Arraez, Marlins finish best April since 2011 with a sweep

MIAMI -- With the Marlins in the thick of yet another close game, Luis Arraez stepped to the plate with runners at the corners and one out in the eighth inning. There’s no one manager Skip Schumaker would rather have at the plate in that situation.

Arraez delivered the go-ahead sacrifice fly as the Marlins swept their first series with a 4-3 victory over the Cubs on Sunday afternoon at loanDepot park.

“The way he's going about it, you know he's going to put the ball in play, you know he's going to hit it hard somewhere, Schumaker said. “Righty, lefty, just doesn't matter. You want him up as many times as you can in the game. We put him at the leadoff, three, four, whatever, and he's coming through no matter where he's at. Time and time again. It's just special to watch.”

Here’s a by-the-numbers look at the Marlins’ 16-13 April, which is their highest win total in that month since 2011:

.438 average for Arraez
When Miami acquired the 2022 American League batting champion from Minnesota in January, the club hoped he could spark its lineup. His production level through 25 games goes beyond what anyone could have imagined.

Arraez’s .438 average at the end of April is the highest among batting title qualifiers since Barry Bonds (.472) in 2004. His 12 multi-hit games are second most in MLB.

Considered a player with no true position, Arraez also entered the series finale with three Defensive Runs Saved at second base. He flashed the leather on a third-inning Yan Gomes groundout, then moved over to first -- even using Garrett Cooper’s glove -- when the latter exited in the fifth.

What’s Arraez’s assessment of his Marlins tenure?

“Good, because we win,” Arraez said, who also had an RBI single in the third. “For personal, amazing. I worked hard for this, and I want to say thanks [to] God. I hit like .600 when I was a kid. Not this time. This is [the] big leagues, and I just go there and enjoy the game and play hard.”

1.000 winning percentage in one-run games
Miami improved to 10-0 in these contests, becoming the first team to start a season with such a stretch since the 2004 Dodgers. The Marlins are one victory shy of the all-time record set by the 1972 Mets, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

It’s quite the turnaround from 2022, when Miami tallied an MLB-high 40 one-run defeats. That mark was the most since the 1975 Astros (41). A big reason why is the bullpen’s performance. The Marlins improved to 13-0 when leading after eight innings.

Four relievers combined to limit Chicago to one run over the final four frames, with closer A.J. Puk pitching a perfect ninth for his single-season career-high fifth save. Two months ago, Puk was preparing to start for the A’s until the Marlins acquired him in a trade for outfielder JJ Bleday.

“The confidence down there right now [is up], everyone's throwing the ball well,” said Puk, who is 5-for-5 in save chances. “They know the situations they are getting put in that they're going to have a good chance of success, and everyone's just going out there and executing.”

8 starting pitchers used
Right-hander Bryan Hoeing’s second turn in the rotation went much better than his first, as he allowed just two runs over five innings in place of southpaw Trevor Rogers.

Miami has had to ad-lib with Rogers and righty Johnny Cueto on the injured list. Hoeing, for example, was transitioning into a relief role this spring. Despite the number of arms used, the rotation ranks 15th in MLB with a 4.26 ERA.

“It's just cool to be able to come up here and help contribute to a win,” Hoeing said. “It feels great. It's good for the team to get a sweep against a solid Cubs team this year; it’s huge. And hopefully we can take that momentum on to the next series vs. the Braves.”

41 runs scored in the final three innings
Schumaker noted that outside of Arraez, the batters are likely displeased with their production. But Miami is hitting .279 (87-for-312) in the seventh inning or later. Of the Marlins’ 99 total runs scored this year, 41.4% have come late in ballgames.

“Not much not to like,” Schumaker said of April. “I don't like injuries, and that's it. There's a lot to like. There's a lot of fight in that club. Comeback wins early on show you what kind of club you have.”