What the Marlins learned after 10 road games

NEW YORK -- Monday afternoon's 6-0 loss to the Mets at Citi Field concluded a three-city, 10-game trip for the Marlins, who went 4-6 against AL West-leading Houston (2-1), Philadelphia (1-2) and NL-leading New York (1-3).

What did we learn from this stretch?

Uncertainty outside of Alcantara

Sandy Alcantara is as reliable as they come, tossing seven-plus innings in each of his last eight starts and giving up two earned runs or fewer -- the longest streak since Félix Hernández in 2014. Miami is 9-5 in Alcantara's starts and 20-31 otherwise.

Pablo López, who got off to an unreal start (one earned run in 23 innings), has a 5.23 ERA in his last six outings -- completing six frames just three times. With Jesús Luzardo, Edward Cabrera and Cody Poteet sidelined, Braxton Garrett and Daniel Castano have tried solidifying the back end of the rotation.

If the Marlins want to string together wins, they need the trio of Alcantara, López and Trevor Rogers to lead the way. Last year's NL Rookie of the Year runner-up, Rogers has fought his mechanics all season, though he pitched better than Monday’s stat line. He said his slider was the most consistent it has been, and he was able to locate the four-seamer at the top of the zone.

Of the 56 pitchers to throw at least 130 innings last season and 50 innings this season, Rogers’ ERA had increased the most (3.23) entering Monday. Of pitchers with at least 10 starts, Rogers was tied for the fourth-lowest innings per outing (4.5).

“It's also very frustrating, just knowing that I'm not at the level that I need to be at,” said Rogers, who credited Alcantara, López and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. “They've been through those long stretches where they're not pitching well, and they've been there for me to talk to them and really get myself out there. They understand it. They try to give me their tips, what they did when they were going through it, and they've been very helpful during that stretch and [I] really appreciate it.”

More than capable fill-in

Utility player Jon Berti is starting on a daily basis with Joey Wendle and Brian Anderson sidelined, and he has been more than up to the task. Berti has reached base in all 18 games in June, batting .300 with four doubles, seven walks, eight RBIs, 10 runs and 14 steals -- more steals than all but three MLB teams.

On Monday, Berti did get picked off -- just the second time for a Marlin this season after troubles in that department in 2021.

The issue has been the rest of the lineup. With Jesús Sánchez and Jesús Aguilar joining Anderson and Wendle on the injured list, that makes four regulars out. Scoring runs on a consistent basis already was an issue. Plus, Jorge Soler (5-for-31, .161), Avisaíl García (5-for-24, .208) and Jazz Chisholm Jr. (6-for-32, .188) slumped on the trip.

“[Soler] hasn't been himself,” manager Don Mattingly said. “I know he's been battling the back a little bit and playing through some stuff. I think Avi’s the same. Avi's had some little aches and pains, he got hit in the hand, I know his knee's been bothering him a little bit, his hamstring some. He hasn't been himself.

“But I look at it more as lulls than anything else. We've had to push our guys with Andy and Joey out. We haven't been able to mix and match nearly as much. Our infield kind of played this whole trip, and we've asked a lot, so we've pushed those guys hard. At some point, you're going to wear them down.”

Unofficial closer is here

Though lefty Tanner Scott hasn’t been named the guy in the ninth, he has recorded Miami’s last four saves. He is 5-for-6, with his lone blown save coming in Wednesday’s loss to the Phillies -- the second walk-off defeat of that series.

Scott certainly has the makeup of a closer -- even after shaving his mustache following the blown save. He ranks in the 99th percentile in whiff rate, with a wipeout slider and a four-seamer that averages 96.4 mph. What has cost him at times has been wildness (eighth percentile for BB%), though he hadn’t walked a batter in eight straight outings until that blown save.

“It is what it is, today's over with,” Scott said after that outing. “Dan threw a great game, and I blew it at the end, so go to bed and tomorrow's a new day.”