The Marlins played a sloppy game of baseball and the Mets didn't let Miami stay in the game. New York came away with a 7-3 win, largely thanks to the Marlins absolutely horrendous defensive performance. If a baseball team decided to start a team full of Double-A caliber players for one day, they would still look better defensively than the Marlins did on Friday.
Jacob Turner was constantly let down by the players behind him. Even coming from an organization that is crazy enough to start Miguel Cabrera at third base, Turner must have been shocked by how little help he got. He finished with five innings pitched, six runs (three earned, one walk, and three strikeouts. I was a little bit surprised that Ozzie Guillen kept Turner in the game for so long. The twenty-one year old rookie threw 115 pitches.
Today, New York snapped a sixteen game streak in which they have scored three or less runs at home, as Adam Rubin pointed out on Twitter. In the battle for last place in the N.L. East, New York was overwhelmed by just how awful the Marlins looked. However, in the first inning, Lucas Duda was pulled out of the game by Mets' manager Terry Collins for not hustling to get to a ball. I guess third place means a lot to the Mets...
Donovan Solano went 2 for 4 with a double, raising his batting average to .280. Solano's 86 wRC+ is better than that of Dustin Ackley, Drew Stubbs, and J.J. Hardy. If there is any player that the Marlins should continue to play over the last few weeks, it is probably Solano. Miami needs to see if he is a player worth bringing back next year and what kind of role he can have on a major league club.
Justin Ruggiano left the game a right shoulder sprain after diving for a Scott Hairston ball. Ruggiano has battled minor injuries pretty much all season. If I were the Marlins, I would use this as a reason not to sign Ruggiano to a long-term deal. With veteran players, these small injuries become serious very quickly.
Another thing I noticed from this game is how slim the Marlins chances of contending next year are. They are currently twenty-five games behind the Nationals in the East. It is improbable that the Marlins will be able to make that kind of a jump next year no matter what they do this offseason. In my opinion, the Marlins should commit to building towards the future and that means if they reach .500 it'll be a successful season.
Out of all Marlins' hitters this season with at least eighty plate appearances, Brett Hayes has the third-highest BABIP. Yet in 118 plate appearances, Hayes hit only .202.
Next game is tomorrow in the same place at the same time. Hopefully, the Marlins can be a watchable baseball team for the first time in more than a week.