miamiherald
How quickly things have flipped for the Miami Marlins.
Just two weeks ago, they were on top of the world.
They had pushed their record to a season-best 10 games over .500 and were looking like serious contenders to make the playoffs.
They havent won since.
The Marlins are currently on a nine-game losing streak after getting swept by the Cleveland Guardians at home before the All-Star break and then returning to go 0-6 on a road trip through the Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros.
Its the ninth time in franchise history the Marlins have lost at least nine consecutive games; the franchise record is 11, done three times (on two separate occasions in 1998 and once in 2011).
They have watched nearly all the good fortune they put together during a historic June disappear.
The Marlins are now 52-51 on the season and one-and-a-half games back of the National Leagues final wild-card spot as they enter a six-game homestand against the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies starting Friday What has gone wrong? Here are nine stats that help contextualize the current state of the Marlins.
14.3: FanGraphs now has the Marlins odds of making the playoffs down to 14.3%.
Thats a more than 37 percentage-point drop from the 51.5% odds they had after games were played on July 9, the day before the current losing streak began, and they were 10 games over .500.
All that to say not all is lost just yet even though Miami will need to turn things around quickly to avoid completely erasing all the good momentum they created.
3: Every game of this losing streak has been decided by no more than three runs.
While the final score doesnt always indicate how lopsided a game truly was Miamis 8-6 loss to the Brewers on Saturday, for example, was a five-run game until Griffin Conine hit a three-run home run in the ninth to shrink the deficit the Marlins had a chance in every game.
21-31: After getting swept by the Brewers and Astros, the Marlins are now 21-31 on the road this season compared to 31-20 at loanDepot park.
2.6: The Marlins are averaging just 2.6 runs per game during this nine-game losing streak.
Thats an average of two runs per game fewer than their season average of 4.6 entering the losing streak.
Just shy of half of their runs 11 of 23 came across two games (an 8-6 loss to the Brewers on Saturday and 8-5 loss to the Astros on Monday).
Miami scored no more than three runs in any of the other seven games, including plating just one run in three contests.
.145: A big reason for the Marlins low run production during this losing streak? They are hitting just .145 (9 for 62) with runners in scoring position during this stretch.
They have left 61 runners on base as a result.
Prior to this losing streak, the Marlins were hitting .261 with runners in scoring position.
Even more, Miami batters have struck out a collective 86 times during the nine games, an average of 9.6 per game.
Theyve recorded double-digit strikeouts in five of nine contests.
12 1/3: Starting pitchers not named Sandy Alcantara or Eury Perez accounted for just 12 1/3 innings across four starts during the losing streak.
Tyler Phillips went one inning as an opener on short rest against the Guardians on July 12 and then 4 1/3 innings against the Astros on Tuesday.
Max Meyer went only three innings on Saturday at Milwaukee.
And Janson Junk only went four innings on Monday at Houston.
In their 12 1/3 innings, the trio of Phillips, Junk and Meyer gave up 12 earned runs for an 8.76 ERA.
Alcantara and Perez, for their part, posted a 3.09 ERA (11 earned runs over 32 innings) across their five combined starts.
With Meyer now on the injured list after his start at Milwaukee due to a neck strain, the Marlins once again will see their starting pitching depth tested.
The team does not have an announced starter yet for Fridays game against the Padres.
13: Marlins pitching has allowed 13 home runs across the nine games three against the Guardians, two against the Brewers and eight against the Astros.
Those home runs have accounted for 21 runs for the opponents, or two shy of what Miamis offense has put up all together across this losing streak.
18: The Marlins have allowed opponents to steal bases on 18 of 21 attempts across the nine games.
5: While it seems all doom and gloom, its worth noting the Marlins are the fifth team this season to have a losing streak of at least nine games.
Two of the other four the Chicago Cubs (10-game losing streak in May) and Philadelphia Phillies (10-game losing streak in April) are currently in playoff spots.
Injury updates The Marlins might be closing in on getting up to three key reinforcements back in the not-so-distant future.
Rookie reliever Josh Ekness (out since June 1 with a right calf strain) began a rehab assignment with Triple A Jacksonville on Thursday.
Hes on the 60-day IL, so the earliest he can return is July 31.
Veteran reliever John King (out since July 8 with a left lateral ankle sprain) has been throwing to hitters this week and Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said he will not need a rehab assignment before returning.
He can be activated whenever the Marlins feel he is ready.
And rookie outfielder Owen Caissie (out since July 9 with right calf strain) is hitting with no issues and has ramped up his running and defense work.
Hell likely need a couple games on rehab assignment before returning.