Young Marlins experience growing pains in series-opening loss

MIAMI – The 2026 Marlins don’t find themselves in the postseason picture this deep into the season without young talent providing significant production. At the same time, it’s understood that growing pains are an inevitable part of the equation.

That inexperience showed in Friday night’s 6-1 loss to the Cubs at loanDepot park, as Miami (71-71) remained three games behind Arizona (74-68) for the third and final National League Wild Card spot with 20 games remaining. The Padres (73-67) were hosting the Yankees late in San Diego.

“Having young players come up here and contribute is and has been and will continue to be important for us. So I think what comes with that is, there are learning curves and moments as guys get themselves adjusted,” manager Clayton McCullough said. “Myself and our staff, our job is just to continue to coach that, because there's certainly a lot of talent, and I think it's a good thing.

“The only way to get real experience is to be out there, and for some of these things to happen. We've seen this season, we've had other guys that have done that. So I think, as a whole, as a group, we’ve probably just got to continue to be a little bit more buttoned up and improve in some of those kinds of areas, because then you see the difference when you're playing a lot of tightly contested games to make some unnecessary outs just inhibits your chance to win.”

Right-hander Janson Junk allowed just one run on three hits during a five-inning start, walking one batter and striking out four in a 75-pitch outing. The lone run, however, might’ve been avoided had a different decision been made in the second.

Though Junk picked off Alex Bregman following a leadoff single, Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner reached on back-to-back hits to put runners on the corners. When Pedro Ramírez sent a grounder to rookie first baseman Deyvison De Los Santos, who started with Kyle Stowers nursing left hamstring tightness, he tried turning an inning-ending double play rather than throwing home for the tag play. Since Miami was only able to get the out at second, the run scored on the play.

In the bottom of the third, De Los Santos led off with a double to give the Marlins their first of just three hits against lefty Shota Imanaga. But when rookie Jared Serna sent a grounder to short, De Los Santos broke for third and got easily thrown out as third baseman Alex Bregman applied the tag on Hoerner’s throw.

De Los Santos, who was recalled on Thursday, has appeared in just six big league games. In Friday’s series opener, he offered the perfect example of a young player’s learning curve. Unfortunately for him and the Marlins, it came with higher stakes involved.

“A few things that happen, it's part of the game,” De Los Santos said via interpreter Luis Dorante. “Some of these things will never happen again. It’s just something [when] you’re trying to do 10 things at the same time, there’s some pressure to probably want to show too much. Some stuff that I don’t think will happen again.

“It’s just a matter of taking advantage of the opportunity and keep moving forward, trust yourself, find ways to help the team any way I can, knowing that you have the abilities and just keep that trust in yourself.”

Three innings later, McCullough turned to his bullpen in the sixth with the top of the Cubs’ order due up, beginning with NL MVP candidate Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Since closer Pete Fairbanks -- who is due back on Wednesday as he recovers from right median nerve irritation -- and setup man Anthony Bender -- who is scheduled to throw off the mound this weekend as part of progression from a right shin stress reaction -- remain sidelined, three rookies are in Miami’s bullpen.

Two of those first-year players, righties Jack Ralston and Josh Ekness, are seeing higher-leverage situations as a result. The duo issued four combined walks and gave up three runs in the sixth, which held up once the Marlins stranded the bases loaded with two outs in the seventh.

“I think it's just one of those days,” said Ralston, who hadn’t walked a batter in his first six MLB innings. “It happens. They suck. It's not fun. But you've just got to tell yourself that those days do happen, and you hate being on this side of it, and the best thing to do is just flush it and then come back in tomorrow ready to work.”