Miami Marlins now suffered six losses in the last seven games after losing to Chicago Cubs. It was the Cubs’ pitcher Wilson Contreras who appeared to be the culprit for the result in Wrigley Field with his decisive hit.
Contreras launched a two-run homer in the eighth inning during that game. “That was amazing,” he said. “I was looking forward to doing something special right there.”
For the Venezuela-born pitcher, it was a special result as he is due to become a free agent. Contreras admitted that the trade deadline is running in his head, making it difficult to stay focused on the game. In July, he only recorded an average number with a. 149, one homer, and four RBI in 19 games.
Final. pic.twitter.com/8nwWUZwxCS
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) August 5, 2022
Contreras said that it is important for him to show his best wherever he plays.
“I just wanted it to be over, even if I get traded or not,” he said. “I wanted to be somewhere that I can play baseball. It didn’t happen. It’s over. I’m still here, and now, I feel relaxed.”
Contreras’ teammate, Justin Steele praised the 30-year-old pitcher, saying he was grateful to have him stay with the Cubs.
“Couldn’t write it better, could you,” said Steele, who was in the clubhouse. “That’s how he is. He’s a special player. It’s really great to still have him as a teammate.”
Marlins’ silver lining
Meanwhile, on the opposite side, Marlins’ right-handed pitcher Edward Cabrera returned to the field after a two-month break following his injury. Cabrera showed an impressive display with five hitless, struck eight, and allowed three hits, despite failing to save his team from losing.
“Very happy to come back here,” Cabrera said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr on MLB.com. “I [have] wanted to be back since day one. It took me a little while to just do my rehab, do all the exercises and get strong to get back to the team. But happy to be here.”
Cabrera’s outstanding performance caught the attention of the Marlins’ manager, Don Mattingly. He praised Cabrera’s s progress despite coming back from a long injury.
“Cabrera was good,” manager Don Mattingly said.
“I thought he was aggressive. Early, a little bit off command wise. But as the game went on, it looked like he got better. He kept blending the offspeed stuff. Couldn’t ask for much more than that for a guy coming back off rehab.”
Cabrera suffered a right-biceps injury prior to the season start. Therefore, Mattingly would not give Cabrera a rush to back on a regular form.
“First comes first, you got to protect the kid,” Mattingly said.
“He was at [78] pitches. He’s not going to be able to go out and finish the inning. At that point, we’re going to protect him first. But this outing gets him a chance that [if] his pitch count changes next time out, it’d be further down the road,” he explained.
Cabrera has showcased significant progress in the Chicago game. He recorded 17 whiffs on 34 swings, three came on his four-seam fastball, four on his changeup, five on his slider, and five on his curveball. He said that he needs more time to prove himself.
“Just keep trusting my pitches,” Cabrera said when asked what he did differently after issuing two walks in the first inning.
“Even though I was making some mistakes, I just was trying again, over and over, trying to get the grip from the fastball and just trusting what I got.”