Fresh Fish News, 8/25/19: Veterans helping Díaz, Luis Castillo legal trouble, Lewis Brinson expectations

The Miami Marlins have been taking a tumble as of late, losers of six straight games and nine out of their last 10 before demolishing the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. Hopefully, they’re moving in the right direction. A bad week for the Marlins but—as always—a good week for Fish Stripes. We have the latest news, highlights and analysis regarding the Marlins!

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Marlins Game Recaps

The Marlins lost the series finale against the Colorado Rockies before getting swept by the Atlanta Braves in three games. The Marlins then split the first two games against the Philadelphia Phillies. For the week, they went 1-5, and for the season, they drop to 46-82.

August 18—Rockies 7, Marlins 6; Jordan Yamamoto took the mound against the Rockies going 5 ²⁄₃ innings allowing two runs on four hits and one walk with nine strikeouts. The Marlins offense scored six runs, requiring a fantastic comeback just to extend the game beyond the top of the ninth.

Harold Ramirez had a three-hit game with 2 RBIs. The bullpen could not hold it down, though, as the Rockies walked off in extra innings.

August 20—Braves 5, Marlins 1; Elieser Hernandez started the series against the Braves going four innings before a middle finger blister prevented him from continuing. He allowed one run on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Even with the Marlins out hitting the Braves 8-7 the only run from Miami was off a Jon Berti solo HR.

August 21—Braves 5, Marlins 0; Caleb Smith was hoping to turn things around for the Marlins by going six innings, but he allowed five runs on three hits and four walks with seven strikeouts. The Marlins could not score any runs in the game even though they out-hit Atlanta 7-3 with Smith and Lewis Brinson both having two hits and a double each.

August 22—Braves 3, Marlins 2; Sandy Alcantara threw a dominant seven innings against the Braves allowing zero runs on three hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. The bullpen again blew the lead for the Marlins after Starlin Castro put Miami up 2-1 in the seventh with a 2-run double.

August 23—Marlins 19, Phillies 11; Héctor Noesí got roughed up early on against the Phillies allowing seven runs on six hits with three walks and two strikeouts in three innings. The Marlins offense picked up the pitching as they overcame a seven-run deficit in one inning and scored three or more runs in three other innings to put the game out of reach. Isan Díaz, Jon Berti and Starlin Castro had HRs in the game with Castro hitting two of them.

August 24th—Phillies 9, Marlins 3; Jordan Yamamoto got the ball against the Phillies only going 3 ²⁄₃ innings allowing six runs on six hits with four walks and three strikeouts.

The Marlins only scored three runs with the big hits coming from Jorge Alfaro, who went 3-for-4 with a solo HR. The talented catcher is now batting .462 (18-for-39) against his former team this season.

Roster Moves

INF/OF Brian Anderson was placed on the 10-day injured list after getting hit on the left hand, which resulted in a broken left fifth metacarpal. The injury may cost him the rest of the season. OF Austin Dean was recalled from Triple-A to fill the roster spot.

At this time next week, we’ll be welcoming the first wave of September call-ups. Barring any health setbacks, that figures to include Chad Wallach, JT Riddle and Robert Dugger.

Expectations for Lewis Brinson

Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

Since arriving to the Marlins in the Christian Yelich trade, Lewis Brinson has not been the top prospect that the Marlins thought would contribute to the major league team for years to come. He is still relatively young, so there is still time to turn things around, but it is to be seen how much of a leash the Marlins will give him now that there are other outfield prospects knocking on the door. The full story by Fish Stripes’ own Ely Sussman puts Brinson’s lack of production in historical perspective while acknowledging how simple bad luck has played a role.

Ex-MLBers Linked to Dominican Crime Ring

Former Marlins player Luis Castillo has been named in a drug trafficking and money laundering ring by the Dominican Republic Attorney General along with 17 others. Castillo’s attorney is demanding an apology from MLB after he was accused of being involved and claims Castillo has never been involved in the drug trade. The full story by Andre Fernandez of The Athletic has more on the situation here (subscription required).

Castillo is the franchise’s all-time leader in games played, hits, stolen bases and numerous other categories.

Marlins Veterans Paving Way for Isan Díaz

Isan Díaz has had a tough time adjusting to the major leagues after proving himself as a Triple-A All-Star. Many veterans such as Curtis Granderson, Martín Prado and Starlin Castro have stepped up to help him deal with the struggles in hopes that he can tap into his true potential. The full article by Joe Frisaro can be read here.

Marlins Traded Arguably MLB’s Best Reliever

Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images

Former Marlins reliever Nick Anderson has put up near-perfect numbers since being traded to the Tampa Bay Rays. In doing so, he has made an immediate impact for the Rays in their pursuit of a postseason berth. Mike Petriello of MLB.com explains what is allowing him to be even better than he was for the Fish during the first half of 2019.

Podcast Episodes

The Fish Stripes podcast is home to Miami Marlins shows Fish Bites, Earning Their Stripes and A-Ball with Erik Oas. All new episodes are posted to FishStripes.com/podcasts. You can also find them on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Megaphone or wherever you normally get your pods.

Special guests this week include former 30-game winner and AL MVP Denny McLain and 2019 Marlins MLB Draft pick Evan Edwards.

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After a rough week against some tough teams, the Marlins are hoping to turn it around and finish the season strong. Stick with Fish Stripes for all your latest news, analysis and highlights regarding your Miami Marlins!