Marlins links, 9/17/18: Final homestand, Brinson’s September turnaround, too many September call-ups?

Marlins snap losing streak

With their ace on the mound, the Marlins ended the Phillies series on a positive note. They had dropped five straight games overall before salvaging Sunday’s series finale.

José Ureña allowed one run off the bat of Cesar Hernandez. However, he was pulled from the game after five innings with some hand cramping. Over his last five starts, Ureña has been lights out: 8 ER over 33 ¹⁄₃ IP with 22 K and 2.16 ERA.

Miami native Peter O’Brien hit his second home run of the season in the fourth inning to put the Marlins on the board. O’Brien provided most of the Marlins offense with a 1-for-3 day and three RBIs. Bryan Holaday and Lewis Brinson each chipped in with an RBI of their own.

The bullpen continues to struggle as the Phillies scored three runs in four innings. Ultimately, though, Adam Conley was able to finish the game for the Fish to secure a 6-4 victory.

Lewis Brinson new and improved

Lewis Brinson has had a quite forgettable 2018, but since making his return, we’ve seen a different player.

Brinson’s hit tool was absent prior to the All-Star break. He’s been far more respectable in that regard after some time on the DL and a minor league rehab. Brinson owns a September slash line of .275/.288/.431.

Ely’s recent analysis on Brinson details the small changes he's made to his batting stance that has paid dividends early on. As long as Brinson keeps improving his hitting ability, the Marlins are on the cusp of securing another piece of the process.

Fed up with September rules

Don Mattingly voiced his concerns to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick after the Marlins and Phillies combined to use 15 pitchers during Saturday’s game. And what it wasn’t just about taking the loss:

“The game you play for five months is not the game you play in September.”

Roster expansion allows teams to have up to 40 active players (rather than the usual 25-man limit). That completely changes how managers prepare and maneuver, Mattingly explains.

Laurence Leavy makes his bright return

For the one and only time in 2018, South Florida lawyer Laurence Leavy is attending a Marlins game. Hundreds of fans took him up on a ticket giveaway, so brace yourself for lots of orange.

Leavy had the winning bid for the team’s “broadcaster for a day” experience at this summer’s fantasy auction. He will join Paul Severino and Todd Hollandsworth in the FOX Sports Florida booth during the early innings.

Marlins open their final homestand

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Trevor Richards and will be on the mound against the underachieving Nationals on Monday night. Richards struggled in his last outing, giving up four runs in five innings, but he's pitched well against the Nationals. He pitched six scoreless innings in a winning effort when hosting Washington on July 28.

The Marlins will be facing Erick Fedde. It’s his first-ever matchup with them in the regular season. The rookie Fedde is coming off his best start, a 5 ²⁄₃ scoreless effort against the Phillies.

First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m.