Marlins have little need for the bullpen in a 10-1 victory against the Phillies

Jesús Tinoco’s first relief appearance at loanDepot park this season was dismal.

Pitching for the Texas Rangers, the first of his three MLB teams this season, Tinoco surrendered four runs in one inning to the Marlins on May 31, including a three-run homer to Jesús Sánchez.

Three months later, Tinoco is thriving for the Marlins.

After a clean ninth inning Saturday, manager Skip Schumaker called him “our best guy” right now in the bullpen

He wasn’t needed in Sunday’s 10-1 thumping of the Phillies — the Marlins’ second consecutive win against them after a 14-run loss Friday — that was highlighted by Edward Cabrera’s arm and Connor Norby’s bat. But the right-handed Tinoco has been relied on regularly since the Marlins claimed him off waivers from the Cubs on July 30.

“We’ve put him in high-leverage situation after high-leverage situation and he’s succeeded,” Schumaker said. “I think he’s found some comfort playing in Miami. And there is confidence that we’ve probably given him as well that we believe in you. We haven’t thrown you in the fifth or sixth inning. We’re putting you in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. He has taken it and run with it.”

In 15 appearances for the Marlins, Tinoco has a 1.47 ERA and a 0.60 WHIP. During those 18 1/3 innings pitched, he has allowed three runs and seven hits, struck out 24 and walked only four.

“I’m happy to be here and happy to help the team in any way I can,” Tinoco said via team interpreter Luis Dorante Jr.

Tinoco’s first stint with the Marlins in 2020 was brief.

Acquired from the Rockies in an August trade, he was designated for assignment 16 days later. In three appearances for the Marlins, he pitched five scoreless innings and didn’t allow a hit.

Tinoco, who spent 2023 playing in Japan, started this season with the Rangers, but he was designated for assignment June 16 after nine runs surrendered in nine appearances (10 1/3 innings). He elected free agency and signed a minor-league contract with the Royals, who dealt him to the Cubs on July 16. After two scoreless appearances for them, he was designated for assignment.

With the Marlins, “It’s a matter of preparing yourself for what you’re going to face, and then attacking,” Tinoco said. “Attacking hitters always helps me a lot to be successful because I get ahead in the count. And when I get ahead in the count, I can take more advantage of my secondary pitches. When I can locate my [98-mile-per-hour] fastball correctly, my slider has more damage.”

“He had trouble early on in his career with lefties,” Schumaker noted. “But now that he can throw a fastball up top to lefties, get them off the sinker, it has been really beneficial for him. He can miss bats and barrels and get weak contact as well.”

The Marlins’ bullpen didn’t get much work Sunday thanks to starter Edward Cabrera, who pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits. He struck out six and walked one.

“I was just in the zone and not with any fear they were going to hit the ball,” Cabrera said via Dorante Jr.

“I’m proud of how locked in he was every single inning,” Schumaker said. “He didn’t let the score dictate how he was going to pound the zone. I’m proud of how he kept attacking every pitch.”

Cabrera was scheduled to start Friday but was scratched about 90 minutes before because of migraine-like symptoms that led to a hospital visit. He said it’s an issue he’s dealt with periodically since he was 14, but it had never happened on the day he pitched.

“I wish I could have thrown a complete game [Sunday] so I could somehow redeem myself for what happened a couple of days ago,” Cabrera said. “I know it wasn’t anyone’s fault, but I kind of felt like I needed to redeem myself in some way.”

The Marlins, 6-7 in their season series against the Phillies, have won eight of their past 14 games overall.

“We’re growing and we’re a young team and we’re feisty. We’re super competitive,” said rookie Connor Norby. “Jumping on them early the last two games, that really helps, and we just kept adding on and adding on. … We can hang with anyone. Like I’ve said before, the future is really bright here.”

Norby blasted a two-run home run in the first inning for the second straight day. After that 418-foot shot to left center, he went deep again his next at-bat for his eighth homer in 27 career MLB games.

“You never try to pick a favorite kid when you’re a dad, so I’m trying not to pick my favorite player, but I kind of have a man-crush on him right now,” Schumaker said.

Said Norby: “He did tell me after I got back from the first home run today, ‘Anyone can hit one.’ So, then he didn’t have too much to say after the second one. He just smiled. Nah, he’s the best. He’s awesome.”

Norby’s 13 extra-base hits are the second most in Marlins’ history for a player’s first 18 games. Charles Johnson had 15 in 2001.

▪ Reliever Lake Bachar made his MLB debut in the eighth inning and struck out the side. The right-hander became the 69th player used by the Marlins this season, tying the 2021 Cubs for most players used in one season in MLB history.

Said Schumaker: “We’ve had so any trades and waiver-wire claims — I’ve got to give credit to the front office for at least giving us a shot here, trying to give us some real arms to work with, and not just saying, ‘Here you go, good luck.’”

▪ Javier Sonoja, who had a pinch-hit RBI in his MLB debut Saturday, doubled, hit an RBI single and scored two runs Sunday. He started in center field and moved to shortstop.

“I said it when he got here: ‘This kid might be the best hitter in our lineup,’” Norby said. “And that’s not discrediting anyone else.”

▪ Xavier Edwards’ stolen base in the first inning was his 25th steal — most in MLB since July 11.

▪ Ryan Weathers pitched 2.2 innings (64 pitches) for Triple A Jacksonville on Sunday, allowing four runs (two earned) and six hits.

▪ Valente Bellozo (2-2, 3.78 ERA) is scheduled to start Monday in Pittsburgh and fellow right-hander Adam Oller (1-2, 4.15) is slated to pitch Tuesday.