Dave Hyde: Bad baseball, bad planning and Marlins have 0-7 start to show for it
MIAMI — Once again, sketchy pitching was supported by sketchy defense.
Once again, Miami Marlins hitters looked armed with Waterpiks.
Once again, too, manager Skip Schumaker perfectly summed up an another imperfect day.
“We got our butts kicked,’’ he said after Wednesday’s 10-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels to stretch the Marlins’ start to 0-7.
Baseball has numerous ways to slump. But this is The Slump, because of that zero in the wins column and because it’s across-the-board bad baseball. Then what did anyone expect? The Marlins hired more help in the front office this offseason than to its troubled roster.
Yep, the Marlins are back in Tank-for-Tua mode under first-year vice president of baseball operations Peter Bendix , except there’s no catchy phrase to hope on, no quick fix like all the other times the Marlins tried this and no reason to think this start doesn’t represent the coming season.
“The season, I know, feels long already in that clubhouse because of seven games and no wins,’’ Schumaker said. “It is really early. However, these games count. Playoff teams get in by one or two games every year. And we’ve got to figure it out.”
Poor Schumaker. He forged together an improbable team last year and helped it to the playoffs to win Manager of the Year. Now his team is the first in baseball history to start 0-7 after making the playoffs.
What’s happened? Nothing happened this offseason. And everything’s happened on this first homestand. Boils. Droughts. Pestilence. The Marlins’ starters averaged the scant four innings J.J. Puk threw Wednesday. The bullpen has squandered 5-2 and 6-4 leads.
The league’s second-worst defense last year picked right back up there as third baseman Vidal Brujan’s error Wednesday allowed two third-inning runs to score.
Finally, the lineup that scored the fewest runs in the league last year has looked how you’d expect after not bringing back its one dynamic hitter in Jorge Soler.
“It’s just trying to find our groove, not do too much,’’ said Jake Burger, who was designated hitter on Wednesday. “I think that’s what you do when you get in a little scuffle you try to hit an eight-run home run and it’s not possible.”
Are players pressing like that?
“I know I am,’’ Burger said. “There were two big situations earlier in the series where I grounded into double plays that kind of killed our momentum. In those situations, I just have to take what they’re giving me and try not to force anything.”
It’s not like the opening opponents, Pittsburgh and the Angels, are in some bigger weight class.
“Maybe a change-of-scenery will help,’’ Burger said.
They got St. Louis’ home opener next followed by trips to the New York Yankees and the Atlanta Braves. That’s an itinerary for more trouble. The prime hope is for some starting pitching to get healthy later in April.
“I would be upset if it was a lack of effort, lack of preparation, all that stuff,’’ Schumaker said. “It’s really not that way. They’re going about it the right way It’s tough. I mean, they’re not happy in there. We’re not happy as a staff.
“We’re here to help them get better and help them win games and we’re not doing that. Obviously, we’ve got to figure how to get them on track.”
Try a team meeting? Why not? The Angels had one themselves after two season-opening losses in Baltimore. They’ve won four straight since then. Of course, three were against the Marlins.
““I don’t see panic,’’ Schumaker said. “There’s still positivity in there, talking, trying to guys going. They came in super positive, laughing, joking around, as you should because it’s a new day. That’s why it’s a little disappointing to come out with a 10-2 loss today. I felt good about coming in today.”
The Marlins, for all their historical follies, hadn’t started 0-4 since 2001.
They’d never started 0-5.
They’re 0-7 now, and the get-well thought of it being a long season comes out another way. It really looks like long season.