Phillies pound Peters for two grand slams
Left-hander is first Marlin to give up two in a game.
PHILADELPHIA — The Marlins’ media guide numbers 428 pages and is packed with statistical data and historical nuggets. They’ll have to find space for a new record in next year’s edition for most grand slams allowed in one game by a Marlins pitcher.
Dillon Peters made Marlins’ history Saturday and not in a good way in the Marlins’ 20-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Peters became the first Marlins pitcher to surrender two grand slams in a game when he gave up one to the Phillies’ Maikel Franco in the first inning and another in the third to Aaron Altherr.
It marked only the second time in franchise history the Marlins have given up as many as two grand slams in a game. The other came on May 21, 2000, against the Los Angeles Dodgers when Jesus Sanchez and Antonio Alfonseca gave up one each.
The last major league pitcher to surrender two in a game was Mike Fiers in 2015.
Peters created his problems when he issued a bases-loaded walk to Rhys Hoskins in the first inning. One out later, Franco took him deep. After an uneventful second inning, Peters put himself in another bind in the third when the Phillies loaded the bases once again. Altherr wiped them clean with his first homer of the season.
The rout didn’t end there for the Marlins.
Jacob Turner took over for Peters and gave up eight runs in just one inning.
While the Marlins were getting their heads bashed in Saturday, their power struggles continued.
The Marlins hit just two home runs in their first seven games. To put that into context, there were 19 players in the majors who had hit at least three homers entering play Saturday night.
And one of those was Angels rookie pitcher Shohei Ohtani.
Another? Giancarlo Stanton, the slugger the Marlins traded to the Yankees over the winter.
The Marlins lost more than 60 percent of their home run production with their offseason moves.
“We’re going to deal with it,” said Marlins manager Don Mattingly. “It’s going to be less (power production) than we’ve seen the last few years. We’ll hit a few. But seven games, I don’t put too much stock into it.”
Two potential power sources, Justin Bour and Lewis Brinson, have yet to homer.
Mattingly made his first significant lineup change Saturday when he took Brinson out of the leadoff spot and placed him behind Derek Dietrich.
Brinson is off to a slow start at the plate, with a .200 batting average, no extra-base hits and a .234 on-base percentage that ranks ahead of only two other leadoff hitters in the majors.
“Just (trying) to change it up for Brinson a little bit,” Mattingly said of the lineup change. “I don’t want to put Brinson in a high-leverage spot all the time. I’d like to let him come into the big leagues, get his at-bats, continue to improve, and not be sitting right there at the top of the order.”
After the Marlins traded Dee Gordon, Mattingly was left with few options.
While Mattingly said Brinson’s mixture of speed and power appealed to him in the leadoff spot, he believes he’ll eventually become an “RBI guy.”
Brinson has seen a steady diet of breaking pitches thrown to him.
“I’ve got to make adjustments,” Brinson said. “No panic. It’ll come around. I trust myself.”
Noteworthy: Jarlin Garcia will make his first start Wednesday for the Marlins.
Garcia, who worked exclusively out of the bullpen last season and turned in two strong outings in long relief this season, is being groomed into a starter.
The original plan was for Garcia to start the season in the minors.
But with Dan Straily on the disabled list, Garcia has worked his way into the rotation for the Marlins.