“Bottom Feeder” Miami Marlins advance, eliminating Cubs

Another postseason series, another victory for the Miami Marlins.

On the day the President of the United States reported himself positive for COVID-19, there would be afternoon baseball at Wrigley Field in Chicago. As an art band put it years ago, “Same as it ever was.” The Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins would meet in a potential elimination game for the Cubs.

Major League Baseball had reached the post-season Wild Card round some predicted would never occur. Some teams had already been eliminated, in fact.

Moreover, the game would present to fans an interesting contrast, beginning with the starting pitchers. Chicago’s Yu Darvish, the veteran, Cy Young Award candidate, would be countered by Miami’s 22-year-old rookie, Sixto Sanchez. Sanchez was himself considered for the Rookie of the Year Award although his sizzling career start had cooled a trifle.

The rest of the line-ups suggested Miami had its work cut out for them, but then, their Game 1, 5-1 win had already suggested they weren’t actually cowed by Kris Bryant, Javy Baez, et al.

The weather forecast called for a mostly sunny day in Chicago. Pregame remarks by ABC commentators reminded TV viewers the Small Bears had been 4-8 in post-season contests since winning the 2016 World Series, the Fish had lost 105 games last season, and that it was chilly in Chicago.

Darvish mixed his six or seven pitches well in the top of the first, striking out Corey Dickerson on a change-up, and inducing a ground out and lazy fly to center field.

In the bottom of the inning, Sanchez showed Ian Happ his first 100-mph fastball on his second pitch, and struck him out on a low change-up about 10 mph slower. He froze the second hitter with a fastball that nicked the lower left-hand corner of the strike zone at 93, and got a ground out to end the inning.

The high-profile starters were off and running. It appeared they would be aided by a bright day that would see shadows creeping toward home plate as the game advanced.

They surrendered a hit apiece on lazy bloopers through the end of the fourth inning, Darvish needing a 6-4-3 double play in the third inning, then a strikeout with a slider with a runner on third.

Three out of every four Sanchez pitches were effective, very high-velocity fastballs until the fourth when he walked the first two hitters. An out later, Jason Heyward broke his bat on a soft line-single to right, but Miami’s right-fielder Matt Joyce made a perfect throw to nail the heavy-legged Wilson Contreras at home, and Sanchez wiggled out of trouble.

In the bottom of the following inning, it became clear Sanchez was really struggling with location, surrendering two opposite-field singles, and hitting Contreras with a pitch to load the bases with two outs. Kyle Schwarber then flew out to left.

The game remained scoreless. Sanchez was nearing his season-high pitch count. The shadows had nearly reached home plate.

After a scoreless Marlins sixth, manager Don Mattingly didn’t press his scoreless, Sanchez luck, and replaced him with Brad Boxberger. The right-hander held Chicago scoreless as the shadows at home finally crossed the front of the plate.

With three innings to go (maybe), neither team had accomplished their basic task on an autumn afternoon at Wrigley – to score before the seventh inning.

Darvish remained in the game, throwing a two-hitter. And he threw darts, painting the corners with subtly moving pitches, and an occasional 95-mph fastball also at a border.

In other words, things were looking quite grim for the Marlins, but Darvish finally made a costly error. He missed an outside target in, and Garrett Cooper deposited the ball in the left-field seats. An intentional walk then backfired, that batter scored on another hit, and Darvish was gone, trailing 2-0.

A masterful veteran performance had come apart in minutes.

From then on, more balls were hit well against the relievers than against Darvish and Sanchez, but no one else scored despite the fact a moderate cloud cover had moved in.

The save went to Brandon Kintzler. Manager Mattingly had pushed the right buttons, particularly in the sixth inning.

The Miami Marlins, a team that wore BOTTOM FEEDERS t-shirts under their game-day jerseys, advanced in the playoffs. The name had been given to them by the Philadelphia Phillies, who were not in the playoffs.