MIA 3, STL 5; Early lead doesn’t last

Perhaps Marlins starting pitcher Braxton Garrett had too long of a leash. Staked to a 3-0 lead in the early innings Tuesday night, his initially promising outing took an ugly turn in the bottom of the fifth inning as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Fish yet again.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly let Garrett try to finish the fifth inning, with the 24-year-old only allowing one run prior to that. Even after Edmundo Sosa drove home a run to cut the lead to 3-2, Garrett was allowed to face the top of the Cardinals lineup for a third time.

Leadoff hitter Tommy Edman drove home Sosa on a single to tie the game, which was followed by a double from Dylan Carlson to break the tie. Marlins reliever Zach Pop allowed an inherited baserunner. The Cardinals plated four runs during that rally.

Added to the Marlins rotation in the aftermath of Jesús Luzardo’s injury and Elieser Hernandez’s struggles, Garrett has solid peripherals through five starts in 2022. His walk rate is much improved from previous big league opportunities and he has allowed only two home runs, translating to a 3.40 FIP. On the other hand, he’s getting hit hard particularly as he advances deeper into the game—the lefty’s ERA has risen to 5.24 and he’s averaging fewer than five innings per start.

The Marlins bullpen (Pop, Anthony Bass, Jimmy Yacabonis) allowed zero runs in 3 ⅓ innings.

However, the offense didn’t even threaten the Cardinals following the lead change. After scoring three runs in the third inning, Marlins batters combined to go 1-for-17 over the remaining six innings.

Notes

-Jazz Chisholm Jr. was removed early in the game due to lower back discomfort. Chisholm missed the previous two games due to back spasms. Addressing the media postgame, he says he aggravated the injury while checking his swing on an 0-2 pitch. “Any kind of movement right now is just very uncomfortable.”

-Nick Fortes went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a walk.

-The Marlins have lost eight of their last ten road games. They have only won three of 13 road series this season.

Don Mattingly’s Postgame Press Conference

Baseball Savant

The Marlins rotation will flip back over on Wednesday, with ace Sandy Alcantara taking the mound against Andre Pallante to try salvage a win against the Cards. First pitch is at 7:45 p.m.