MIAMI, FL—Valente Bellozo turned in his best start of the 2025 season on Wednesday, shutting out the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup through 5 ⅓ innings. However, the Miami Marlins went to their bullpen rather than let him face any of the Dodgers hitters for a third time. It all went downhill after that decision. The Marlins fell by a final score of 10-1, dropping their fourth straight series.

Recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville on May 2, Bellozo was not very effective in his previous start against the Athletics. It was a different story in this getaway day series finale—the right-hander allowed only one hit, two walks and struck out seven, one shy of matching his career-high.

“I think we had a really good plan,” said Bellozo. “We attacked on them really well. I think we minimized the damage when we needed to minimize. I think this was a great outing. Everything was dialed in. Fastball was good, sweeper was good, cutter was good and the changeup was pretty good. I think this is my best outing right now. We made really good adjustments from the last outing.”

Early in spring training, Bellozo showed a notable increase in fastball velocity. That had not translated to the regular season until now. His four-seamer topped out at 93.6 mph in the first inning and averaged 92.1 mph on Wednesday.

“I was talking about it with (pitching coach Daniel) Moskos and we’re gonna see videos,” said Bellozo. “We’re gonna see what changed today…I think if we replicate this every time, it’s gonna be huge.”

With the game scoreless going into the sixth inning, Bellozo struck out former Marlins prospect Austin Barnes. That’s when manager Clayton McCullough took him out in favor of lefty Cade Gibson, who was recalled from AAA-Jacksonville earlier in the day. Bellozo had only thrown 76 pitches, compared to 87 in his previous start.

Pitching in just his second major league game, Gibson was tasked with facing three future Hall of Famers in Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. All three got the best of him. Gibson surrendered a triple to Ohtani, walked Betts and Freeman drove in Ohtani on an RBI single, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.

“We felt really good with the ability to use what we had left in areas that we felt very good with,” said McCullough following the game. “Couldn’t have asked anything more out of Valente. To get into the sixth inning today as efficiently as he did, I just felt good about who we had left and who they were going to match up best against. That’s why we went to Cade there at the top as it rolled through. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work out today.”

Bellozo wasn’t surprised by the decision to be taken out with Ohtani looming on deck and Gibson warming up in the bullpen.

“Manager decisions are manager decisions. This is his team,” Bellozo said. “I think it was a really good decision to go with the lefty when Ohtani was up. I knew mentally that Barnes was my last hitter no matter what, and the importance to get one out with Barnes and put Gibson in that moment with one out and Ohtani was the best position to (McCullough).”

The Marlins found themselves with a great opportunity to score in the bottom of the sixth inning. Back-to-back base hits by Xavier Edwards and Kyle Stowers set up Eric Wagaman, who grounded into a double play. Jesús Sánchez struck out swinging to end the inning.

In the top of the seventh inning, the Dodgers scored six runs. Lake Bachar, who had been the Marlins’ most reliable reliever this season, allowed all of them—a Hyeseong Kim RBI single was followed by a Mookie Betts bases-loaded walk, Freddie Freeman bases-clearing triple and Andy Pages RBI single. In the top of the ninth, the Dodgers added three more runs, making it a 10-0 game.

The lone Marlins run of the ballgame came in the bottom of the ninth on a Jesús Sánchez sac fly.

For the first time in Agustín Ramírez‘s young career, he threw out a baserunner attempting to steal. The runner who Ramírez threw out? It was none other than Shohei Ohtani. It was only the second time this season Ohtani had been caught stealing. He is the first runner to be nabbed by any Marlins catcher since April 25.

With the loss, the Marlins are now 14-22 on the season and will hit the road for a week in Chicago, beginning with a three-game on the Southside against the White Sox. First pitch is on Friday at 7:40 pm. Max Meyer will take the mound for the Fish.