Improbable playoff run ends for young, improving Marlins
CEODerek Jeterwatched the Miami Marlins’ final game of the season from a sky box at Minute Maid Park inHouston as they underscored a point he had made a few days earlier regarding their climb toward title contention:
There’s still a lot of work to do.
The young Marlins achieved surprising progress in Year 3 of Jeter’s rebuilding effort, reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2003 and sweeping the Chicago Cubs in the wild-card round.
But a drubbing in theNational LeagueDivision Series showedMiami’s not ready to overtake longtime NL East nemesis Atlanta. The Marlins were swept in the threegameseriesandshutoutover the final 19 innings, including Thursday’s 7-0 loss.
“I’m going to take it as motivation,” shortstop Miguel Rojas said. “I’m going to take it personally. That’s the only way we can get better.”
The Marlins
totaled
17 hits in the series and went 3 for 20with runners in scoring position. They played without catalyst Starling Marté, sidelined by a broken left hand.
“Doesn’t help us,” manager Don Mattingly said. “You don’t know if it changes it.”
Three hitters inthe heart of the order — Rojas, Jesús Aguilar and Garrett Cooper — failed to take up the slack. They went a combined 4 for 34 (.118).
The Marlins were hoping that a strong outing by 22-year-old Sixto Sánchez would provide the foundation for a series turnaround. He sailed through the first inning and escapeda basesloaded jam in the second, but departed after giving up four runs in the third.
“In the first I thought, ‘ This guy is going to be lights out today,’” Mattingly said. “And then it seemed like he backed off. He just didn’t seem to be aggressive with his changeup and slider. He left a lot of balls in the beltline and high thigh area, which doesn’t bode well for guys that hit balls hard.”