After their worst start in franchise history, the Miami Marlins finally won a game, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 10-3. Miami’s offense exploded for 13 hits and 10 runs, the most this year. Luis Arraez had his best game of the season with four hits and three runs, raising his batting average to .268 after a dismal start where he was hitting in the .100s. Jazz Chisholm and Nick Gordon both had three-run shots, and Max Meyer pitched one of the best games this year for the Marlins, going six innings and allowing just one run. Meyer has proven to be a bright spot in the Marlins’ pitching rotation, with a 2.45 ERA and a 1-0 record on the season.
Despite the good news, the bad news this week continued to pile up. The Marlins’ already thin starting rotation took a significant hit when star phenom Eury Perez was sidelined for the season after requiring Tommy John surgery. With Alcantara still not in the lineup, the Fish are as thin as ever pitching-wise and will need their hitting to wake up and carry them if they are to turn it around this season.
Even more troubling is the fact that the Marlins decided they would void Skip Schumaker’s 2025 club option. Schumaker’s deal would be up at the end of the 2024 season. It seems odd that the Marlins’ front office would pull such a move, especially after Schumaker was instrumental in the Marlins making the playoffs last year, the first time the Fish made the playoffs in a full season since 2003. It seems the front office is scapegoating the manager instead of pointing the finger at themselves, as they allowed key free agents such as Jorge Soler to leave, while doing nothing to improve the bullpen.
Amidst the tumultuous start, the Marlins need to continue to focus on the present and what they can control. The Marlins face the red-hot Yankees (8-2) tonight starting at 6:05 PM and will need to continue to build on Sunday’s win and play some of the best ball if they are to compete and not get swept.
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