start in franchise history.
The Marlins are determined to take their frustration out on the other side Tuesday when they host the San Francisco Giants in the second game in a three-game series. The Giants rallied from a three-run deficit to post a 4-3 win in the series opener on Monday.
A growing trend for the Marlins involves scoring early only for the bullpen to melt, the pattern that played out in the opener with San Francisco.
“I’m not doing a good job of putting (relievers) in the right spot, obviously, because we’re not completing games with a win,” said Miami manager Skip Schumaker, who was ejected from Monday’s game.
One problem: Free passes. Marlins pitchers have allowed a majors-high 82 walks this season. Injuries are another problem for Miami, and the health concern isn’t slowing down.
Third baseman Jake Burger was added to the injured list prior to Monday’s game. That’s a huge loss for the Marlins. Burger slugged 34 homers last season.
On the pitching side, the Marlins have two stars who have been lost for the season — 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez, who had a 3.15 ERA as a standout rookie last season.
For a team with a thin roster and a low payroll as compared to baseball’s heavyweights, the injuries have proven to be too much for Miami so far this season.
The Marlins will turn to left-hander Ryan Weathers (1-1, 2.57 ERA) to start Tuesday’s game.
In four years in the majors, Weathers is 6-16 with a 5.61 ERA. He has a 6.02 ERA in 34 career starts, and he has a 3.77 ERA in 15 relief appearances.
He has yet to start a game against the Giants in his career, but he is 1-0 with 0.00 ERA in seven relief innings versus San Francisco.
The Giants, meanwhile, will start right-hander Jordan Hicks (2-0, 1.00). Hicks has a fastball that has exceeded 100 mph.
In his six previous years in the majors, Hicks made 204 relief appearances and just eight starts.
Interestingly, Hicks has a 3.65 ERA over those 204 relief appearances, and he has that identical ERA in his 11 career starts.
Hicks’ career numbers against Miami are a bit odd. He is 0-2 with an impressive 1.26 ERA over 12 appearances, including one start.
Offensively, the Giants are led in OPS by first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. (.983) and left fielder Michael Conforto (.922).
There’s also Wilmer Flores, who splits time with Wade at first base. Flores, who had career highs last year in homers (23) and OPS (.863), is a 32-year-old veteran who is proving there is still juice in his bat.
On Monday, he had a pinch-hit, go-ahead single of reliever Andrew Nardi with two outs in the seventh inning.
“He’s a difficult lefty to figure out,” Flores said of Nardi. “I just tried to make contact.”
The Giants on Tuesday should have closer Camilo Doval available.
Doval, who led the National League last year with 39 saves, has only pitched once over the past eight days, and that was on Monday when he got the last four outs for his second save of the season.
–Field Level Media
