Miami Marlins Spring Training: Four Lessons in Sad Loss

The Miami Marlins managed just three hits and got shut out by the Houston Astros on Saturday night.

What’s more important is that Opening Day starter José Ureña had a very fine outing in his last pre-regular season tune up. Prior to today’s contest, Ureña has pitched 10 2/3 innings and surrendered 13 hits and five walks, an untenable 1.688 WHIP with only nine strikeouts. Today’s performance was far more in line with what we are hoping for from him with the Miami Marlins in 2019.

Ureña faced the minimum over his three innings, inducing two ground-ball outs, two fly-ball outs, one line-out, and two pop-outs. He also collected two strikeouts to boot, and didn’t walk anybody either.

The September, 2018 Version of José Ureña

The perfect outing brought to mind the September, 2018 version of Ureña. Remember he entered the final month of last season with a 4-12 record and a 4.56 ERA, along with a .254 opposing batting average. September would see him win five games in five starts, while allowing 19 hits over 30 innings. He gave up a .183 batting average and struck out 20 while yielding a 1.20 ERA. And that is the Ureña that we are hoping for in 2019.

MIAMI, FL – SEPTEMBER 22: Starting pitcher Jose Urena #62 of the Miami Marlins throws in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Marlins Park on September 22, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Joe Skipper/Getty Images) /

Verlander is…..Verlander

We also noticed in this game, the penultimate Spring Training contest of the season, that Justin Verlander is pitching exactly like Justin Verlander. He struck out nine Miami Marlins in only four innings, while surrendering a total of two hits.

In collecting three total hits in the game, off Verlander, Roberto Osuna, Hector Rondon, Ryan Pressly, Josh James, and Dean Deetz, the Miami Marlins also struck out 17 times.

Miami Marlins Whiff Problems

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 28: Todd Frazier #21 of the New York Mets is caught stealing second base during the second inning by Starlin Castro #13 of the Miami Marlins at Citi Field on September 28, 2018 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

Starlin Castro whiffed three times. Brian Anderson, Neil Walker, and Lewis Brinson each were K’d twice, and only Brinson amongst them collected a safe base hit. Completing the circle on the Marlins abbreviated hit parade for the game were Garrett Cooper and Jorge Alfaro.

Caleb Smith – Oh, the Humanity!

DENVER, CO – JUNE 24: Caleb Smith #31 of the Miami Marlins pitches against the Colorado Rockies in the first inning of a game at Coors Field on June 24, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

Caleb Smith showed that he’s actually human in this game. After his first two appearances saw him strike out 13 over nine innings, while allowing only two walks and zero hits, this was a bit of a comedown. Over his first four innings of work, he gave up four hits and one run while striking out six. That all came crashing down in the eighth inning.

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Smith allowed a Jack Mayfield single, a Tony Kemp ground-rule double, a George Springer two-run double, and a Jose Altuve two-run shot before collecting his first out of the frame, a Michael Brantley ground out. Austin Brice came in to put the fire out, inducing a Yuli Gurriel fly out and allowing a Granden Goetzman single before fielding a comebacker from Max Stassi. It was heartening to see Brice field a play cleanly after committing a pair of errors in the early going this spring.

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