The Phillies haven’t played very well since the All-Star break, going 3-6 and losing all three of their series. But that’s nothing compared to the struggles of the Marlins. You might remember the Marlins being red hot in June and early July, going on a 26-8 to put themselves into playoff contention.
But the Marlins ended the first half by getting swept by the Guardians. And they haven’t won a game since, dropping their first nine games of the second half.
Since their losing streak began, they have the lowest on-base percentage in the majors and have the sixth-highest ERA. They haven’t suffered any real blowouts, as most of the losses have been by fewer than three runs. But a loss is a loss, and the Marlins are racking them up.
Opposition research: Kyle Stowers
As you might expect with an offense struggling the way the Marlins’ has, there aren’t a lot of hitters performing well. But the worst of them might during this stretch has probably been first baseman/outfielder Kyle Stowers.
After being traded from the Orioles to the Marlins in 2024, Stowers had what appeared to be a breakout campaign in 2025, with a .368 on-base percentage to go along with 25 home runs. Those numbers were good enough to get him to the All-Star Game.
Since then, injuries have been a problem. He suffered an oblique strain in August that wiped out the rest of his season, and then suffered a hamstring injury in Spring Training that caused a delayed start to the season. Perhaps not coincidentally, he did not hit well in the early part of the season.
Like most of the Marlins, he had a very good month of June, with an .897 OPS, but also like most of his teammates, that has changed dramatically. Since the Marlins’ losing streak began, Stowers is batting .146 and his defense – not a strong suit to begin with – has been bad.
He did hit a home run on Sunday, his first since the break. It feels like he’s too good of a player to keep slumping this badly, so perhaps that’s sign of a tunraround.
Remembering a guy who played for the Phillies and Marlins
Not much notice was taken when the Phillies claimed Greg Dobbs off waivers in January 2007. Dobbs was a 27-year-old who had never established himself as a major leaguer and was a longshot to even make the roster. But a strong Spring got him on the team, and he established himself as a good-hitting utility player, splitting time between third base, first base and the outfield. (Although he didn’t play any of those positions especially well.)
In 2008, Dobbs was one of the best bench players in baseball, with an .824 OPS in 240 plate appearances, while setting the franchise record for pinch hits in a season.
But the magic wore off after the World Series. His OPS dropped to .679 in 2009, and went 0-4 in the postseason. (I remember my father commenting that he looked scared to death while batting in the World Series.)
By 2010, his offense had declined to the point where he was supplanted by Ross Gload as the Phillies’ main pinch hitter. The Phillies allowed him to leave in free agency, and he signed with the Marlins.
He had a near full-time role with the Marlins in 2011, and while his bat was acceptable, he showed that he absolutely could not play defense well enough to be a starter. For some reason, the Marlins kept bringing him back every season, while his offensive numbers slowly declined, and his defense did not improve. Thanks to his abysmal defensive ratings, he was worth -2.9 wins above replacement over his four seasons with the Fish.
In May 2014, Dobbs had a .603 OPS, and the Marlins had enough. They released him, and he was claimed by the Nationals, for whom he played 21 games.
Hating on the Marlins
As they do whenever the franchise shows any sign of life, Marlins fans started feeling themselves a bit when the team was red hot.
The chatter is not nearly as positive these days.
While the Marlins were never likely to be huge buyers, it now seems far more likely that they’ll do what the Marlins do best: Trade good players to other teams. The Phillies will face Sandy Alcantara on Tuesday, and it’s possible that will be his final appearance in a Marlins uniform.
But don’t worry, Marlins fans: I’m sure your general manager has a plan to get things turned around.
Additional thought about the series
Are the Phillies playing the Marlins at the right time? I’m always wary of facing a team coming into a series on a long losing streak, as it feels like regression alone could get them a couple of wins.
As for the Phillies, was their eleven-run outburst on Sunday night a sign that the team was emerging from their post-break offensive slump? It’s hard to definitively say so because the Phillies still left a ton of runners on base and the Yankees outdid the Phillies’ poor defense, handing them several runs.
On the bright side, the Phillies will have both Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo going this series. Luzardo has dominated his former team, going 4-1 with a 2.58 ERA in six starts against them. The third game will be started by Aaron Nola, who has a career 3.02 ERA at Miami’s LoanDepot park, and he pitched six shutout innings there earlier in the year.
