David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Marlins are last in MLB in runs scored by a wide margin. They are almost 80 runs behind the next team and are also tied for last in home runs.
Their pitching, on the other hand, has been solid since they have been able to get Henderson Alvarez and Nate Eovaldi off of the DL. They are 10th in MLB in team ERA and eighth amongst starters alone.
However, with all the positives from their young staff, it hasn’t translated to very many wins. The Marlins are second to last in wins, and they have the fewest wins from their starting pitchers throughout the whole year.
With only a couple of players producing on offense, the pitching staff has not only felt pressure to keep the opponent off of the scoreboard, but also to produce at the plate from the nine spot. On Monday against the Chicago Cubs, Alvarez hit his first career home run to put the Marlins up 4-3.
The three-run homer ended up being the game-winning hit and backed his quality start to give him his third win of the season. On Friday Night, Jose Fernandez went six innings and struck out 10 while only giving up two runs to the first place Atlanta Braves. He also had the only extra base hit for the team (a third-inning triple) and the only run scored for the Marlins in a 2-1 defeat.
In a very trying and difficult season for Marlins fans, they can look at Alvarez and Fernandez as two young players that are willing to do whatever it takes to win a game. If the offense can ever come around and produce at an average level, having these guys produce from the nine spot will no longer be a necessity, but rather an added bonus.
