Rogers labors, Marlins silent in Game 1 loss

September 12th, 2020

Through two innings on Friday, everything was a breeze for Marlins rookie . The 22-year-old left-hander was sailing along, having struck out five of the first seven batters he faced.

After that, things unraveled. Rogers recorded just three more outs, and the Phillies -- behind Andrew McCutchen’s two-run homer and Rhys Hoskins’ three-run blast -- rolled to an 11-0 win over the Marlins in the first game of a seven-inning doubleheader at Marlins Park.

“They just kind of jumped him a little bit that second time through,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “They looked like they were zoned in on him pretty good. I don't think anything major [was different]. It's a veteran club. They're going to have a chance now when they look at you, seeing your work. Seeing what you do and seeing what you don't do as much.”

Aaron Nola held the Marlins hitless until Brian Anderson’s leadoff single in the fifth. Anderson finished with two hits off Nola, and Isan Díaz added a single. Nola went seven innings, striking out 10.

“He was really good,” Mattingly said of Nola. “And then you get behind big. I thought he was really good. He wasn’t making mistakes that were leaking in the middle. He was on the edges all day.”

As rough as the 11-run setback was, Miami used just two pitchers. Robert Dugger picked up the remaining four innings.

Rogers, making just his fourth big league start, endured his most humbling outing. Ranked by MLB Pipeline as Miami’s No. 9 prospect, he entered the game with a 3.00 ERA through his first 15 Major League innings.

In Rogers’ previous outing, last Sunday against the Rays in St. Petersburg, he struck out 10 while allowing three runs in six innings in a no-decision.

Early in Game 1, it appeared Rogers was dialed in for another high-strikeout performance. McCutchen led the game off with a double, smoking a liner that had an exit velocity of 109.9 mph.

Rogers shrugged that off and fanned Hoskins, Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto in order. His velocity in the first inning was as high as 95.4 mph. In the second inning, Rogers racked up two more strikeouts in a clean inning.

The Phillies broke through and piled on Rogers with four runs in the third. McCutchen belted his two-run homer, and Jean Segura added a two-run double with two outs.

“It gets harder,” Mattingly said. “It doesn't get easier. I thought that was a veteran club taking advantage of him.”

The Phillies hit Rogers hard in his start, with seven balls in play tracked by Statcast at more than 100 mph: McCutchen’s double, Alec Bohm’s 104.1 mph groundout, Adam Haseley’s 105.6 mph double, McCutchen’s 102.8 mph home run, Hoskins’ 104.8 mph single, Segura’s 105.8 mph double and Hoskins’ 103.1 mph homer.

Hoskins’ homer ended Rogers’ day after 71 pitches, 49 of which were strikes.

In the fourth inning, Rogers’ four-seam fastball velocity dipped. Of the two he threw in the inning, the highest was 92.3 mph, per Statcast. In the first inning, he threw three four-seamers, with a high of 94.8 mph.

The sinker, a pitch the lefty threw often, maxed at 91.7 in the fourth inning after reaching 95.4 mph in the first.

The way the Phillies locked in on Rogers had the Marlins wondering if the lefty might have been tipping his pitches.

“He's been pretty clean,” Mattingly said. “We'll look at it. If there is something there, we'll address it. It's just hard to address it during the game, if you think he's doing something.”