One Flaw Could Come Back to Haunt Marlins in a Big Way
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As we are entering the middle of August, we can't help but pinpoint a major flaw the Miami Marlins have during this second half.
The more they continue to do this, the worse it will get for them, to the point where it can cost them a chance for postseason play.
The Bat Habit of Winning Games After Losing Streaks
The Marlins need to figure out quickly what kind of team they want to be. Do they want to be a team that will put a fear in other teams? Are they going to be a team that opponents won't take seriously?
At this stage of their season, Miami is not scaring anyone because they are streaky. It's a major problem because this is a team that goes on losing streaks and then winning streaks. Back and forth. When the Marlins play like this, it can cause irritation, and many won't take them as a contender.
Before their 12-game losing streak, the Marlins were on a six-game losing streak from July 4-9. They beat teams such as the Athletics and Mariners. After the 12-game losing streak, they swept their rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies, in a three-game series (July 27-29). The same bad habit returned last week when they went up against the Atlanta Braves.
The Marlins suffered a four-game losing streak, getting swept by the Braves and then lost the first game of the series against the Los Angeles Angels. Now, they won the weekend series after winning Saturday's game 7-0 and dominated again on Sunday, 12-3.
Kyle Stowers exiting the game in the fifth inning had everyone holding their breath. Stowers has been dealing with hamstring issues dating back to spring training, when it first happened. The frustration on his face said it all, and now the Marlins are hoping that he doesn't have to miss so many games.
Regardless of whether Stowers is in action or not, there's no excuse for this team to be streaky. This is a talented group that is way better than this. Stowers is hitting .242 with 16 home runs and 52 RBIs. Leo Jimenez or anyone else from the bench must answer for the team. It's all about the next man up.
The Marlins are 60-59 with three games behind the final spot in the wild card. Catching up to the Chicago Cubs might not be possible, but they can certainly surpass the Arizona Diamondbacks, Phillies and San Diego Padres. Those teams are good. The Marlins have to be aggressive and stay in the winning column.
Six straight games against NL Central teams (Pirates, Reds) will be the next test for this group before facing off in a critical three-game road series against the Phillies next week.
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After graduating from City College of New York in 2014, Miguel created his own blog. Since 2021, he has written for FanSided, where he covered the Toronto Blue Jays, College Football and Utah Mammoth hockey team. He also wrote for Miami Heat on SI and Cleveland Sports Talk. Miguel is the creator and host of his podcast, Baseball Heat Podcast with Mike.