Miami closed out its series with the Dodgers in style Sunday, holding on for a 6-4 win that completed a series victory over Los Angeles and gave the Marlins a much-needed jolt in the opening week of the 2026 season. For Los Angeles, it was a game defined by one dazzling individual performance that simply wasn't enough.
The story of the day was Josue De Paula. The Dodgers center fielder was the best player on the field, posting a game-high 46.0 fantasy points that dwarfed every other performer in the box score. Whatever he touched turned to production — the kind of afternoon that reminds you why the Dodgers lineup can carry a game almost by itself. But baseball doesn't award style points, and De Paula's brilliance wasn't matched by enough help around him.
Emmet Sheehan gave the Dodgers exactly what they needed on the mound, at least for stretches. The right-hander turned in a 43.5-point outing, the kind of line that usually walks away with a win attached to it. Sheehan was overpowering when he needed to be, missing bats and controlling the tempo of the game for long spells. It's the sort of start that will have Los Angeles encouraged about its rotation depth even in defeat — but it's also the kind of outing that stings more when the bullpen and lineup can't finish the job behind him.
Mookie Betts continued to look like Mookie Betts, chipping in 19.5 fantasy points from the shortstop spot, and Will Smith added 17.0 points behind the plate. Kyle Tucker, Enrique Hernández and Miguel Rojas rounded out the Dodgers' contributions, but none of it was enough to overcome a Miami club that simply found more ways to produce as a group.
That's been the theme of this early series between these two teams. The Marlins have needed contributions up and down the lineup rather than one standout performer, and Sunday was no different — except this time it was AgustĂn RamĂrez leading the way. The Miami DH was terrific, racking up 30.5 fantasy points in a performance that set the tone for the Marlins' offense all afternoon. RamĂrez has quickly established himself as a player Miami can lean on, and days like this are why.
On the mound, Eury PĂ©rez did the job that mattered most: keeping the Marlins in position to win. His 18.5-point outing wasn't as flashy as Sheehan's number on the other side, but it was efficient enough to give Miami's lineup a chance to do the rest, and it did. Javier Sanoja was right behind him with 18.0 points from the third-base spot, continuing to look comfortable in the middle of Miami's order. Otto Lopez added 12.0 points and Xavier Edwards chipped in 11.5, giving the Marlins production from up and down the infield.
Jakob Marsee and Esteury Ruiz each contributed 8.5 points from the outfield, and catcher Joe Mack added 8.0 points, rounding out a complete team effort that outweighed any single dazzling performance the Dodgers could offer. That's been the difference in this early-season set: Miami spreading the workload, Los Angeles hoping one or two players can carry the day.
For the Marlins, the win is a nice building block after dropping consecutive games to the Mets earlier in the week, and it caps a mixed bag of a stretch with a positive note. Taking care of business against a Dodgers team with this much talent — even in a small early-season sample — is the kind of confidence-builder Miami will want to carry forward.
For the Dodgers, it's a reminder that even brilliant individual nights, like the ones De Paula and Sheehan produced, can be undone without complementary production. It's only Week 1, and the sample size is tiny, but the early scouting report is clear: Los Angeles has stars capable of taking over a game, and Miami has the depth to withstand them. Both truths were on display Sunday, and only one team walked away with the win.
Fans building out lineups on JockBroker will have taken notice of De Paula's monster day — 46.0 fantasy points from a player who wasn't even on the winning side is the kind of performance that reshapes how you view a roster spot heading into the next matchup.
