No quit in ‘fighting fish’
Battles with Cubs, Red Sox augur an entertaining season
MIAMI – Marlins rookie Lewis Brinson already has a grasp of the dramatic pause.
In the 11th inning Tuesday, the center fielder retreated to the fence more than 400 feet from home plate at Marlins Park, leaped and snatched away Mookie Betts’ bid for a home run. Or did he?
Brinson looked in his glove, then just stood there for a moment before he pulled the ball out and casually tossed it toward the infield while Cameron Maybin, in right field, tipped his cap to his teammate.
Brinson said he knew he had the ball, but “I didn’t know I robbed it, though, until I saw the video. That was definitely a home run. It felt good.”
Brinson’s catch was one of several defensive gems and dramatic moments during the Marlins’ season-opening homestand. It helped prolong Tuesday’s struggle with the Red Sox before Miami lost 4-2 in 13 innings. Rookie catcher Chad Wallach’s reverse spin and dive to tag a runner reaching for the plate was another.
It’s all part of the youthful Marlins’ response to those who say it’s
going to be a long season. The initial six games certainly were – three went to extras, lasting 17, 10 and 13 innings.
While they lost four of six to the Cubs and Red Sox, the Marlins gave an indication that anyone who concluded on Opening Day that the season holds no hope or intrigue for baseball fans in Miami is mistaken.
If sports viewing has become so jaded that only a serious championship run is considered compelling, then there would seem to be no reason to watch any of South Florida’s teams, including the playoff-bound Heat.
For the Marlins, hope in the first year under new ownership is for the future. In going toe-to-toe with two opponents considered World Series contenders, they showed that some key components for success are already in place.
“I just love how competitive we are,” Maybin said after Tuesday’s game. “It’s tough to be on the losing end of tonight. We played so hard. But if we continue to come out with this type of energy, this type of fight, I think we could end up having a lot of fun this year.”
Pitching has been better than expected, as an unheralded starting staff held its own and in several instances got the better of matchups against the likes of Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Yu Darvish, Jose Quintana and Chris Sale.
Miami’s staff ERA of 3.76 ranked fifth in the National League through Monday after facing two of the betterhitting lineups in either league. The relief corps, which has already logged an MLB-high 351⁄3 innings, had a 3.06 mark and 1.13 WHIP.
A rotation including rookies Dillon Peters, Caleb Smith and Trevor Richards already shows more promise than the group that melted down quickly at the beginning of last season, when free-agent signee Edinson Volquez started 0-7, Wei-Yin Chen got hurt and Adam Conley and Tom Koehler were demoted to the minors.
Dan Straily is progressing from forearm inflammation and will add a veteran presence soon. Even Chen, who has begun pitching in simulated games, could be on his way to returning.
“Obviously, you don’t want to be 2-4,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “I’m happy with the club, the way they’re competing. We’ve got to keep going, that’s all. Hopefully we just continue to get better and we put wins on the board.
“I think we will. I think we’ll get better as the season goes on.”
Hitting must improve for that to happen. A power void is obvious with Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich traded away.
Miami hit only two home runs in six games, though its 23 runs scored ranked in the middle of the pack.
They have been without one of their best hitters, J.T. Realmuto, recovering from a back bruise. His return, and eventually those of Martin Prado and JT Riddle as well, will add some pop to the lineup.
Meanwhile, third baseman Brian Anderson is building early Rookie of the Year credentials while compiling a batting line of .320/ .469/.480 with a home run and six RBI.
It was Anderson who worked a two-out walk in the 11th inning Tuesday that nearly led to a Marlins win. Justin Bour followed with another walk and Maybin doubled to drive in Anderson with the tying run. The slow-footed Bour was thrown out trying to score from first, but it took a perfect relay throw to get him.
“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, we are not going to quit, no matter what team is out there,” Brinson said. “We know we’re good. We know we can stick with any team out there. [The Cubs and Red Sox] are two of the best teams in the league, not just the American and National League, in all of baseball. We stuck right with them.”
There is a different vibe around the ballclub that will likely be slow to gain widespread attention. Marlinsbashing is a popular pastime locally and nationally.
A story that is certain to surface soon is how attendance has plummeted in the first year of the Derek Jeter/ Bruce Sherman era. In fact, the difference is in how it is being reported.
A team spokesman said the club will stick to a policy of reporting actual tickets sold. The six games had an average attendance of 15,683 — and yes, Cubs and Red Sox fans made up a major portion of those crowds.
In past years, similar crowds were often announced at well over 20,000 — the Marlins claimed an average of 20,395 in 2017.
Clearly, Jeter and Co. face an uphill climb in winning over often-jilted South Florida fans. But based on early returns, those willing to look past the loss of stars who never produced a winning season and tune in to what Mattingly refers to as “the fighting fish” just might enjoy the show.
“That’s just baseball. You never know what you’re going to get from day to day,” Bour said. “But I can’t be more proud of how we’re battling, how we’re playing, and the effort that we have.”