The Miami Marlins return to loanDepot Park for Game 2 of their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers searching for answers in what has been a frustrating start to the 2025 season, as they sit at 13-21 and remain near the bottom of the National League East standings with glaring issues in both pitching and offensive consistency. While the club has shown brief flashes of competitiveness, including a few solid home wins, their inability to string together momentum has been a season-long theme, and now they’re tasked with containing one of baseball’s most complete and dangerous teams in the Dodgers. Leading the Marlins’ offense is Jazz Chisholm Jr., whose speed and energy at the top of the lineup are critical to Miami’s ability to manufacture runs, while Jesús Sánchez brings occasional pop from the left side but has yet to find sustained rhythm at the plate. Other contributors like Bryan De La Cruz and Jake Burger have had moments, but the Marlins continue to struggle with situational hitting and are averaging well below five runs per game, leaving little margin for error for a pitching staff that has been overwhelmed far too often. That pressure now shifts to Tuesday’s starter, Cal Quantrill, who enters the game with a 2-3 record and an unsightly 8.10 ERA, having been hit hard in multiple outings due to poor command and a fastball that lacks late movement—an especially dangerous combination against a Dodgers lineup loaded with veteran hitters who don’t miss mistakes.

Quantrill will need to find his control early and avoid working from behind in counts if he hopes to keep Miami within striking distance, and he’ll need support from a bullpen that has been inconsistent at best, often failing to hold leads or keep games close once the starter exits. Defensively, Miami has struggled to stay clean, with errors and miscommunications proving costly in tight games, and they’ll need a sharper performance in the field to support Quantrill against a team that punishes extra outs. One area where the Marlins can potentially gain ground is through aggression on the basepaths, where Chisholm and De La Cruz can apply pressure and force defensive reactions—though that strategy only works if they’re getting on base with consistency. Manager Clayton McCullough faces an uphill battle with a rotation that’s underperforming, a lineup that hasn’t yet found a spark, and a home record that sits at 9-10, reflecting the broader inconsistency that has plagued the team. For Miami to pull off an upset against Los Angeles, they’ll need a near-perfect performance: Quantrill must avoid the big inning, the bats must capitalize with runners in scoring position, and the defense has to be airtight—all while playing with the urgency of a team that cannot afford to fall further behind in the standings. This matchup presents a steep challenge, but for a young Marlins team trying to build confidence and identity, stealing a win against the Dodgers could be a much-needed jolt to a sluggish start.