The Miami Marlins opened the year with a 5-1 record but they have not won since, and have now lost eight times in a row to inch them close to franchise history.
The Marlins in their history have lost 11 times on three separate occasions. Those previous times were April 1-12, and May 26 - June 7 of 1998 along with June 11-20 in 2011, per the team's media guide. 1998 was famously the worst season in Marlins' history and came off their first World Championship when the team lost 104 games overall. During the 2011 streak, manager Edwin Rodriguez even stepped down from his position, which opened the door for the return of Jack McKeon who quickly oversaw a win.
There is no reason to think that current skipper Mike Redmond is looking to go the Rodriguez route but the frustration can be seen in his face following each mounting loss. The Marlins' showed a lot of promise in the first week and have been having difficulty in multiple facets of the game ever since. Pitching has faltered, defense has been abysmal at times, and situational hitting has taken a step back. The Marlins as a team are finding ways to lose and are making it difficult for Redmond to get them back in a winning groove.
There are some positive signs still even in the midst of this streak that can give the team a little confidence. Despite the skid, the Marlins overall are still near the top in several offensive categories of the National League. Coming into the year, their biggest question mark was expected to be offense so that is a welcome sign for the team. The power is there as Miami is seemingly sending at least one ball over the wall in each game. That is something the team simply didn't come close to seeing in 2013.
It may only take one win for the Marlins to turn things back around, and that could come as soon as Tuesday against the Washington Nationals. It won't be easy though with Stephen Strasburg on the mound, who struck out 12 Miami hitters last week. Ace Jose Fernandez is set to get the ball on Wednesday and he could be looked at as the streak stopper after having a rare poor effort in his previous start.
