Marlins Swept by Orioles

The Miami Marlins came into the All-Star break with back-to-back series wins, but their momentum was halted abruptly as they were swept by the Baltimore Orioles in a weekend series. The Orioles, one of the hottest teams in baseball, continued their winning streak and improved their record to 57-35, just one game behind the Tampa Bay Rays. On the other hand, the Marlins (53-42) are now 11 games over .500 and currently sit in second place in the NL East. Despite their strong record, the Marlins find themselves only half a game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies for the top wild card spot in the National League.

One major takeaway from the series was the performance of Sandy Alcantara. The Marlins’ ace, who has struggled throughout the season, showed signs of finding his form. Although Alcantara’s record stands at 3-8, his last five outings have been more promising. He has allowed only seven total runs during this span, resulting in a combined ERA of 1.40. While he hasn’t received much offensive support to convert these performances into wins, the Marlins will need Alcantara at his best as they approach the playoffs. Despite suffering a 5-2 loss on Friday, Alcantara only surrendered two earned runs.

Another significant issue for the Marlins is their struggle against top teams. Prior to the All-Star break, the Atlanta Braves swept Miami, and now the Orioles have done the same. The Marlins seem to have a mental block when facing the league’s best teams. While they have demonstrated the ability to defeat strong opponents, such as the Phillies, they struggle against the cream of the crop. Saturday’s night game perfectly exemplified this trend as Miami held a 5-4 lead heading into the seventh inning, only to surrender two runs and ultimately lose 6-5. The bullpen, particularly Huascar Brazoban, faltered and sealed the Marlins’ fate.

Offensively, the Marlins failed to deliver during the series against the Orioles. They scored just two, five, and four runs in the three games, wasting solid pitching performances from Alcantara and Braxton Garrett. The team’s inconsistency in capitalizing on opportunities and driving in runs was evident. Even Luis Arraez, who boasts an impressive .380 batting average, struggled with inconsistency throughout the series. He started with an 0-3 performance, followed by a stellar 4-5 outing, only to go 0-5 in the final game. Even during his 4-5 game, Arraez managed to produce just one RBI. The rest of the Marlins’ lineup fared similarly, resulting in a lack of offensive production.

Tonight, the Marlins have an opportunity to get back on track as they face the struggling St. Louis Cardinals (40-53). The Marlins recently won three out of four games against the Cardinals and will rely on Jesús Luzardo to halt their current losing streak. Luzardo’s performance on the mound will be crucial as Miami aims to bounce back and regain their winning ways.

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