Miami Marlins: Is this Series Against the Pirates a Must-Win?

You could argue that the Miami Marlins currently need a win more than anyone else in baseball.

The Miami Marlins are currently on their longest losing streak of the season. Just before this 5-game losing streak, they were winners of 6 of their last 8, and only one game back of 1st place in the division. They seemed that they were going to stop their losing streak at 4 in Buffalo, but the Blue Jays fought their way to win the game in the ninth inning, 6-5.

Now the Marlins are 6 games back of the first-place New York Mets. It seems the club is caught in quicksand, and has no vine to grab to help them get out making the series against the Pittsburgh Pirates feel critical.

The Pirates are last in the NL Central with a record of 20-34. This is a team who is dead last (30th) in the MLB in HR (Marlins right there in the basement with them ranked 28th), but the worse stat for Pittsburgh is their run differential, an abysmal -83 compared to the Marlins +5. Over the last three games, the Pirates are -10 in the run column, while Miami is -7.

Injuries have certainly played a role for the Miami Marlins.

Yes, their health seems to be a recurring issue. As one player seems ready to get back into the lineup, another one goes down. In you need any example of this, simply look this past week with the return of Starling Marte and the injury of Miguel Rojas.

Now with news emerging that Sixto Sanchez has been shut down, it’s starting to look like we may not see Sanchez potentially at all this year. Sure maybe it’s a bit pessimistic, but why risk the health of someone the organization hopes to be their future ace, someone who is only about to turn 23?

The Fish cannot allow the Mets, who have also been decimated by injuries this year, make this division lead insurmountable. Yes, the MLB season is a 162-game marathon, but you cannot allow your opponents to make ground against you.

In 2019, the last full 162-game season, the NL East Division was decided by only 4 games. Guess what? In last years pandemic shortened season, the difference was also only 4 games between 1st and 2nd.

Every game could be the difference between the playoffs, and an early vacation. The Marlins should not let their injury woes become an excuse for poor offensive performances.