MIAMI -- Don¡¯t tell the Marlins they will be considered underdogs all season.
Despite dropping their homestand finale, 6-5, in 11 innings to the Mets on Wednesday at loanDepot park, Miami showed it won¡¯t be a pushover in 2025.
¡°I think we showed how good of a ballclub we are and what we can be,¡± Xavier Edwards said. ¡°A lot of grit, a lot of fight with this team, a lot of opportunities in the games that we lost this homestand. I think we're going to learn from them, clean them up. Just play a little bit cleaner baseball, starting with myself.
¡°A lot of grit, a lot of fight kept us in all the games, except for that one that got out of hand [on Monday]. Just have a chance to win a lot of games like that.¡±
Here are some takeaways from the Marlins¡¯ 4-3 week:
Starters aren¡¯t going deep ¡ and it¡¯s probably by design
Through seven games, Marlins starting pitchers have thrown 33 2/3 innings (49.5%) compared to the relievers¡¯ 34 1/3 innings (50.5%). As of the end of Wednesday's game, the only club with a lower percentage from its starting staff is the Dodgers (46.4%).
Manager Clayton McCullough continues to say decisions to pull starters early -- like ace Sandy Alcantara on Tuesday after 70 pitches and decreased velocity -- is based on the game state. He made the same move on Wednesday, taking out right-hander Connor Gillispie at 73 pitches (51 strikes).
¡°I don't know if it's so much like you don't have comfort in there,¡± McCullough said. ¡°But there certainly is something to the third time through, and we feel very good about our group of bullpen arms, and again today, to have as many as we did available. And Connor, couldn't have probably asked for a better outing. He was terrific. Deploying him in that manner today felt like the best thing for us to try to win.¡±
In his second career Major League start, Gillispie allowed just one run, walked none and struck out six batters over five innings. He retired 14 of his final 16 hitters.
With a runner at second and two outs in the fifth, McCullough elected to keep Gillispie on the mound to face Francisco Lindor for a third time, and the righty struck out Lindor to end the threat on his 73rd pitch and exited in line for his first MLB win.
¡°Trying to get as many innings as I can, just do the bulk of the work, get the 'pen rest -- it's tough when they're coming in the third inning,¡± Gillispie said. ¡°So just try and get as deep as I can in games.¡±
How sustainable is this strategy?
Entering Wednesday, Miami¡¯s bullpen had the fourth-lowest ERA in the National League (2.22) and ranked third in opponents' average (.160).
Lefty Anthony Veneziano and right-hander Lake Bachar tossed a scoreless sixth and seventh, respectively, with each making their team-high fourth appearance. At this rate, they would project for 93 outings in 2025.
But righty Calvin Faucher coughed up his first homer since 2023, Pete Alonso¡¯s game-tying three-run homer in the eighth, in his third game of ¡®25.
¡°I think overall we're throwing the ball well when our names are called,¡± Faucher said. ¡°We're going into the game, getting ready and doing the best we can. I think the staff is trying to put us in situations where we are best suited based on who we're facing, who's coming up, which I think, in the long run, is going to be good.¡±
The Fish are opportunistic and pesky
Outside of Monday¡¯s lopsided loss, Miami has been in every game. The club has outscored opponents 25-22 outside of Monday's 10-4 defeat, making the margin for error slim.
The Marlins turned a one-run deficit into a one-run lead in the third after a misplay in the outfield and a throwing error by third baseman Mark Vientos. Miami added a pair of runs in the seventh with help from a balk and another questionable play by Vientos.
Throughout Spring Training, the Marlins¡¯ coaching staff simulated game situations as often as possible so that competition wouldn¡¯t speed up on the inexperienced roster.
¡°They've been great in all facets: pitching side, hitting, baserunning, infield,¡± Edwards said. ¡°They've been on it. I think it showed with our defense so far. Just a couple plays that I need to clean up. Besides that, I think we've played really good team defense so far.¡±