Marlins’ worst start ever reaches another low as club drops seventh in a row

Home was not sweet for the Miami Marlins to start the 2024 season.

In fact, the first homestand was historically bad.

Already on their longest ever losing streak to open a season, things got worse for the Marlins on Wednesday when their skid hit some even lower depths - some historic - following an ugly 10-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels.

After being swept by the Pirates and Angels to open the season, the Marlins’ 0-7 homestand marks the first time they have ever been swept during a homestand of seven or more games. The Marlins dropped eight games during a 10-game homestand from May 15-22, 2015.

According to MLB Network Research, the Marlins became the first team in MLB history to lose their first seven games a year after making the postseason. The 1997 Cardinals, 2011 Rays and 2021 A’s all started the season 0-6 after a playoff appearance the prior season.

“The season feels long already in that clubhouse with seven games and no wins, but it is really early,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “However, these games do count and playoff teams get in every year by one or two games. We have to fix this if we want to get where we want to go.

“There’s no panic in there. There’s still positivity in there. But seven losses is seven losses and nobody is happy about that.”

Throughout this early stretch, the Marlins have had moments where their depleted pitching staff has thrown well and the bats have gone silent or vice versa.

Neither was effective on Wednesday.

The Marlins’ rotation depth continues to be tested with Eury Perez, Braxton Garrett and Edward Cabrera out with injuries and ace Sandy Alcantara lost for the season.

A.J. Puk, who is in the rotation this season after moving from the bullpen, endured his second consecutive poor outing to open the season, after lasting only four innings and allowing two earned runs (four overall) on three walks and five hits.

“I feel like that first inning was tough, but they weren’t putting barrels on balls, but the weak hits were finding a way (down),” Puk said. “I know that when I’m in the zone I can pitch really well. That’s just the key.”

Marlins starters have pitched past the fifth inning only once so far this season when Jesus Luzardo threw 5 1/3 innings Tuesday against the Angels.

It’s put more of a strain on the Marlins’ bullpen, which as of Wednesday’s game ranks 22nd in the major leagues with a 6.14 ERA, and has pitched the second-most innings (36 2/3) of any bullpen in baseball behind only the Dodgers (39 entering Wednesday’s games).

Relievers Burch Smith and Kent Emanuel combined to allow six earned runs over five innings on Wednesday.

“There’s some really good pitchers on our staff. The deeper they can get into the games, the better for us,” Schumaker said. “Four innings, two innings is tough to cover and you can see it. We have to get deeper in games and I know we will.”

The defense behind Puk also was a letdown as a costly error by third baseman Vidal Brujan in the third inning led to a pair of runs by the Angels, who opened a 4-0 lead.

In the seventh inning, Miguel Sano lined a double off the center field wall that Jazz Chisholm Jr. leapt and could not come up with as he crashed into the wall. Although it was not ruled an error, Chisholm Jr. appeared to have a chance to catch it but mistimed his jump. The Angels would proceed to score three runs in that frame. Schumaker said after the game that Chisholm Jr. was not hurt after the play.

Jake Burger, who is hitting .310, continued to be one of the very few bright spots in Miami’s lineup. Burger delivered his eighth RBI in the bottom of the third after a Josh Bell RBI single. But that was all the Marlins offense could muster against Angels starter Patrick Sandoval.

Miami’s offense has struggled to find consistency and power through its first seven games. A lineup without Jorge Soler, whom the Marlins did not re-sign after a 36-home run All-Star campaign in 2023, has hit only four home runs (second-lowest total in the majors entering Wednesday’s games). The Marlins also rank last in slugging percentage (.285), 26th in batting average (.197) and 29th in OPS (..559).

The Marlins have created some chances this season, but have grounded into a MLB-leading 11 double plays including one on Wednesday.

“(Soler) is a great power hitter and helped us a lot last year, but we know what we have in this clubhouse,” Burger said. “We have a lot of guys that can hit 30 homers. It’s just finding our groove and not doing too much in each at-bat.”

Miami will try to change its fortune on the road where it will face the Cardinals and Yankees for the next six games.

“Obviously this is frustrating, and a change of scenery is probably not a bad thing, get a little reset,” Burger said. “Just go pitch to pitch and we have a really capable bunch in here that can do that.”

▪ Luis Arraez was hit by an 81.8 mph changeup from Sandoval on the back of his right hand during the bottom of the third inning. Arraez remained in the game and was lifted in the ninth inning when Jonah Bride was brought in to play at third and Brujan moved over to play second.

Schumaker said after the game that Arraez was not having any issues following the play.