Marlins’ scoreless streak approaching historic lows after shutout loss to Rangers
The All-Star break came and went.
And the Marlins’ scoring drought continued.
After being swept by the Philadelphia Phillies last weekend and shut out in the final two of those games, the Marlins were again blanked on Thursday afternoon at loanDepot park this time, 8-0, by the Texas Rangers.
The Marlins (43-49) have now failed to score a run for 34 consecutive innings and were shut out in three consecutive games for the first time since July 19-21, 2013 against the Brewers, matching a franchise record.
The scoreless streak is three innings short of the franchise-worst mark of 37 in a row also set during that 2013 series.
The 1968 Chicago Cubs and 1906 Philadelphia Athletics share the Major League record for consecutive scoreless innings with 48 in a row.
“We’re in a stretch where you’re hoping the three-day break was going to be something that we’d bounce back and come out of this with some energy and it would look a little different, but it hasn’t so we got to keep going and keep fighting,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.
According to the Associated Press and ESPN, the last two teams that were shut out in four consecutive games were the 2017 Kansas City Royals and 1992 Chicago Cubs. No team has been shut out in five consecutive games since 1913, which is the MLB record. The Marlins’ last run came in the second inning of their 2-1 loss to the Phillies this past Friday on a sacrifice fly by Bryan De La Cruz.
The Marlins will next try their luck at plating some runs in Pittsburgh where they begin a three-game series starting Friday. The Marlins split a four-game series at home against the Pirates from July 11-14, scoring 11 runs in those games with five coming in extras where innings begin with a runner at second base.
Miami lost its fourth in a row, fell to six games back of the final National League Wild Card spot, after dropping the standalone matchup, which was a makeup game from a series postponed from the first week of the season.
The Marlins’ power outage also reached a milestone in terms of franchise history.
Miami failed to hit a home run for the ninth consecutive game tying the longest such drought in franchise history which happened twice (April 6-15, 2013 and Sept. 25-Oct. 3, 1993). The Marlins’ last home run was hit by Jesus Aguilar in the eighth inning on July 9 against the Mets.
Mattingly spoke after the game about how his team, which is replete with power hitters in the lineup such as Aguilar, has sorely missed the speed element and ability to get on base consistently that injured infielders Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jon Berti bring to the table. Chisholm, who is still recovering from a lower back strain, underwent a CT scan which could shed some light on when he may be able to return to Miami’s lineup. Berti is still rehabbing in Jupiter from a left groin strain.
“We have a lot of the same guy,” Mattingly said. “When you look at our offense. It’s a lot of guys that we’ve built this to hit the ball and drive the ball, guys that aren’t going to be hitting for continued high average. We have about five guys in our lineup that don’t really run. So we’re kind of a stagnant club when you don’t have Jazz and Bert (Berti)…a club that sits and hopes that we hit a home run or a double. Hopefully someone walks and then you hit a double or a home run. It’s the way we’re built as a power club.”
The Marlins totaled seven hits and had a runner in scoring position in the first, fifth, seventh and ninth innings, but failed to score. Their best chances came in the fifth and ninth when Miami had runners on second and third with two outs each time. But Garrett Cooper struck out to end the fifth and Jacob Stallings grounded out to short to end the game.
Pablo Lopez didn’t have his best stuff either on Thursday and the Rangers took advantage. Lopez tossed five innings, allowing five runs on five hits, walked three and struck out six.
Adolis Garcia did the bulk of the damage with three RBI including a two-run home run in the fifth inning off a 91.9 mph fastball low in the zone from Lopez.
ROTATION UPDATE
Mattingly revealed the order in which the Marlins plan to start the rest of their rotation for the upcoming six-game road trip to Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.
Braxton Garrett will start Friday in Miami’s series opener against the Pirates at PNC Park. Max Meyer is slated to make his second career start on Saturday with All-Star Sandy Alcantara to follow on Sunday. Trevor Rogers will then start the opener in Cincinnati on Monday night.
Mattingly said the team wanted to line up Alcantara on regular four-day rest in between outings coming off his inning pitched on Tuesday night at the All-Star Game. Making his second career All-Star appearance, Alcantara struck out two in a perfect second inning in the National League’s 3-2 loss to the American League.
INJURY UPDATES
▪ Elieser Hernandez on the IL on Thursday for undisclosed reasons. Although the team did not list a reason, similar moves in the past have often signaled that it is COVID-19 related.
Just like the past two years, teams do not have to disclose if a player is placed on the COVID-19 related IL, which is used when a player tests positive, shows symptoms of COVID-19 or has been identified as close contacts of someone with the virus.
As Jacob Berry’s dream becomes reality, Marlins hope for quick rise from 2022 first-round pick
The Marlins recalled Tommy Nance from Triple-A Jacksonville in a corresponding move.
▪ Edward Cabrera (elbow) is slated to throw four innings on Friday at Double A Pensacola.
▪ Jesus Luzardo (forearm) is also slated to throw four innings on Friday at Triple A Jacksonville.
▪ Anthony Bender (back) threw an inning with Single A Jupiter on Sunday
▪ Cole Sulser (lat) began throwing bullpen sessions this week.
▪ Sixto Sánchez (shoulder) has a 25-pitch bullpen scheduled for Saturday.
▪ Payton Henry is slated to begin a rehab assignment for the Marlins’ rookie-level squad in the Florida Complex League in Jupiter. Henry is expected to serve as the team’s designated hitter.
