Sept. 10—The Miami Marlins have been looking ahead to next year for the past few months. Right-hander Adam Oller is one of their plans.
Oller is scheduled to play for Miami on Tuesday in the second game of a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Marlins (54-90) signed Erler (1-2, 4.15 ERA) to a minor league contract in July, a week after he was released by the Cleveland Browns. The 29-year-old has made four starts since being recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville on Aug. 19.
Oler went 1-1 with a 3.31 ERA in three starts in August. Most recently, he gave up four runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings in a 5-2 loss against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, ultimately losing the game. He struck out six but walked five.
“I thought the first five innings were really good,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “Overall, some really good things happened to them.”
The Marlins were trailing 1-0 when Oller entered the game in the sixth. He struck out the first batter he faced but then gave up a solo home run, a walk and a hit to end his night. The bullpen also didn’t sack him, allowing him to inherit two runs.
“To be in the position I was in in the sixth inning and still give the team a chance to win, that’s what I believe now, but at the same time, I’m not happy with that game by any means,” Oller said. “It’s disappointing because I felt like that outing could have been a lot different and could have been a really good outing for me.
“I think the positive thing is I’m throwing a lot of good pitches, getting a lot of good at-bats and my team has a chance to win.”
Oller will have to face a talented young roster for the first time in his career against the Buccaneers (68-76).
O’Neil Cruz, 25, hit a 444-foot home run Monday in the Pirates’ 3-2 series opener over the Marlins.
It was Cruz’s 19th home run of the season and the 6-foot-7-inch center fielder’s first since Aug. 9.
“It’s been a long time and it always feels good to come back and hit a home run and get back into my rhythm,” Cruz said through a translator. “For a long time I was tired of hitting the ball down the baseline, but we’re back now.”
Although Cruz hit only one home run in August, he batted .389 as a whole for the month.
“That’s why he didn’t get a lot of balls,” said Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton, who moved Cruz from shortstop to center field in late August.
Shelton said he was impressed that Cruz didn’t step in to end his home run drought.
“He stayed within swing range,” Shelton said. “He stayed in close proximity to them because he was going to hit them. He threw two strikes (Monday) and he cut the at-bat short and almost hit the batter in the eye.”
Shelton will use right-hander Carmen Moloszinski as the opener on Tuesday. Moloszinski (2-5, 3.73 ERA) will make his fourth start and 32nd appearance of the season. His ERA as an opener was 2.08. In his most recent appearance, he allowed one run in one inning against the Washington Nationals on Sunday.
In three games against the Miami Heat last year, Mlozinski was 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA.
——Visual-level media
