3 Miami Marlins most to blame for Game 1 loss to Phillies

The Miami Marlins are playing the Philadelphia Phillies in the Wild Card round. Philadelphia has all of the expectations in the world after making the World Series in 2022 — since then, they've upgraded the offense and pitching and are now the favorites.

The Marlins are the underdogs this season and have to play a tough series versus the Phillies. It would be no surprise if they get swept, but the Marlins have been playing good baseball. All they need to do now is connect the dots for Game 2, and they could beat the Phillies. Here are the players who couldn't do it in Game 1.

Marlins to blame for Game 1 loss: 3. Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Chisholm struggled to reach expectations and was a major part in their failure. He has all of the talent in the world to turn this around, but he was costly to the team as he went hitless in four at-bats with two strikeouts.

Chisholm hits right behind Luis Arraez, Jorge Soler, and Josh Bell, but he was unable to get on base. When he does hit and those three reach base, it usually equals a high-scoring game for the Marlins. Since he hits in the cleanup spot, they will only succeed if he's getting on base and moving runners, something they desperately need in Game 2.

Aaron Nola will be starting Game 2 for the Phillies which is not a great sign for Chisholm. He has played in five games versus Nola but has only been able to get two hits while striking out seven times. Unless he can improve on this, he could play a major role in the Marlins' decline.