The Dodgers beat the Marlins 6:2 in the MLB regular season on Thursday night. It was a one-sided affair from the start, and by then the pattern was already clear. The visitors had come in on a five-match winning streak and showed no signs of slowing down.
The Marlins had been struggling badly. Three straight losses to the Mets, including a 14:15 defeat on the Tuesday before this. They looked tired, disjointed, and second to everything. «The support of the fans could be called devoted, but that is an assessment, not a fact. The fact is that the club sits top of the table» — wait, no, that's not right for this game. What was right was watching them fold.
I had given a prediction before kickoff. We were backing the Marlins at 50% confidence, something about home advantage and the Dodgers being complacent. The forecast didn't come off. The Dodgers were running out of games they couldn't win, and they tore this one to shreds.
Five straight victories for Los Angeles, scoring freely and defending solidly. The Marlins have opened talks about changing their approach, but that's speculation. What we know is they lost six straight runs worth of ground in one night.
The gap between these sides is widening. The Dodgers keep climbing while the Marlins dig deeper. «They are running out of games» — and this one proved it.