Redmond hoping for improved offense in second half

MILWAUKEE -- As the second half begins, the Marlins will look to continually make strides in development and maturity.

The youthful squad has come of age since June 1, posting a 21-17 record after they were 14-41 in April and May.

The most pressing area in need of improvement, according to manager Mike Redmond, is the offense. Entering Friday's game in Milwaukee, Miami was last in the Major Leagues with 306 runs. The White Sox were the next closest at 345 runs.

The Marlins didn't improve on that mark on Friday, getting shut out for the 10th time this season in a 2-0 loss in Milwaukee. They hadn't been held scoreless since May 22 against the Phillies.

"I think our offense will continue to be a work in progress," Redmond said. "I think we all know we're capable of swinging the bats better than we did in the first half. There were times we swung the bats really well. But there were other times when we were just shut down."

The offense was hindered, especially early, with Giancarlo Stanton and Logan Morrison on the disabled list. With those two back, the team is hopeful to be more productive in the second half.

"I think we have guys around here who are capable of hitting for higher for average and driving in more runs, too," Redmond said. "Offense is probably the biggest spot where we need to really improve.

"I think that does come from [the fact that] we do have a core group of young guys who are either in their first year in the big leagues or new to the big leagues. There is that adjustment period. But at the same time, too, we have guys with a couple of hundred at-bats. We need to keep going, keep pushing. We'll always have to talk about approach, and swinging at strikes, and swinging at pitches we know we can handle."