Takeaways From Miami's Series Win Over the Detroit Tigers
The Miami Marlins won their second series of the season, taking down the Detroit Tigers in games two and three.
Here’s what you need to know from the series:
The starting pitching was the best it’s been
Miami’s rotation plans entering this series - Ryan Weathers, Sixto Sanchez, and Trevor Rogers - didn’t inspire a lot of confidence. All three pitchers had struggled this season, with Rogers in danger of losing his rotation spot after giving up thirteen runs (twelve earned) across just 5.2 innings in his last two starts.
Well, that’s why you play the games.
Miami’s starting trio did not allow a single earned run across the three outings, combining for 17.2 innings. It wasn’t scoreless baseball, with three unearned runs coming during Sixto’s start, but still impressive.
Per the team’s communications department, this was the first time that three Marlins starters combined to allow zero earned runs across a three-game series since 2016 and the first time it’d been done on the road since 2011.
Going further, both games two and three were shutout victories for Miami, the first time the club has had consecutive shutouts since 2020 (and the first time that both shutouts were nine or more innings since 2019).
Not a lot of offense, but they did enough to win
Miami picked up twenty hits across the three games, but just eight runs (with three of them scored by Bryan De La Cruz). After a bullpen collapse in game one, runs were scarce across the next two games but Miami put the ball in play when they needed to the most - Jesús Sánchez had an RBI groundout in the 10th inning of game two’s victory and Bryan De La Cruz took advantage of Jazz Chisholm’s leadoff single in game three to launch his 9th homer of the season.
Signs of life for Josh Bell?
Miami’s first baseman, working on a player option for 2024, came into the month of May batting just .181. That’s now up to .212 after this series, where he went 4-12 with a run scored and a RBI. The first baseman still hasn’t fixed his power production, as he’s only on pace for 19 homers this season, but with the potential glut of first basemen both at the trade deadline and in the free agent market, he’s starting to turn around his season.
What’s next for the Miami Marlins?
Miami kicks off another homestand tomorrow night, welcoming the division rival New York Mets to town for a three-game set immediately followed by three more against the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers. Miami’s announced the rotation as LHP Jesús Luzardo on Friday (vs Christian Scott), LHP Braxton Garrett on Saturday (vs Luis Severino), and Sixto Sánchez on Sunday (versus a TBD). Friday’s game one is scheduled for 7:10 PM ET on Bally Sports Florida.
Managing Editor for Blackerby Media, covering the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins Also: Senior Baseball Writer for Auburn Daily, member of both the National College Baseball Writers Association and Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (where he won the 2023 Prospects, Minors, & College Writer of the Year award)