Marlins’ Mike Redmond “Grasping for Positives”

Aug 27, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Miami Marlins manager Mike Redmond on the field before the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

The one bright spot in an otherwise dismal Miami season took the night off last night.  The Marlins’ pitching has kept the team competitive in most games this season, affording the opportunity for a win that the offense hasn’t been able to leverage into a win. Last night at Nationals Park, Tom Koehler wasn’t able to hold off the Nats’ offense, and the game turned into a 9-0 rout.  In fact, the Marlins only managed to get one runner as far as third base.

Koehler gave up six runs, including round-trippers to Jayson Werth, Bryce Harper, and Ian Desmond. Werth’s three-run shot in the sixth left a five-run defecit for newly-recalled reliever Sam Dyson, who promptly gave up three more runs over the 2/3 of an inning outing.

In a loss that poured misery on top of unhappiness, the optimistic view is that games like this have been unusual for the Fish this season. It simply illustrates the importance our pitching staff carries on a team with a .230/.291/.333 slash line on the season.

With Jose Fernandez’ shutdown looming, prospects for the remainder of the season remain gloomy, and a .500 season is no longer mathematically possible.

September looks to be a long uphill climb, as the Marlins open the final month of the season in Atlanta before heading to Chicago to face the Cubs. The next home stand brings the Nats and Braves back to town. There is another road trip to DC later in the month, and the season ends with a visit from the Detroit Tigers.