The 2023 Miami Marlins postseason run was an anomaly in so many ways. That applies to the team’s offensive production when facing left-handed pitching.

For much of the past half-decade, the Marlins have been impotent against southpaws. Dating back to 2021, here is where they rank annually among the 30 MLB teams in wRC+ under those circumstances:

2021: 30th

2022: 30th

2023: 14th

2024: 29th

2025: 27th

But even the ’23 Fish never pulverized a great lefty starter as thoroughly as the current club did on Saturday. Miami’s all-right-handed lineup scored eight runs off of New York Mets All-Star David Peterson, who couldn’t even record an out in the third inning. The timing of that onslaught was convenient because the Marlins pitching staff had plenty of issues themselves in an 11-8 victory.

It was apparent immediately that Peterson “didn’t have it.” Five of the first six Marlins batters reached base safely, including a Heriberto Hernández RBI double that was mere inches from clearing the right field wall and an Eric Wagaman two-run double. The inning was prolonged by a Brandon Nimmo misplay that turned a catchable line drive into a Joey Wiemer two-run double, but Peterson was partially culpable, falling behind in the count 3-0. Wiemer, who hadn’t collected any extra-base hits since being called up two weeks ago, pounced on a mediocre fastball over the heart of the plate.

Peterson took a brief hiatus from struggling when he breezed through the second inning, but he failed to retire another batter after that. He allowed a leadoff double to Hernández, followed by back-to-back walks. Replacing an injured Dane Myers (right side discomfort), Jakob Marsee ripped an RBI single to right that made it a 6-2 advantage. Wiemer sent Peterson to the showers with an RBI single of his own. One of the runners inherited by Chris Devenski also came around to score.

Since 2021, Peterson is the only fully stretched-out left-handed starter to get knocked out by the Marlins due to sheer ineffectiveness within two-plus innings. Seriously, take a look (via Stathead). Everybody else who matched that criteria was an opener, with the exception of Madison Bumgarner, who got himself ejected from his start after one inning.

The Marlins totaled eight hard-hit balls off of Peterson and only struck out once.

“We just continue to maintain confidence in the players that we have on our roster, that this is what they’re very capable of doing,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said postgame. “Guys put together some really good at-bats and we were able to get some early runs.”

The Marlins’ win probability peaked at 96% during the Peterson portion of the game. However, the lead completely evaporated a few innings later. 

Edward Cabrera (4.0 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 79 pitches/55 strikes) yielded home runs to Francisco Lindor, Mark Vientos and Juan Soto. No previous opponent this season had homered more than once against him. It was an 8-6 ballgame when McCullough turned to his bullpen.

Soto tied things up with a two-run shot off of Cade Gibson in the bottom of the sixth. Both of his homers landed in practically the same spot in right-center.

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Connor Norby carried the Marlins to the finish line from there.

Playing in just his second game since being reinstated from the injured list, Norby lined out deep to right for a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the seventh. He added crucial insurance in the ninth with a two-run double against Edwin Díaz, the menacing Mets closer who entering Saturday had held right-handed batters to a .133 batting average this season.

“Just get him up in the zone, something out over [the plate] and stay through the big part of the field,” Norby said postgame.

This goes on the short list of Norby’s most impactful games of 2025, as he also drew walks in each of his two plate appearances against Peterson. The third baseman’s overall production has been only slightly better than replacement level, with a .246/.297/.373 slash line and 84 wRC+ through 74 games. He insists that he isn’t concerned with those numbers:

“When I focus on winning and focus on the team, it takes a lot of the individual performance out of the way. I think I was putting so much pressure on myself to be someone that I’m not necessarily, and who I was before was pretty good. It’s just believing in myself again, having that confidence. A lot of different conversations, a lot of hard work, but there’s no numbers I’m looking at. I don’t care about what the scoreboard says when my stat sheet comes up. I care about the wins. I do.”

Calvin Faucher, Ronny Henriquez and Tyler Phillips combined for 3 â…“ scoreless frames to secure the win. The Marlins had lost seven straight series dating back to August 4, but they’re ensured at least a split of this four-game set.

 

Sandy Alcantara will start Sunday’s series finale, his final time taking the mound as a 29-year-old. He’ll try to build upon back-to-back-to-back quality starts. Alcantara has allowed just four earned runs in 20 innings pitched during that span while compiling 23 strikeouts.

Kodai Senga takes the mound for the Mets. Senga and Alcantara previously matched up on April 1, which was a 4-2 Fish victory.

First pitch is scheduled for 1:40 p.m. ET.