Giants, Marlins hope series begins season turnaround

Neither the Miami Marlins nor the San Francisco Giants have gotten off to their preferred starts to the 2024 season, but one of those teams can start to turn things around with a win Monday in South Florida.

Each team dropped two of three in their respective weekend series, with Miami falling at home to the Atlanta Braves and San Francisco losing its three-game set in Tampa to the Rays.

Miami has lost 13 of 16 games to start the year, owners of the worst record in the National League. The Marlins had an opportunity for a rare series win over their NL East Division rival, but former Marlin Marcell Ozuna hit a game-winning three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning after Miami was a strike away from victory.

"That was a tough loss," Miami manager Skip Schumaker said of the 9-7 defeat. "The guys did everything they could to win that game, so for us to not win that one, it's tough."

Marlins closer Tanner Scott, who had allowed just one earned run in six appearances, saw his 0-2 slider deposited over the left-center field wall as the pro-Braves crowd erupted at LoanDepot Park.

"(Ozuna) takes big swings on every pitch, so you just try to get it to a spot where he can't hit it," Scott said. "I just threw a bad pitch. It all falls on me."

Miami will hope for better pitching luck Monday, as the Marlins send out struggling left-hander A.J. Puk, who's 0-3 with a 5.91 ERA in three starts this year. The 28-year-old converted starter is 0-1 with a 7.50 ERA in six career appearances against the Giants.

As for San Francisco, its loss in Florida was less dramatic as Blake Snell allowed seven earned runs in four innings at Tampa Bay, and the Giants could never battle back from the early deficit.

"It's not often that you see him get (hit) hard," San Francisco manager Bob Melvin said of Snell. "He'll give up some walks and get nicked up a bit, but it's rare that you see him get hit like that, and I think that's just more him feeling his way out."

After three seasons with the San Diego Padres, Snell signed with the Giants on March 19, truncating his time in spring training.

"I just need to get better," Snell said. "No excuses. I can't use the spring thing anymore. I need to start doing what I can do and once I start locating the ball better, I'll get better results."

Like the Marlins, the Giants will need more from its pitching staff on Monday, as lefty Kyle Harrison (1-1, 4.76 ERA) gets the ball to start. The 22-year-old will be making just his 11th career start and first against Miami.

A series win for the Giants would be their first in Miami since taking two of three at then-Marlins Park in August 2016. The three-game set will be the last between the two until San Francisco hosts Miami from Aug. 30-Sept. 1.