MIAMI — The Marlins’ Wild Card hopes took a hit at loanDepot park as rookie mistakes on the basepaths and in the bullpen fueled a 6-1 loss to the Cubs, leaving Miami (71-71) three games behind Arizona (74-68) for the third and final National League Wild Card spot with 20 games remaining.
“Having young players come up here and contribute is and has been and will continue to be important for us. So I think what comes with that is, there are learning curves and moments as guys get themselves adjusted,” manager Clayton McCullough said. “The only way to get real experience is to be out there, and for some of these things to happen.”
Right-hander Janson Junk kept Miami in the game, allowing just one run on three hits during a five-inning start, walking one batter and striking out four in a 75-pitch outing. But the lone run he surrendered might have been prevented had rookie first baseman Deyvison De Los Santos, who started with Kyle Stowers nursing left hamstring tightness, thrown home for a tag play instead of trying to turn an inning-ending double play on a grounder. Miami got the out at second, but the run scored.
De Los Santos, recalled Thursday, has appeared in just six big league games. In the third inning, he doubled for one of Miami’s three hits against Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga but was thrown out trying to advance to third on a grounder to short when Alex Bregman applied the tag on Nico Hoerner’s throw.
“A few things that happen, it’s part of the game,” De Los Santos said via interpreter Luis Dorante. “Some of these things will never happen again. It’s just something [when] you’re trying to do 10 things at the same time, there’s some pressure to probably want to show too much. Some stuff that I don’t think will happen again. It’s just a matter of taking advantage of the opportunity and keep moving forward, trust yourself, find ways to help the team any way I can, knowing that you have the abilities and just keep that trust in yourself.”
With closer Pete Fairbanks recovering from right median nerve irritation and setup man Anthony Bender progressing from a right shin stress reaction, three rookies are in Miami’s bullpen. Two of those first-year players, righties Jack Ralston and Josh Ekness, are seeing higher-leverage situations as a result. The duo issued four combined walks and gave up three runs in the sixth inning, which held up after the Marlins stranded the bases loaded with two outs in the seventh.
“I think it’s just one of those days,” said Ralston, who hadn’t walked a batter in his first six MLB innings. “It happens. They suck. It’s not fun. But you’ve just got to tell yourself that those days do happen, and you hate being on this side of it, and the best thing to do is just flush it and then come back in tomorrow ready to work.”
Fairbanks is due back Wednesday as the Marlins continue their series against the Cubs at loanDepot park, where McCullough’s club will need its young roster to tighten up quickly with 20 games left to close a three-game deficit.