Luzardo vs. Arraez a game within a game

SAN DIEGO -- While Marlins players, coaches and personnel took turns catching up with Luis Arraez before the road series against the Padres began, left-hander Jesús Luzardo already had been messaging back and forth with his former teammate for a bit of playful trash talk.

"He texted me, and he said, ‘Hey, what do you need me to throw?’” Arraez said over the weekend. “I said, ‘Hey, fastball, slider, whatever. I'm going out there, I'm going to give you something. I think I'll get a hit.’ But I'm just going out there to compete with him. He's a guy you want to face, because he competes."

On Tuesday night in the Marlins’ 4-0 loss to the Padres at Petco Park, Luzardo threw Arraez the kitchen sink across their three matchups.

Arraez, who was named National League Player of the Week earlier on Tuesday, struck out (changeup) to open the bottom of the first inning -- something he hadn’t done in his past four games. Arraez then grounded out (slider) in the second and singled (sinker) in the fifth.

“It felt great,” Luzardo said. “He ended up getting his knock later on. It was something that we talked about the last two years. Every time I saw him, I told him I was going to get his ticket, and he said he'd get a knock.

“So I guess we both ended up getting what we wanted. He's a great competitor, and he's obviously really good at what he does, so we're happy about that.”

Though Luzardo didn’t have his best stuff, he still recorded a quality start by giving up three runs over six innings. Luzardo allowed seven hits -- just one for extra bases -- with four strikeouts. He threw 54% first-pitch balls yet walked only two batters.

“I think it's just showing the progression that I'm slowly making, even when I'm not at my best, I can still go out there and give us at least a chance to win and get a quality start,” Luzardo said. “And that's really my only goal is keeping us in the game and giving us at least a chance.”

San Diego ended Miami’s streak of four straight series wins. It also snapped Luzardo’s stretch of 14 consecutive scoreless innings.

In the first inning, Jurickson Profar sent a 3-1 middle-middle fastball over the center-field wall. In the fifth, Luzardo permitted three consecutive one-out singles, including the one to Arraez and another on Profar’s RBI knock.

“A lot of first-pitch strikes weren't there for him tonight,” said manager Skip Schumaker, whose club was shut out for the first time since April 23. “He's usually on the attack, and he was on the attack, just didn't get a strike. First pitch fell behind some really good hitters, and a couple guys made him pay.

“But I thought six innings, three runs -- another quality start for Zeus, gave us a chance to win. But it's tough to win when you're getting shut out. It's just the reality of it. So we've got to figure out a way to put some runs on the board.”

Five of the seven hits against Luzardo came on his four-seamer, which produced just one whiff for the third time since his return from the injured list. His 30.9% four-seam percentage marked the lowest of the season for him.

As a result, Luzardo increased his changeup (27%, tied for second-highest on the season) and sinker (18%, season high) usage. He decreased his slider usage (22%, lowest). In 2023, Luzardo was heavy on the four-seamer (42.5%) and slider (31%) heavy.

“We're using both sides of the plate, we're mixing the sinker and the four-[seam],” Luzardo said. “Maybe a little bit of location, maybe a little bit of sequencing. I also think that being around in the league a little bit more and after having a good year last year, I think they're game-planning a little bit more and staying on the fastball. So it just helps me use other pitches in my arsenal and kind of try to find different ways to get outs.”

It’s working. Since May 11, Luzardo has a 1.75 ERA in four starts, compared with a 6.58 ERA in his first five of the season. He has three straight quality starts. Most important is how Luzardo felt coming off a career-high eight scoreless innings on Wednesday in Miami.

“This is probably the best I've felt since I've been back from the IL, which is positive for me,” Luzardo said. “Just body-wise, and [I] felt good out there. So, hopefully, we just keep that rolling.”