Marlins Throw Back-to-Back Shutouts at Home for First Time Since 2019

The Miami Marlins, at least for two games, figured out how to work around the obvious holes in the starting rotation.

Miami Marlins pitcher Tyler Phillips. | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Right now, it’s Alcantara and Meyer and hope for the best. On back-to-back days, hope for the best worked for the Miami Marlins.

Miami heads to Pittsburgh for Friday’s series opener having pitched back-to-back shutouts at home for the first time since May 18-19, 2019, against the New York Mets.

Back in 2019, the Marlins did it far more traditionally. On May 18, Pablo López threw a seven-inning one hitter to claim his third win of the season. The next day, May 19, Sandy Alcantara threw a complete-game shutout, allowing two hits with eight strikeouts.

What the Marlins did on Wednesday and Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, one might argue, was far more impressive. In between Alcantara and Max Meyer, who is undefeated, the Marlins just figured it out.

Assessing Marlins Back-to-Back Shutouts

Miami Marlins starting pitcher Ryan Gusto. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Injuries to Janson Junk, Eury Perez and Robby Snelling have left holes in the Miami rotation. Meyer started on Tuesday and helped Miami beat Arizona. On Friday, Alcantara starts the opener against Pittsburgh.

Miami’s starter on Wednesday was Ryan Gusto, a pitcher the Marlins acquired last July from Houston in the Jesus Sanchez trade. Gusto delivered four quality innings, giving up three hits and a walk against four strikeouts. Then he handed the ball to the bullpen.

Lake Bachar gave up two hits and a walk in two innings as he struck out three. William Kempner pitched the next two innings, giving up no hits and two walks against three strikeouts. Cade Gibson finished off the 8-0 win with a scoreless ninth, giving up one hit.

On Thursday, Tyler Phillips took the start. In his third start of the season, he was brilliant. He pitched five innings, giving up two hits and two walks against five strikeouts. After that, the Marlins went with four relievers for one inning each — Michael Petersen, Anthony Bender, Calvin Faucher and Pete Fairbanks. Combined the four of them allowed one hit, one walk and struck out eight.

Even with all the rotation injuries, the Marlins are red-hot in June, having lost one game since the start of the month and getting within one game of .500 (34-35) as they head into their series with the Pirates. While Miami is still nearly 12 games back of the Atlanta Braves in the NL West, the Marlins are only two games out of the final NL Wild Card berth. After facing the Pirates, the Marlins move onto Philadelphia to face the Phillies.