Cal Quantrill delivers six shutout innings as Marlins down Royals 3-1

Miami Herald

7 days ago

Cal Quantrill spent the All-Star break in Ontario, Canada, relaxing by the lake and retreating from the Florida summer humidity.
But when the right-hander returned to the mound Saturday afternoon for the Marlins' second game of their home series versus the Kansas City Royals, it was all business.
Coming into the 3-1 win, Quantrill carried uneven numbers: a 5.36 ERA over 19 starts, with 68 strikeouts and 24 walks. But beneath the surface, he believed his performance told a better story.
'I think my pitching's been better than the line shows,' he said Friday. 'Now it's time for a fresh start.'
And he delivered exactly that. Quantrill turned in six shutout innings, leaning heavily on the sharp execution of his cutter and slider — a refined one-two punch that Manager Clayton McCullough later called 'his weapons.'
His efficiency was striking. He exited after just 69 pitches, having scattered two hits, walked none and struck out three. But more than that, he controlled the game's rhythm with poise and precision, mixing his pitches to keep the Royals' hitters off-balance.
Quantrill's first big defensive moment didn't even come from the mound, but from his awareness: a third-inning pickoff that erased Tyler Tolbert just after the Royals outfielder had reached on a line-drive single.
'A bonus pick is always a win as a right-handed pitcher,' he noted.
And the Marlins' defense had his back the rest of the way — including a back-to-the-wall, 367-foot grab in center by Dane Myers to preserve the shutout in the top of the third.
'There were some nice defensive plays behind Cal,' McCullough said postgame. 'And Cal kept filling it up — [it] was a really great outing [with] great efficiency.'
But with six MLB seasons under his belt, Quantrill isn't just chasing strikeouts.
'There's times to go and try and get [a strikeout], and there's times to take the outs that are given to you,' he said. 'Early in my career, I think I chased the swing-and-miss too much. I think I do a better job of that now.'
For most of the game, it was a duel on the mound, but the Marlins' bats sparked late.
In the eighth, with the score tied 1-1, Graham Pauley reached via walk. After giving up a strike due to a pitch clock violation, Xavier Edwards delivered a crisp, line-drive double to left — 'crisp' being McCullough's word for it — and ignited the go-ahead rally.
With Jesús Sánchez intentionally walked to load the bases, Otto Lopez stepped in and cleared the tension with a 370-foot double to left-center, bringing home both Pauley and Edwards. The hit brought Lopez's RBI count for the game to three.
'Otto has been in a really good place for a while now,' McCullough added. 'It goes back to his high-contact ability [and] his improved plate discipline.'
With the win, Miami improves to five games under .500 and will look to sweep the Royals on Sunday as they continue to chip away at the standings.
THIS AND THAT:
No. 7 MLB Draft Pick Aiva Arquette visited loanDepot park on Saturday afternoon. Quantrill's father, Paul, also played for the Marlins in 2005. They are the third father-son duo to ever appear on the Marlins' roster.RHP Janson Junk will take the mound Sunday in the series finale in what will be his second career start versus the Kansas City Royals. He earned his first career victory his start against the Royals on July 27, 2022.