Marlins’ late rally not enough in Opening Day loss to Mets to begin Skip Schumaker era

Garrett Cooper is the only remaining player from the Miami Marlins’ Opening Day roster in 2018, the first team assembled under the franchise’s current ownership group led by principal owner and chairman Bruce Sherman.

The first baseman has seen up close and personal everything the organization has undergone over the course of the past five years.

The roster teardown. The hitting rock bottom. The one blip of hope during a pandemic-shortened season only to be followed by two more lackluster (to put it nicely) seasons. And now, finally, entering a season where the team is hoping for a semblance of positivity, a chance to — maybe — finally start moving in the right direction under a new manager and with a roster that’s deeper than it has been during his tenure with the club but also in one of the toughest division in baseball.

“So many changes,” Cooper said.

In several instances Thursday, as the Marlins began their 31st season as a whole and their sixth under this regime, Cooper did his part to give the Marlins a chance to take an season-opening win from the New York Mets. He made at least three quality plays on defense and socked a game-tying, two-run home run to right-center field in the sixth inning.

But the Mets scored two runs in the seventh against Marlins reliever Tanner Scott and Miami could not muster another rally in a 5-3 loss at loanDepot park in front of an announced crowd of 31,397.

And so the Skip Schumaker managerial era of the Marlins begins 0-1. Miami is also 12-19 all-time on Opening Day and has lost eight of its past nine season openers — with the lone win in that span coming in 2020.

“A lot of people put stock in the first game,” Schumaker said. “There’s 161 left. I really believe if we keep fighting, we’re going to be OK.”

But now it’s a matter of not letting one loss magnify as Schumaker navigates through his first season as manager.

The Marlins made an effort this offseason to improve the roster and the team has openly said that it is in win now mode. They added to the offense by traded for reigining American League batting champion Luis Arraez and signing veterans Jean Segura and Yuli Gurriel. They signed veteran right-handed pitcher Johnny Cueto to fill the final spot of their rotation and acquired three relievers — A.J. Puk, JT Chargois and Matt Barnes — to round out their rotation.

Even with that, Miami on paper is still likely a distant — though not as distant as they were — fourth in the National League East behind the Mets, five-time division champion Atlanta Braves and reigning National League champion Philadelphia Phillies.

The Marlins aren’t letting it deter them.

Above the entrance to the Marlins’ clubhouse is a message players will see each day: “The relentless pursuit of a win every day.”

It’s a simple-if-not-obvious theme, and a topic the Marlins have been striving to achieve for years to minimal success.

“You’re here to win, just like the New York Mets are here to win,” Schumaker said pregame. “Of course, you continue to develop players. You try to move the needle every single day. That’s what our coaching staff is here for. We’re not just here to show up and write down the lineup. You walk in the door and you get better or you get worse. That’s what you do as a player.”

After a three-run sixth inning, fueled by two doubles from catcher Jacob Stallings and Arraez before Cooper belted his 422-foot home run to right-center against Mets ace Max Scherzer, Miami had the chance to pull off an upset. Prior to that sixth inning, Miami had just one hit against Scherzer — a leadoff single in the first by Arraez.

But then Brandon Nimmo delivered the final blow, with a two-run double on a line drive against Scott to right-center field that skipped past Jazz Chisholm Jr., playing his first regular-season game in center field, and to the wall.

Prior to that, the Mets scored three runs over 5 2/3 innings against Marlins ace and reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara, who gave up three hits and walked four.

Three of the five runs the Mets scored came from runners who reached base via walks.

“We beat ourselves today with the walks,” Schumaker said.

This and that

▪ Right-handed pitcher Huascar Brazoban, who made the Opening Day roster for the first time in his career after making his MLB debut last season, held the Mets scoreless in the eighth and ninth innings.

“He helped our bullpen keep a couple of those [high-leverage] guys fresh for tomorrow,” Schumaker said. “We need that out of him.”

Andrew Nardi, also on his first Opening Day roster, recorded the final out in the sixth after Schumaker pulled Alcantara with runners on the corners and two outs in the frame.

▪ The Marlins struck out 12 times and drew just two walks.