Same result in DC, but Marlins are different team

PHILADELPHIA -- What transpired at Washington earlier in the week is all too familiar for Marlins fans. After all, a year ago, Miami opened at Nationals Park and got swept in three games.

The club's first road trip this season started off against the Nationals, and again, the Marlins were swept in three games leading into their series at Philadelphia.

The Marlins did drop three straight, but according to at least one veteran who was here last season, this isn't the same club.

"Everybody in here has the ability to execute at a very high level," right-hander Kevin Slowey said. "We're excited about it. It's a very different team."

A year ago, Slowey started the second game of the regular season. Now, he's being used in a long-relief role.

The Washington series magnified the importance of executing while avoiding mistakes.

"The teams that play the cleanest games don't walk guys and don't commit errors," Slowey said. "Those are the teams that find themselves in the playoffs at the end of the year. I know we have the capacity to be that kind of team. We showed it, obviously, in the first couple of series.

"Now we've had a tough couple of games. It's nothing we haven't seen before and that we can't overcome. There is a long season ahead of us. Guys will continue to refine their games. We're in the first couple of strides of a long season."