PHOENIX — Dan Jennings said his hair is grayer and his sleep patterns less regular since taking over as Miami manager on May 18, the last time the Marlins faced the Arizona Diamondbacks. Not that he would trade it.
“It’s been a great honor to put on a major league uniform and get in the foxhole with these guys,” Jennings said. “Now, it’s truly all about winning games. It makes everything better. We’ve had some guys who are doing some things, playing different positions for the betterment of the team, and that needs to translate into wins. That’s better for all of us.”
The Diamondbacks swept a four-game series from the Marlins in Jennings’ first four games after he moved into the clubhouse from the general manager position. It did not get any better Monday when Miami hit into four double plays in a 3-1 loss to Arizona in Chase Field, the first game of a three-game series. The Marlins sustained their eighth consecutive road loss.
“I don’t know the answer to it,” Jennings said. “It is very frustrating. This is a better ballclub than that, but the struggles on the road have really been a factor in our record and where we are. We haven’t had the opportunities, or we haven’t taken advantage of the opportunities. We have to be better.”
Miami was 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position Monday, hitting into a double play in the first inning and failing to score after loading the bases with two outs in the eighth.
The Marlins were 16-22 when Jennings took over for Mike Redmond, a .421 winning percentage. They are 22-33 since, a .400 percentage, but they played the past three weeks without right fielder Giancarlo Stanton and much of the season without three-fifths of the expected rotation, including Jose Fernandez.
“Certainly a transition period for us and these ballplayers with a new manager coming in and the things that occurred,” Jennings said. “Outside of some injuries that certainly have hurt us, we’ve done some things in a positive way, learning to manufacture runs, and like anybody, we have to pitch well to give ourselves a chance nightly.”
Jennings, who never played in the majors or minors, said keeping an open mind is a key.
“You have to be willing to learn every day, and more importantly you have to be willing to adjust every day,” he said. “You’re dealing with 25 personalities. Sometimes they are not going to be at 100 percent. There are things that only you know about them when you are inside your clubhouse, so it is truly a day-to-day adjustment to put these guys in the best possible positions where they can have some success.”