MIAMI -- “The message has been to continue to work hard, to continue to do what you can, to control what you can, and that this will not last forever.”

Those were the words of Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix about two hours before the Marlins would lose to the Nationals, 12-9, on Sunday afternoon at loanDepot park.

The Marlins’ body language said it all once their early seven-run lead evaporated on Nick Senzel’s three-run homer off righty Anthony Bender in the fifth inning. A group convened with Bryan De La Cruz at one end of the dugout to discuss his baserunning gaffe. A dejected Josh Bell leaned over the railing. Manager Skip Schumaker barely moved from the top step.

A month into the season, the Marlins have the worst record in MLB (6-23) and are on a six-game skid. Securing a postseason berth last September feels like ages ago.

Of course, there has been roster turnover, highlighted by the departure of All-Star slugger Jorge Soler. The lineup featured three faces that didn’t appear for the club in 2023: first baseman Emmanuel Rivera, shortstop Tim Anderson and third baseman Vidal Bruján.

Then there are the litany of injuries. Jesús Luzardo is awaiting the results on his left elbow, while southpaw Braxton Garrett has resumed his rehab assignment after a setback. Right-handers Sandy Alcantara and Eury Pérez, who are out for the season with Tommy John surgery rehab, as well as Jake Burger and Avisaíl García, watched from the dugout.

“I think that there's a lot of differences from last year to this year,” Schumaker said. “Obviously, as a staff, we've got to figure out how to get our current roster better. I'm not going to think about last year. Every year is different. Every roster is different. This is a different roster. The whole rotation is different, the whole bullpen is different. So I think there's a bunch of different guys that are here, but that's no excuse for us.

“This is the coaching staff. I'm obviously the manager [who] has to figure this out. The record is the record. Until we figure it out, I put a lot of the blame on me, because I haven't figured it out, obviously. We are 6-23, so that's our record, and I have to figure it out because I don't like losing. I hate losing. I know a lot of those guys have won before. And I feel like a lot of it is on me.”

Postgame, Jazz Chisholm Jr. said the club was finding ways to lose rather than ways to win, the opposite of what it was able to do last season. For the second time in this series, a baserunner ran into a double play on a flyout and the defense committed multiple errors.

The offense broke out with a six-run first, punctuated by Chisholm’s second grand slam of the season, but it couldn’t tack on as Washington scored upon lefty Ryan Weathers and three separate relievers.

“I just feel like we've just got to focus more, hone in on our skills,” Chisholm said. “We know how to play baseball, we know how to move runners over, we know how to put a bunt down, we know how to run the bases, we know how to field ground balls, we know how to call pitches, all that stuff, you know what I mean?

“We've just got to get better at it, and we've got to focus and lock in a little bit more. I feel like we're just going out there and playing baseball because we've already lost a lot of games, where I feel like we've just got to go out there and focus.”

Bendix expressed his confidence in the results improving, but what happens if things continue on this trajectory?

“It's a long-term process,” Bendix said. “That's something I've said from the beginning. In the short term, this is going to turn around because we have a bunch of players who are really committed to making sure it turns around. We have a staff that is committed to working hard and putting them in the best position to succeed. And we have guys with a track record of success. We have guys that are going to get back to the level of performance that they're accustomed to.

“In the long term, my vision for what this organization is and where it's going has not changed. The vision is the same thing that it would be regardless of our record right now. I continue to have the support and the resources to really get this organization where it needs to be.”