Marlins Aim to Avoid 12th Straight Loss vs Padres

The Miami Marlins stand on the brink of franchise history for the wrong reasons, needing a win on Sunday afternoon to avoid setting a new team record with a 12th consecutive loss. The Marlins will host the San Diego Padres in the finale of a three-game series at loanDepot park, having already dropped the first two contests to extend their current skid to 11 games.

The slide reached that mark with a 7-2 loss to the Padres on Saturday night, tying the franchise record set in 2011. Manager Clayton McCullough acknowledged the team's struggles, stating it feels like they are playing just good enough not to win. He expressed confidence that the difficult stretch will end, but noted he does not know when. The Marlins had won six straight games prior to this losing streak and had posted the best record in baseball from June 1 to July 9.

The Padres secured the series with a 4-2 victory in Friday night's opener, a game decided by a tiebreaking, pinch-hit two-run homer from Luis Rengifo in the eighth inning. That win extended what was then a 10-game Marlins slide. Miami had taken an early lead on a Joe Mack home run, but San Diego tied it on a Jackson Merrill sacrifice fly in the fourth....