Marlins walk 12 as strike zone eludes Cabrera

NEW YORK -- Prior to Edward Cabrera’s second start of the season, also his second in a row against the Mets, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said he wanted the right-hander to throw the ball in the zone consistently. In Cabrera’s first start he was all over the place, walking six batters over four innings and allowing two runs on two hits last Saturday against New York.

Cabrera was no better in Friday’s 9-3 loss to the Mets at Citi Field. This time, he lasted 2 2/3 innings without allowing a hit. However, Cabrera walked seven batters and threw 85 pitches.

In just two starts, Cabrera has walked 13 batters, the second-most walks to start a season in Marlins history. Right-hander A.J. Burnett had 14 in 2001. No other Marlins starter has had more than 9 walks in their first two games of a season.

On the mound, Cabrera seems a totally different pitcher than the one the Marlins saw in Spring Training. During Grapefruit League play, Cabrera allowed just three runs over 15 innings (four starts) and walked six batters.

Schumaker believes Cabrera doesn’t have mechanical issues on the mound; It’s more of a confidence issue. The skipper would like to see Cabrera use his fastball, which averages in the high 90s, more often. Cabrera used more secondary pitches in his outing against New York.

“He has the stuff," Schumaker said. "It’s just believing in himself that he can do it and that’s for him to make the next step. I don’t think it’s mechanical. His bullpen, side work, everything is great. It’s believing he can do it, trusting his stuff and that it works in the zone. His work ethic is 10 out of 10. He is a 10 out of 10 person. Now it’s believing he can do it, [that] is his next step.”

Cabrera won't to be out of the rotation any time soon, though. Schumaker said the team still believes in the 24-year-old right-hander.

“We think he has a really bright future," Schumaker said. "He is just beginning his big league future as well. Sometimes you don’t know what you have out there until you have done it successfully over and over again. We know he can do it. There are not many teams that are excited about [facing] Cabrera when they see his name on that lineup card.”

The first inning was Cabrera’s best, when he allowed a leadoff walk to Brandon Nimmo before inducing a pair of flyouts and a groundout. But he needed 30 pitches to get out of the inning -- it didn’t help that New York fouled off 12 pitches.

“That’s the thing about the Mets," Schumaker said, "they grinded out at-bats, and it started with Nimmo. He had a seven- or eight-pitch at-bat. It’s a combination of us not throwing in the strike zone -- but it’s a really good lineup. It was just grinder-type of at-bats that kind of wore us down. They did a great job of staying in the strike zone [that inning].”

It was tough for Cabrera to find the zone after the first, though. He walked a pair to start the second, but got two strikeouts and a groundout to negate the threat. Then, the third inning.

Cabrera loaded the bases on walks, bringing Pete Alonso to the plate with no outs. The righty struck out Alonso, and reigning NL batting champ Jeff McNeil, and it seemed Cabrera might get out of the inning unscathed. But then he walked Mark Canha to bring home the first run of the game and end his outing.

“As a starter you don’t want to be taken out with runners in scoring position,” Cabrera said through interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “It’s just a natural thing as a starter. We are all like that. You don’t want to get taken out. It’s part of the game.”

Even Cabrera didn’t quickly have answers as to why he struggled to find the plate.

“I have to keep working. That’s what I have to do,” Cabrera said. “Like I always say, I go out there to compete. [When] the results are not the ones that you want, you have to try to make the adjustment and try to do it again as you go back on the mound.”

Cabrera wasn’t the only one having a tough time finding the plate. As a whole, the Marlins walked a combined 12 hitters. Schumaker doesn’t have any answers for the high walk rate or his pitchers' struggles to throw strikes, an issue that dates back to their Opening Weekend series. That's something Miami’s pitching staff has to figure out quickly. Entering Saturday’s action against the Mets, the Marlins' 38 walks rank second in the Major Leagues.

“We preach … command the strike zone. Watching [Friday’s game] was tough,” Schumaker said.