MIAMI, FL — Just like last year, the Miami Marlins collected an Opening Day win, but Friday’s game against the Colorado Rockies featured several players who are brand new to the organization.

Owen Caissie was not in the original Marlins starting lineup, but after Christopher Morel was scratched due to a left oblique strain, he became the designated hitter, with Connor Norby moving to first base.

“It happened like two or three hours before the game, so it wasn’t that bad,” Caissie said postgame. “I did my scouting report last night, so I was already ready, I guess, but it wasn’t that bad. They did a good job of getting to me the information quick.”

In the bottom of the second inning, Caissie drove in Xavier Edwards on a 104.1 mph RBI double to put the Marlins on the board.

Caissie, who the Marlins acquired as the centerpiece of the Edward Cabrera trade this offseason, participated in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, representing Team Canada. He slashed .412/.476/.765/1.241 during the tournament with one home run and five RBI.

“I did the WBC in 2023 and I felt so prepared for the season, because those games I played in had a lot of meaning,” Caissie said. “(Opening Day) has the same environment, same feel as these, so helped a lot.”

Marlins manager Clayton McCullough told the media postgame that Morel will be getting imaging on Saturday. More information on his status should be available then, but as Miami fans are well aware, oblique strains almost always result in trips to the injured list. Outfielder Esteury Ruiz, infielder Maximo Acosta and top pitching prospect Thomas White are currently sidelined with the same issue.

Just two days before the start of the season, the Marlins signed Austin Slater to a one-year major league deal, and on Friday, he was leading off and playing right field. In the top of the fourth inning, with a runner on second, Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman hit what many thought was an RBI single, but Slater was able to provide the Marlins with their first outfield assist of the season, dotting a 92.5 mph throw right to Agustín Ramírez to keep the game at 2-0.

Slater doing his best Dane Myers impression right there! pic.twitter.com/UTnbJij6r6

— Ely Sussman (@RealEly) March 28, 2026

With the Marlins leading 2-1, they brought in their most expensive free agent signing, Pete Fairbanks, to shut down the door. He first struck out Ezequiel Tovar swinging with his cutter, a pitch he added towards the end of the 2025 season. After surrendering a base hit to TJ Rumfield, Jordan Beck popped out and Brenton Doyle lined out to Otto Lopez.

This marked Fairbanks’ first save as a member of the Marlins. It’s also the first time that the Fish have won consecutive Opening Day games since the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

“I think especially coming to a new team, you want to make that good impression,” Fairbanks said postgame. “Hopefully I’ve managed to do that over the past month and a half. I’d say locking down the first back-to-back Opening Day wins in 20 years is off to a good start.”

 

Sandy Alcantara‘s sixth Opening Day start was the best of his career. He went seven innings, striking out five, walking three and allowed one (unearned) run on four hits. Alcantara’s fastball topped out at 98.5 mph and generated 11 whiffs, with six of them coming on the changeup.

“It’s always been a good pitch,” Alcantara said postgame regarding his changeup. “It’s a pitch that I can throw in any count because of the command. I think my best (secondary pitch) was my changeup. I just gotta trust it and keep it throwing it in the game.”

Alcantara’s changeup was responsible for three of the five strikeouts he recorded.

“Sandy was filling it up,” said McCullough. “The ability to use his entire mix, sinker and velocity was really good, too. Changeup and his ability to spin breaking balls in there…He did a great job of mixing up his looks at first and controlling the running game, some things that he’s worked hard on. This was a great first start to the year for Sandy to go that deep in the game, be that efficient and as well as to be able to execute at the rate he did today.”

Alcantara was as efficient as you could’ve asked for, throwing 73 pitches, an average of barely 10 per inning. But McCullough noted that he maxed out at five “ups” during spring training, so stretching him beyond seven would’ve been pushing it. True to his nature, the 30-year-old workhorse was hoping to go back out there for the eighth.

“He took me out of the game and I gotta respect that decision—that is something I cannot control,” Alcantara said.

Even so, this was tied for the second-longest Opening Day start in franchise history, trailing only Ryan Dempster in 2022 (7.1 IP).

The Marlins bullpen tossed two shutout innings, striking out four Rockies and not walking anyone. Andrew Nardi made his first appearance in a regular season game since 8/21/24. Anthony Bender had runners on the corners in the top of the eighth inning and struck out Willi Castro swinging. Fairbanks closed it out for the Fish to notch win number one of the season.

Eury Pérez will get the ball for the Marlins on Saturday, as he will go up against Michael Lorenzen. First pitch is at 4:10 pm.