This week, the Miami Marlins swept the Colorado Rockies, achieving their first winning streak of the season and instilling a sense of hope among South Florida fans still following the team. In their sweep of the Rockies at home this week, the Marlins found themselves in extra innings twice, with those additional inning games framing the series, each game closely contested.
Let’s delve into the Marlins’ first win in this series against the Rockies and examine the detailed box score inning by inning. The Rockies stormed out of the gate, scoring five runs in the top half of the first inning and maintaining a 5-0 lead until the bottom of the 9th when the Marlins matched it, forcing extra innings. This box score highlights the Marlins’ players’ determination, despite their record, to compete fiercely day in and day out. While Skip Schumaker may face challenges managing the team, many Miami fans, myself included, argue that the front office and ownership haven’t done enough to enhance the team. Consequently, Skip is fielding players who, although a good portion of them are returning players, haven’t made the team stronger, and many of the familiar faces are struggling. Fans are questioning whether last year’s success was merely a fluke at this juncture. What does Skip Schumaker have to say after the first game win against the Rockies about the struggling Marlins? “For anybody who says they don’t care, they don’t fight, they don’t work, that kind of proves everyone wrong,” Skip said, referring to Tuesday’s performance by the Marlins. He further emphasized, “Those guys really care. They want to win, and they’re prepared to win every day.”
Wednesday’s victory for Miami reinforced Skip’s point that these players care and are ready to win daily, while also suggesting that the front office might be onto something if these players can sustain their performances. I mention all this because Wednesday’s final against the Rockies ended with a routine 4-1 score, lacking the dramatic box score of the previous game. The Marlins witnessed two major league firsts from their pitching staff. Roddery Muñoz earned his first-ever major league win with a seven-strikeout performance over six innings of work, while Anthony Maldonado, another Marlins rookie pitcher, secured his first Major League save.
Yesterday’s game marked another walk-off win for Miami in extra innings, with the Marlins clinching a 5-4 victory after ten innings. The walk-off hit came from Jesus Sanchez, who was benched during Wednesday’s game due to poor effort on a play in the outfield. In the postgame interview with the player of the game, Jesus Sanchez, for his heroic walk-off hit, stated, “We feel very confident, and Miami is back.” So, is Miami truly back? They did sweep the Colorado Rockies, but it’s worth noting that they swept the current worst team in the National League. It’s easy to argue that they merely took care of business by defeating the weakest team in their league. Additionally, regarding the Rockies, they are the first team in Major League history to trail at some point in all their first 31 games of the season. However, the Marlins have the potential to string together a significant winning streak, especially as their next series is in Oakland. I eagerly anticipate a continued streak of wins and the breaking of record-low attendance figures.
