Chisholm, Sanchez show off lefty pop
In the span of about six minutes inside loanDepot park on Monday during the Marlins’ series opener against the Washington Nationals, rookie outfielder Jesus Sanchez showed how he can impact a game both in the batter’s box and in the field.
Not to be outdone, fellow rookie Jazz Chisholm Jr. showcased a double-dose of his power as well within a span of three innings.
Together, they are providing a glimpse of what having multiple powerhitting lefty bats can do for a lineup.
“You need to have lefthanded bats in your order,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “You see the better teams have a number of them, maybe not guys that play every day but at least in platoon-type roles. You see San Francisco and you see LA [Dodgers] and certain teams, they can go line up and put your righties in a bind if they’re good. So it’s nice to have the power and the pop out of those guys. I mean, it’s today’s game. You’ve got to be able to score runs. Those are quick runs.”
Let’s start with Sanchez.
The 23-year-old sent an Erick Fedde curveball thrown over the heart of the plate a projected 421 feet to right-center field to tie the game 3-3 in the third inning.
It was Sanchez’s 13th home run of the season and his 10th that went at least 400 feet, according to Statcast.
A half inning later, Sanchez made a web gem of a defensive play. He overran a Lane Thomas
fly ball down the rightfield line, backpedaled after running into foul territory and caught the ball bare-handed.
Chisholm, meanwhile, had his first career multihome run game, going deep in the third and fifth innings.
He sent a Fedde cutter into the upper deck in right field in the third inning to score Miami’s first run of the game, two at-bats before Sanchez’s game-tying home run. In the fifth, Chisholm lifted a curveball at the bottom of the strike zone and sent it a projected 427 feet to right-center field.
The 23-year-old middle infielder now has 17 home runs this season and with 21 stolen bases has a chance to become the first Marlins player since Hanley Ramirez in 2010 for a 20-20 season.
Only four players have accomplished the feat in franchise history (Ramirez in 2007, 2008, 2009 and
2010; Derrek Lee in 2003; Preston Wilson in 2000, 2001 and 2002; and Cliff Floyd in 1998 and 2000).
LUZARDO’S ROCKY START
Jesus Luzardo gave up five earned runs on six hits and four walks with two strikeouts in four innings on Monday.
He allowed a pair of baserunners without recording an out in the fifth before being pulled for reliever Zach Pop. Both of those runners scored on a Keibert Ruiz single down the first-base line and into right field against Pop as part of a three-run inning.
Luzardo’s statline through 10 starts with the Marlins since being acquired on July 28 from the Oakland Athletics for Starling Marte: 7.13 ERA (38 earned runs allowed in 48 innings) with 42 strikeouts against 30 walks. He has allowed three or more earned runs
in eight of his 10 outings.
MOVIN’ ON UP
Two of the Marlins’ top prospects, one pitcher and one position player, will finish the minorleague season with Triple A Jacksonville.
Right-handed pitcher Max Meyer and outfielder Peyton Burdick are being promoted to the Jumbo Shrimp’s roster this week after spending the season with the Double A Pensacola Blue Wahoos. Pensacola’s season ended last week. Jacksonville still has 10 more regular-season games.
Meyer, the Marlins’ first-round pick in 2020 who is ranked as the No. 3 prospect in Miami’s system and the No. 31 overall prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, started 20 games for the Blue Wahoos this year. He had a 6-3 record with a 2.41 ERA (the lowest among all qualified Double A pitchers) and 113 strikeouts (the sixth-most in Double A) against 40 walks over 101 innings in that span.
Burdick, the No. 11 prospect in the Marlins’ system and their thirdround pick in 2019, had a .231 batting average with 52 RBI and 71 runs scored in 106 games in Double A. The 24-year-old struggled early in Double A, with his batting average dipping to .077 through the first two weeks of the season, before settling in at the plate. He set the Blue Wahoos’ singleseason records for home runs (23) and walks (76).
INJURY UPDATES
Miguel Rojas did not start for a second consecutive game while dealing with a left knee bruise but hit an RBI groundout in the seventh inning as a pinch-hitter.
Pablo Lopez is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Tuesday.
Neither Jesus Aguilar (left knee inflammation) nor Jorge Alfaro (left calf strain) are participating in baseball activities.
Jon Berti (concussion) is participating in baseball activities.
NEXT UP
The Marlins play two more games against the Nationals at loanDepot park to wrap up their season series.
Miami’s Trevor Rogers (7-7, 2.71 ERA) will match up against Washington’s Josh Rogers (1-0, 2.60) on Tuesday before Elieser Hernandez (1-2, 3.59) faces Josiah Gray (0-2, 6.24) on Wednesday.
Both games are scheduled for 6:40 p.m. starts.