Christopher Morel’s clutch eighth-inning single sparked a Mother’s Day victory, providing a much-needed breakthrough for the slugger as he finds his rhythm and a new role in Miami.
MIAMI — If the past isn’t an option, then there’s no time like the present.
If there was ever a Marlins hitter who needed a heroic moment on Sunday, it was Christopher Morel. The five-year veteran got his first RBI of the season, driving in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning to push Miami past the Washington Nationals 5-2 on Mother's Day.
“The best feeling of all is actually being able to help the team with something,” Morel said after the game via Marlins interpreter Luis Dorante Jr.
Morel’s single drove in Esteury Ruiz, who came in as a pinch runner and stole third base. Morel mentioned the encouragement from his teammates before his RBI.
“They got close to me before the at-bat, and they were telling me, ‘Keep trusting’ myself, to ‘keep swinging, because swinging is the only way that you can make something happen,’” Morel said. “And that's what I did. I went out there and swung the bat.”
Morel signed a one-year deal with the Marlins in free agency with the optimism that he would return to his original form from 2022-24. He started his career with 60 home runs in 2.5 seasons with the Chicago Cubs before being traded to the Tampa Bay Rays.
“Christopher is a great teammate,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said after the game. “It's something we knew when we signed him this offseason. Everybody you talk to that has been around Chris, he just brings a ton of life to the club.“
This was not just a new season for Morel but a new experience, as he had to not only learn his new clubhouse but also a new position. Prior to arriving in Miami, Morel never played first base in the big leagues.
“He's always ready,” McCullough said, “and he's told me many times, like, ‘Just whatever you need me for.’”
Morel’s Opening Day oblique not only prolonged his Marlins’ debut to April 28, but thrust Connor Norby from third base to first base.
Like many other Marlins hitters, Morel has been slow out of the gate, batting .179 with a .437 OPS in 28 at-bats. McCullough said coming back from injury sometimes comes with an overly high sense of urgency, making it “easy to try to press the panic button a little bit and want things to happen quickly.”
“Just got to hang in there and just kind of keep taking good at-bats,” McCullough said. “I'm going to continue to give him an opportunity to try to get into a rhythm and go, because he does have the ability to slug from the right side.”
The Marlins (19-22) concluded their 10-game homestand with a 4-6 record and a series win over the Nationals. The Fighting Fish will travel to Minnesota to take on the Twins on Tuesday.
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