As Marlins face Phillies, Schumaker’s playoff matchup with Roy Halladay gives team perspective

Skip Schumaker calls it “the biggest at-bat of my career” and, honestly, it’s hard to argue.

Oct. 7, 2011. Game 5 of the National League Division Series. First inning. Schumaker against Roy Halladay.

For 10 pitches, for nearly three-and-a-half minutes, Schumaker battled one of baseball’s best pitchers. It ended with Schumaker sending a curveball to right field for an RBI double — the only run scored in that game, a 1-0 series-clinching win for Schumaker’s St. Louis Cardinals against the Philadelphia Phillies on their way to winning a World Series.

“I was just trying to put the ball in play,” Schumaker said. “Doc was throwing everything at me. Fouled balls off all parts of my body. I was just trying to do anything I could to put the ball in play.”

Nearly 12 years since that at-bat, Schumaker is back at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park for a playoff series. This time, it’s as the first-year manager of the Miami Marlins, who begin their best-of-3 wild card series with the Phillies on Tuesday.

While Schumaker selfishly likes to reflect on the crucial at-bat when looking back on that day, his appreciation for that day goes beyond that one moment. He has a full appreciation for how that game unfolded overall, what the Cardinals did following that game to win the World Series and what they did in the regular season for St. Louis to be in that position.

And nearly a dozen years later, it’s that last point that Schumaker can point to as an overarching message that applies to his current team.

“Just get in,” Schumaker said, “and you’ve got a shot.”

In 2011, the Cardinals had to wait until the final day of the regular season to earn their postseason berth. Not only did St. Louis need to beat the Houston Astros (they did, with an 8-0 score), the Cardinals also needed the Phillies — the team they would face in the NLDS — to beat the Atlanta Braves (they did, with 4-3 score in 13 innings).

After beating Philadelphia in five games in the NLDS, the Cardinals went on to beat the Milwaukee Brewers in six games in the National League Championship Series and then win the World Series in seven games against the Texas Rangers.

Now, the Marlins are in a similar situation. Their playoff hopes came down to the final weekend of the regular season. The Marlins clinched their playoff spot on the second-to-last day of the regular season with a 7-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

It’s the third time the Marlins have reached the playoffs in a full season. The other two times ended with the Marlins winning the World Series in 1997 and 2003.

“All we wanted was a chance, and we have it,” Schumaker said. “We have the ability to play in the postseason and we’re in the tournament. Now we have a shot. That’s all you can ask for because you never know what happens in the postseason. That’s really the message: Take your best shot.”

As for the at-bat itself, Schumaker still remembers every pitch.

Schumaker started the game in center field despite primarily playing second base that season and was batting second in the lineup. He took a borderline pitch for Strike 1 and then swung at a pitch well outside the zone to fall behind in the count 0-2. Schumaker then fouled off five more pitches and took two outside the zone to keep the at-bat alive before finally ripping a hanging curveball — the only pitch fully inside the strike zone in the at-bat — to right field to score Rafael Furcal, who led off the inning with a triple.

“He had so many good weapons that you’re fighting for your life,” Schumaker said. “I just got lucky.”

Luis Arraez update

Marlins All-Star Luis Arraez, who this season became the first player in MLB history to win batting titles in consecutive seasons in different leagues, returned to the Marlins’ starting lineup for Game 1 against the Phillies on Tuesday, batting leadoff and playing second base.

Arraez made just two starts and had just seven total at-bats over the final nine games due to a twice-injured left ankle. He first sustained the injury when he stepped on a groundball during batting practice on Sept. 19 and re-aggravated the injury Sept. 23 when he slipped on the final step of the dugout in the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Arraez’s lone appearance since the second incident came on Friday, when he logged a pinch-hit single as part of a four-run eighth inning against the Pirates.

Miami’s full lineup for Game 1 against Philadelphia:

Luis Arraez, second base

Jorge Soler, designated hitter

Josh Bell, first base

Jazz Chisholm Jr., center field

Jake Burger, third base

Bryan De La Cruz, left field

Jesus Sanchez, right field

Jon Berti, shortstop

Nick Fortes, catcher

Starting pitcher: Jesus Luzardo

Johnny Cueto off wild card roster

The Marlins on Tuesday announced their 26-man roster for the wild card round against the Phillies, with Miami carrying 14 position players and 12 pitchers for the best-of-3 series.

One notable omission from the roster, at least from name recognition: Right-handed pitcher Johnny Cueto, the 15-year MLB veteran who missed the first half of the season and has struggled in the second half. Cueto in 13 appearances for Miami this year pitched to a 6.04 ERA over 52 1/3 innings.

In his place is left-handed pitcher Ryan Weathers, who the Marlins acquired from the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline and who threw six shutout innings in Miami’s regular-season finale against the Pirates on Sunday. This gives Miami yet another left-handed pitcher to go against a Phillies lineup stacked with strong left-handed hitters.

Right-handed pitcher Bryan Hoeing is the other pitcher from Miami’s roster at the end of the regular season who is not on the wild card roster.

The full roster is below.

Position players (14): Catchers Jacob Stallings and Fortes; infielders Arraez, Bell, Berti, Burger, Yuli Gurriel, Garrett Hampson and Joey Wendle; outfielders Chisholm, De La Cruz and Sanchez; and designated hitter Soler.

Right-handed pitchers (five): Huascar Brazoban, Edward Cabrera, JT Chargois, David Robertson and George Soriano

Left-handed pitchers (seven): Braxton Garrett, Luzardo, Andrew Nardi, Steven Okert, A.J Puk, Tanner Scott and Weathers

Tanner Scott final NL Reliever of the Month

Marlins closer Tanner Scott on Tuesday was named the National League Reliever of the Month for September.

In 14 appearances, all as Miami’s closer, Scott pitched to a 1.65 ERA, giving up just three earned runs over 16 1/3 innings while striking out 20 and walking just one while converting nine saves — including both of the Marlins’ wins in Pittsburgh on Friday and Saturday to clinch Miami’s spot in the playoffs.