Command eludes Edward Cabrera again in Miami Marlins’ loss to New York Mets

Edward Cabrera is trying to figure out what’s going on with his lack of command for his pitches.

Two starts into the season, the results have been a struggle.

Cabrera walked a career-high seven batters in just 2 2/3 innings on Friday in the Miami Marlins’ 9-3 loss to the New York Mets on Friday at Citi Field to begin a three-game series.

Miami falls to 3-5. The Mets improve to 4-4.

This came one start after Cabrera walked what at the time was a career-high six batters over four innings in a 6-2 loss to the Mets on Saturday at loanDepot park.

“Still working,” Cabrera said. “That’s what I have to do.”

Through two games, Cabrera has walked 13 batters over 6 2/3 innings, just shy of averaging two walks per inning pitched.

Cabrera is now just the third pitcher in Marlins history to walk a combined 13 batters over two consecutive starts.

A.J. Burnett combined had 18 total walks through his first three starts of the 2001 season — including nine in his second start, which happened to be a no-hitter, as well as five in his first start and four in his third. Rick Helling also walked 13 over a two-start span in June 1997.

He is also just the second pitcher since 1991 to last no more than 2 2/3 innings while allowing seven walks and not give up a hit. Brandon Morrow also did so for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2014.

“For me, it’s a confidence thing,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “I mean, he’s got the stuff. It’s just believing in himself that he can do it and that’s [what it will take] for him to take the next step. I don’t think it’s mechanical. His bullpens and side work, everything’s great. It’s him believing he can do it and trusting that his stuff works in the zone.”

On Friday, the problems mounted with each inning.

Cabrera gave up a leadoff walk to Brandon Nimmo in the first inning before retiring the next three batters — flyouts to Starling Marte and Francisco Lindo, a groundout for Pete Alonso — but needed 30 pitches total to get through the frame.

He then walked each of the first two batters in the second inning (Jeff McNeil and Mark Canha) before again recording the next three outs. Daniel Vogelbach and Eduardo Escobar struck out swinging and Tomas Nido grounded out.

In the third, Cabrera walked the bases loaded to start the frame, giving free passes to Nimmo, Marte and Lindor. Unlike the first two innings, he couldn’t escape disaster. Strikeouts to Alonso and McNeil got him one out away from another clean albeit rough inning, but Cabrera walked Canha with his 85th and final pitch for his seventh walk of the game and pushed the first Mets run home.

“We just had trouble finding the strike zone,” catcher Nick Fortes said.

A Daniel Vogelbach infield single against reliever Huascar Brazoban on the next at-bat, which came with no Marlins player covering first base as Garrett Cooper ranged to his right and Brazoban didn’t cover the base, doubled the Mets’ run total.

Alonso added an RBI single in the fourth against Brazoban, Marte hit a solo home run against Matt Barnes in the sixth, and the Mets scored two more in the seventh on an Escobar fielder’s choice and Nido sacrifice fly after Tanner Scott loaded the bases with two walks and a hit-by-pitch to begin the inning to put Miami in a 6-0 hole.

Lindor and Alonso hit home runs in the eighth against Daniel Castano to tack on three more runs for the Mets and cap scoring.

Collectively, Marlins pitchers issued 12 walks, which is tied for the second-most in a game in franchise history. The franchise record is 17, set on Aug. 20, 1999, against the Houston Astros. In addition to Cabrera’s seven, Scott walked two while Brazoban, Barnes and Castano each walked one.

Miami pitchers have walked 38 batters through the first eight games of the season.

“It’s tough,” Schumaker said. “We preach strike zone and command the strike zone. Watching that was tough.”

The offense didn’t do its pitching many favors on Friday, either.

Cooper cut the team’s deficit in half and scored the Marlins’ only runs with a three-run home run in the eighth after Luis Arraez and Jorge Soler drew back-to-back two-out walks before his swing. Before that, Miami had just three hits and five baserunners through the first seven innings.

Fourteen of Miami’s 18 runs this season have come from eight home runs.

Injury updates

▪ Infielder Joey Wendle, who is on the 10-day injured list with a right intercostal strain, is with the team in New York.

▪ Left-handed pitcher Steven Okert (left adductor) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Triple A Jacksonville on Saturday.

▪ Right-handed pitcher Tommy Nance (right shoulder) threw a 20-pitch bullpen Wednesday. It was his first time throwing off a mound since the start of spring training.

▪ Right-handed pitcher Sixto Sanchez threw a live batting practice session Friday in Jupiter.

Up next

The Marlins continue their series with the Mets at 4:10 p.m. Saturday. Trevor Rogers (0-1, 6.23 ERA) will start on the mound for Miami opposite the Mets’ Kodai Senga (1-0, 1.69).