‘A series of unfortunate events’: Eighth-inning collapse dooms Marlins in loss to Cubs
The Miami Marlins’ bullpen, as has been the case so many times already this season, was busy again on Saturday.
This time, though, it was by design.
Instead of having right-handed pitcher Bryan Hoeing make his third start of the season as he fills a spot in Miami’s banged-rotation, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker opted to go with a bullpen game Saturday against the Chicago Cubs and have Hoeing (who the team has been tinkering with as a reliever since spring training) pitch later in the game in a more controlled setting.
The plan almost worked.
Miami made it through seven innings with the lead before collapsing in the eighth inning of their 4-2 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
The Marlins are now on a season-high five-game losing streak and fall to 16-18 on the year. The Cubs improve to 17-16.
Chicago scored three runs in the decisive eighth inning, with the defense behind left-handed pitcher A.J. Puk making its share of costly plays — “a series of unfortunate events,” as right-handed pitcher Matt Barnes called it — to lead to their demise.
Cody Bellinger led off the inning by reaching on an error when first baseman Yuli Gurriel missed a catch on a throw over from Puk. Trey Mancini then hit a double to right field, which hit off Peyton Burdick’s leg as he stopped short while tracking the ball. Nelson Velazquez pinch-ran for Mancini.
“They all did their jobs,” Burdick said of the bullpen. “It just sucks that I didn’t do mine.”
After a Matt Mervis strikeout, Nick Madrigal hit a single through the right side of a drawn-in infield to score both runners and give the Cubs their first lead of the game. Miguel Amaya then gave the Cubs an insurance run with a pinch-hit RBI single — his first career MLB hit to chase Puk.
Prior to that eighth inning, Marlins pitchers on Saturday held the Cubs to one run on seven hits and three walks while striking out 11 batters. The pitcher-by-pitcher breakdown from those seven innings, with Miami alternating between right-handed pitchers and left-handed pitchers with each call to the bullpen:
▪ Barnes pitched a scoreless first inning, working around a pair of singles with two strikeouts. It was just the third start of Barnes’ career, with the other two both coming in 2015.
▪ Lefty pitcher Andrew Nardi pitched a perfect second inning, also logging two strikeouts, before being pulled after giving up a leadoff single in the third.
▪ Hoeing then did the bulk of the work, holding Chicago to just one run on three hits and a walk over three innings while striking out four.
▪ Lefty Tanner Scott pitched a perfect sixth inning, adding another strikeout.
▪ Righty Huascar Brazoban got two quick outs before running into trouble by loading the bases on a Nico Hoerner walk, Dansby Swanson single and Ian Happ walk. He stranded all three by striking out Seiya Suzuki.
And then it all fell apart in the eighth.
“Our bullpen did exactly what they were supposed to do,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “Starting with Puk and then Nardi and Puk in that lane right there in the eighth inning. ... Did everything you’re supposed to do. We just didn’t play catch, and when you give the extra outs to big-league teams, it doesn’t matter who you’re facing, those usually score.”
The Marlins scored their two runs on a Bryan De La Cruz RBI single in the first inning at the end of an 11-pitch at-bat and a Jorge Soler home run — his second in three games — in the third inning.
But after chasing Cubs starter Drew Smyly in the fourth inning, the Marlins had just three hits the rest of the game. Miami went 1 for 5 with runners in scoring position, left five on base and hit into two double plays.
“We just didn’t execute,” Schumaker said. “A couple hard hit balls, but for the most part, really couldn’t string anything together.”
Up next
The Marlins close their three-game series with the Cubs on Sunday, with first pitch set for 2:20 p.m. Sandy Alcantara (1-3, 5.09) will pitch for Miami opposite Chicago’s Hayden Wesenski (2-1, 4.45).
