http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/ a Florida Marlins blog en Copyright 2009 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:32:22 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Land Shark Stadium - 7:10 PM - Andrew Miller vs Zach Duke

BOX

The last time Andrew Miller faced the Pirates, he gave up four runs in just 4.1 innings. This time, he fared much better, posting a quality start and pitching into the 7th while picking up the win in the Marlins' 5-3 win over Pittsburgh on the 4th of July, their first win against them in seven games.

Andrew Miller: 6.2 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, BB, 4 K - His seasonal splits say he has a 4.63 ERA in innings 1-3 and a 3.46 ERA in innings 4-6 and that through pitches 1-25, he has a .254/.338/.365/.703 line against but through pitches 26-50, that line is .225/.276/.338/.614. he was nearly perfect through his first three tonight, giving up just one walk before giving up his first hit, a homer, in the 5th. He allowed a second run in the 6th when Delwyn Young singled to knock in Andrew McCutchen, who had singled and gotten to second on a fielder's choice, scored. At 89 pitches and in a two run game, he was left in to hit with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 6th. After giving up a homer and two more singles, he was yanked before he could finish the 7th. Masterful call, Fredi. Miller has performed decently in his last six starts, lasting an average of six frames with an ERA right around league average but he's still looking for that one clutch quick inning late in the game that allows him to make a bid for his first career complete game (he has a .371/.463/.571/.1.035 line against in the 6th, .429/.455/.810/1.264 line against in the 7th) as six of the last 13 runs he's given up have come after the 5th inning.

Emilio Bonifacio: 4-4, 2 R - Lost his hit streak last night but didn't let that phase him as he bunted for a single twice in his first three abs. Over 60% of the time he's bunted this year, he's reached safely. however, he made a bad decision on the basepaths when he was thrown out trying to take third with a left handed hitter at the plate (meaning the catcher had a clear shot at him) and only one out. Run expectancy with a runner on third and one out is 0.983. With a runner on second and one out, it's 0.725. Surely between Boni's speed and Hanley Ramirez's bat, they could have made up for that 0.258. He took care of that getting to third stuff in his next AB though, tripling down the right field line. In his last 11 games, Bonifacio is hitting .333, has only struck out seven times, walked three times and stolen six bases. Over that span, he has raised his OPS from .579 to .609. The infatuation the front office has with this guy and the fact that he will continue to start at third base is still unfortunate considering the caliber of utility player he could be (a faster Alfredo Amezaga) but the way he's played lately is making that a little easier to live with. ]]> http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/07/game-82-marlins-vs-pirates.html http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/07/game-82-marlins-vs-pirates.html Game Recaps Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:32:22 +0000 Land Shark Stadium - 7:10 PM - Chris Volstad vs Charlie Morton

BOX

The Marlins attempted to cover up Chris Volstad's early game struggles on Friday night but Chris Leroux allowed three runs in the 7th, undoing any hope they had and eventually dropping the Fish out of first place not even 24 hours after they got there.

Chris Volstad: 3 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, BB, K - His first half could be summed up in just three innings as all of his struggles from this year compounded early. Missing up in the zone 40% of the time, he gave up two homers and allowed another steal, the umpteenth steal that has occurred against him this year. Coming into this year, his seasonal high between the minors and the majors in homers allowed was three. This season, he has given up at least one homer in five of his last six starts.

John Baker: 2-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, K - Doubled for a second straight game in the 7th, plating Cody Ross and hit a two run homer in the 9th, his first since May 24. Could this finally be the beginning of the end of his 4-37 slump?

Tim Wood: 3 IP, H, 0 ER, BB, K - Worked three very clean relief innings, surrendering just one hit and one walk to stop the bleeding. In his 6.2 innings since his latest arrival, wood has only allowed four hits in 6.2 innings to secure a job in a thin bullpen.

Chris Leroux: 1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, BB, K - Had to throw 31 pitches to get three outs. In between them, he opened the wound back up again. With every one of his pitches staying straight, he gave up a lead-off walk, a single, and two RBI doubles. Leroux has allowed runs to come across in all four of his appearances. When Luis Ayala, who the Marlins acquired on Thursday, is ready to come up from his minor league conditioning assignment, this guy will probably be the odd man out.

]]> http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/07/game-81-marlins-vs-pirates.html http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/07/game-81-marlins-vs-pirates.html Game Recaps Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:15:19 +0000 Land Shark Stadium - 7:30 PM - Josh Johnson vs Jordan Zimmerman

BOX

Josh Johnson was knocked out of the game early on Wednesday night but the rest of the Marlins, including Cody Ross who homered and knocked in two runs, were able to pick him up and sweep the Nationals to move themselves into a prime position to move into a tie for first place.

Josh Johnson: 3.1 IP, 5 H, ER, 4 BB, 3 K - Picked a good day to not be at his best which still only meant one earned run because even if he was, he only would've lasted five innings anyways because of rain. Furthermore, it was more so him being victimized than it was him being off as during his 3.1 innings, the weather was the result of Mother Nature not being able to make up her mind. It was raining (more like misting) just enough to get you wet but the sun was still out enough to make you sweat. Couple that with the fact that Johnson has always been better at night than in the day, especially this year seeing as how his ERA is 1.68 points better and his WHIP is .33 points better under moonlight, and you get this kind of outing. No need to fret. Everything is under control.

Emilio Bonifacio: 1-4, R - We're finding out what Beinfest and Gonzalez meant when they said "he does something to help you win every game". In the Marlins' last six wins, he has gone 9-28 with four RBIs and five steals. He has also played much better defensively lately, not erroring since June 24, a span of eight games. His previous season long errorless streak before this was seven games.

Cody Ross: 2-4, R, 2 RBI - Broke out of a 1-15 slump by homering in the 7th and knocking Ross Gload in in the 8th. Last year, Ross was labeled the streakiest man on earth, regularly having spells similar to that 1-15 in between spells where he'd hit two to four homers. This year, he's dropped his planetary title, and can now simply be labeled streaky. It doesn't sound like much but that 1-15 was the first time he's failed to collect at least five hits in five games.

]]> http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/07/game-80-marlins-vs-nationals.html http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/07/game-80-marlins-vs-nationals.html Game Recaps Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:44:33 +0000 Land Shark Stadium - 7:10 PM - Sean West vs Craig Stammen

BOX

Sean West labored through his 4.1 innings on Tuesday night, giving up five runs to the lowly Nationals and putting the Marlins in an early four run hole but thanks to back-to-back three run innings in which Hanley Ramirez knocked in three runs, the Fish rallied just in time, taking the lead in the 7th and eventually winning a rain shortened game, 7-5.

Sean West: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K - Had an A typical start to his night for a Marlins starter, struggling in his first three innings, allowing a run and letting a runner get into scoring position in two of them but unlike the rotation has been able to do until now (judging by their .318 OBPa and 2.23 K/BB in them) settle down in the three innings after that as he gave up a leadoff walk, a single, and a one out two RBI single to the opposing pitcher in his tenth MLB AB. He was pulled in the 5th after a one out double by Ryan Zimmerman, a two run homer by Adam Dunn and after giving up his third walk of the night. He lasted just 4.1 innings. It was the third time this month he was unable to make it out of the 5th. West has shown tons of promise since his callup but with the Marlins now just a game and a half out of first, if his struggles continue into July, he will likely be replaced by Rick VandenHurk who has been performing very well in AAA. Before his last start, his first bad one of the year, he had a BAA under .200, a .17 BB/K, and a 1.84 ERA.

Emilio Bonifacio: 1-4, R, K, SB - Ran his hit streak to eight games in the bottom of the 1st and came around to score. The last 12 times he's been on base, he's scored nine times.

Hanley Ramirez: 3-4, R, 4 RBI - Got the marlins back to within one in the 6th and with the bases loaded and two outs, tied it and put them ahead in the 8th. He now has an RBI in nine straight and he ranks fifth in the league in them. Since June 12, he's hitting .409. What more can I say? The guy is just simply amazing.

Jeremy Hermida: 0-3, K - Was replaced by Brett Carroll with a righty warm, ready to go, and probably coming into the game regardless in the 7th. It was one thing to lose playing time in a platoon but now Carroll is starting to take playing time and ABs away from Hermida when he starts. A free agent next year, the same year that Cameron Maybin and possibly John Raynor are due up, at just 2 for his last 33, Hermida will likely be shopped at the break. ]]> http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/07/game-79-marlins-vs-nationals.html http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/07/game-79-marlins-vs-nationals.html Game Recaps Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:40:58 +0000 Land Shark Stadium - 7:10 PM - Ricky Nolasco vs Scott Olsen

BOX

The Marlins' struggles as a whole vs lefties continued (they're now hitting just .252/.318/.406/.725 vs them as a team) but Ricky Nolasco was able to stick to a two run tie, giving his offense the time it needed to get into the pen and with a two run 8th, which included a clutch sac fly by Emilio Bonifacio, he picked up his third straight win in the first game of a three game set against Washington.

Ricky Nolasco: 8 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K - Tossed a clean first before giving up a first homer to Ryan Zimmerman and what would've been a second homer to Josh Willingham in any other park. The Nationals would rightfully and justifiably so get the run though on a fielder's choice and an infield base hit. This prolonged the Marlins' rotation's struggles in the first three innings as they now own a 5.12 ERA in them. After that though, he only had to throw more than 14 pitches in an inning once, set down his last 13 in a row, and got through eight innings. Noly didn't do much in June. He just held his ERA under 2 and his WHIP under 1 and posted a 33/5 K/BB which trumped his 2008 June by two ERA points, over one WHIP point, six strikeouts and two walks.

Brett Carroll: 1-3, R, K - One of two guys who hasn't struggled against lefties. He continued to mash them in the 3rd when he doubled off the wall and came around to score on a Bonifacio double. He is now hitting .333 against southpaws. The platoon should now be in full affect.

Emilio Bonifacio: 1-3, R, RBI - The other guy who has had no problem with southpaws proven by the fact that he's now hitting .305 against them. Got the best contact on a ball we've seen him get all year, hitting a ball off the teal monster, knocking in a run with a triple. It was the result of an eight pitch ab. For his efforts, he got a game winning/go ahead RBI chance set up for him with a runner at third in the 8th. After five pitches, he delivered a sac fly. In his last six games, he's seen more than three pitches in an AB 50% of the time and is 8 for 21 (.380), this coming after a 5-31 (.161) streak in which he only saw more than three pitches in an AB 35% of the time. Since June 23, he's also posted a .75 BB/K. In his previous 13 games before that, he posted a 0.20 K/BB. I think i'll keep this newest version of him. ]]> http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/07/game-78-marlins-vs-nationals.html http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/07/game-78-marlins-vs-nationals.html Game Recaps Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:45:13 +0000 Tropicana Field - 1:30 PM - Andrew Miller vs Scott Kazmir

BOX

As Andrew Miller struggled through his 6.1 innings, Scott Kazmir shined through his, stifling the Marlins and holding them to just one run as the Rays completed the sweep and pushed the Fish back down below the .500 mark.

Andrew Miller: 6.1 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, BB, 4 K - Struggled with his control early, throwing just 19 of his first 35 pitches for strikes and giving up three runs. never really settled in as he gave up seven more baserunners and allowed five of them to get into scoring position. Two of them got there because he didn't pay attention to guys who had singled and theoretically gave them stolen bases, proven by the fact that one of them was Carlos Pena. Mark Wiley needs to take these boys to school on the art of the pitchout and the pickoff move. In their last eight games, the Marlins have picked off a total of four times and pitched out a total of zero times. They've allowed ten stolen bases. Miller allowed a total of five runs marking just his second non-quality start since May 16. His June wasn't great on paper as he posted a 4.37 ERA, 10 points over league average. However, considering it was his first month in which he had five starts this year, considering he had more quality starts than non-quality starts, he had a 2.5 K/BB, he lasted an average of seven innings per start, and had to face two of offenses that rank amongst the top five in the league, Andrew and I will both take it.

Emilio Bonifacio: 1-3, R, BB - Stole his fourth base of this series and second in two games After walking in the 3rd and scored on a Jorge Cantu base hit. If he didn't get to second, the Marlins don't score. If he didn't steal second and third last night, the game isn't tied in the 9th. Bonifacio performed well in interleague play with most of his success coming from the bottom of the lineup. He went 12 for 46, hitting above his seasonal average of .250 by hitting .260 with four walks and four steals.

Jorge Cantu: 1-4, R, K - Worked a fantastic 10 pitch AB ending in a single to get the 9th started. It was a sight to see seeing as how Cantu has only walked once and struck out 11 times this month. The improved patience has undoubtedly contributed to him getting back into the swing of things by going 12 for his last 32 after a 5 for 29 cold spell. ]]> http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/06/game-77-marlins-rays.html http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/06/game-77-marlins-rays.html Game Recaps Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:17 +0000 Tropicana Field - 7:10 PM - Chris Volstad vs Scott Kazmir

BOX

After touching Scott Kazmir up for two runs in the first three innings, the Marlins' offense struggled against the Rays' bullpen, going 2 for their last 15, allowing Tampa Bay to come back, tie the game, and eventually win in walk off fashion as they took the 2009 Citrus Series. Against relief pitchers this year, the Marlins are OPSing just .684.

Emilio Bonifacio: 1-3, R, BB, 3 SB - Walked, stole second and third, and scored on a sac fly. Almost any other MLB player doesn't even get to third in that situation, let alone score (run expectancy with a runner on first and one out is 0.573). He stole a third base after singling in the 3rd. It was just his eighth chance for a steal this month. Before tonight, he had only been sent five times. He's been on base 26 times.

Brett Carroll: 1-4, R, RBI, 2 K - Hit his second career homer and second of the month in the 3rd. This guy's June has been insane. He's upped his average from .182 to .298 and his OPS from .477 to .829 with most of that success coming when he starts. Meanwhile, Jeremy Hermida is 2 for his last 24 and is hitting just .203 vs LHP. The platoon should now be in full effect.

Chris Volstad: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K - Had a very strange night. Struck out four in his first two innings, faced the minimum in two of his first four innings but had to throw 72 pitches. The second run he gave up was the result of horrible luck which included two infield singles. That inning consisted of 25 pitches. It wasn't a bad night, he just never could have that one quick inning that allowed him to get deep in the game as he had to throw an average of five pitches to each hitter. He exited after six. He'll take two straight quality starts against the AL east after giving up 16 runs in his three starts previous but he still surrendered at least six baserunners per start as hitters still touched him up at a .327 clip this month and he has an 17/11 K/BB. He's only lasted longer than six innings once in his last five starts.

Leo Nunez: 1 IP, H, BB, 2 K - Threw for the first time since suffering an ankle injury and had all of his power behind his fastball. he should enter the closer's role tomorrow.

Burke Badenhop: 0.2 IP, H, ER - Struggled, giving up a single and with the runner on second, threw a wild pitch before giving up the game winning sac fly. However, he's still on pace to have a career best month which consisted of at least 10 IP. It was just the third run he's given up in June and he still holds down a 1.69 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and a .237 BAA.   ]]> http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/06/game-76-marlins-rays.html http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/06/game-76-marlins-rays.html Game Recaps Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:40:53 +0000 Tropicana Field - 7:30 PM - Josh Johnson vs James Shields

BOX

Hanley Ramirez did what he had already done four three over this five game win streak, homered to left. However, it wasn't enough to extend it to six games as the Rays knocked Josh Johnson out of the game after just six innings, touched the bullpen for four runs, and went on to win, 7-3 in the first game of the Citrus Series.

Chris Coghlan: 1-4, R - Lead off the game with his eighth XBH this month. It was also the eighth time he's lead off a game with a hit. In the leadoff spot, he's hitting an even .300 with a .381 OBP.

Hanley Ramirez: 3-5, R, 2 RBI - Plated Coghlan two batters later and homered with two outs in the 7th. Good players thrive in clutch situations. Hanley is now hitting .347/.431/.644/1.075  with eight homers with two outs. Since breaking a 100+ AB streak without a homer last Sunday, he's hit four in his last 21 trips.

John Baker: 0-5, 2 K - The world must've exploded today because Fredi Gonzalez's lineup actually made sense. Baker hit second. However, he still went 0fer with two ks. For now, I'll give baker the benefit of the doubt in saying that it may take him a few games to get re-acclimated to the two hole but if he doesn't, the Marlins may be in the market for a starting catcher at the break. This month, Baker is hitting just .191 with a pathetic .468 OPS and a 16/3 K/BB.

Ross Gload: 1-4, RBI, BB - This guy was also hitting fifth, a spot where he hits .321/.354/.495/.849 out of and against Shields who he came in hitting at a .455 clip. He doubled in the Marlins' second run in the 5th. In his last six starts, Gload is 10 for 27 (.370).

Emilio Bonifacio: 2-4, 2 K - ... and this guy was at the bottom of the order. He actually performed decently too, collecting two solid base knocks. Fredi, as if you needed one, this was a sign.

Josh Johnson: 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K - If Johnson is going to give up a run, its going to be in the first three innings. So when he gave up an RBI to (name) in the 1st and one to Evan Longoria in the 3rd, there was no need to panic. However, when he was still allowing baserunners in the 4th, 5th and 6th, a time in the game where he holds down a .171 BAA, you could tell this wasn't going to be the best of starts. However, not the best of starts for Johnson still means a quality start. Despite allowing guys to reach in each of his last four innings, he only allowed one more run on a wild pitch that Baker should have been able to block and avoid the loss. This was his last start of June, a month in which he averaged 7.2 innings per start and didn't give up any more than three runs in any one of them. He has not lost since May 19 and hasn't had a non-quality start since April 18.

Renyel Pinto: 1 IP, 0 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, K - The last time he was left in for more than an inning, he gave up two runs to... (dun dun dun...) the Rays. Tonight, he walked two in the 8th before getting yanked. 12 of Pinto's 20 pitches in the 8th were balls.

Brian Sanches: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB - After getting behind 3-0 to Dioner Navarro, Fredi ordered an intentional ball, handing the Rays another runner. Navarro has an 8.25 k/bb, the worst on the Rays' roster. He was walked to get to BJ Upton, a 1.16 K/BB, second best amongst Rays starters. Sanches gave up a bases clearing double, allowing both of Pinto's runners to score. He has allowed every one of his inherited runners to score this year. ]]> http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/06/game-75-marlins-rays.html http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/06/game-75-marlins-rays.html Game Recaps Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:03:56 +0000 Land Shark Stadium - 7:10 PM - Sean West vs Rich Hill

BOX

On Thursday night, every Marlin had a hit, seven had at least two hits, and two had three hits as they demolished the Orioles 11-2 completing the sweep, winning their fifth straight game, and getting to within one game of first place in the NL East.

Dan Uggla: 2-5, 2 R, 2 RBI - Hill set down his first seven Marlins on just 13 pitches before this guy singled in an attempt to get the offense going. After the offense went 7 for their next 15, he homered in his next AB. Know that groove I was talking about yesterday? He may have found it as he is now 11 for his last 37 (.297) and is hitting .226, the best he has been hitting since April 26.

Cody Ross: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI - Knocked in Uggla for the third and fourth time in two nights. He then singled in his last AB. Ross will be unhappy to see this series end as he went 8-13 with a homer and four RBIs in it. The RBIs moved him into a tie for second with Jorge Cantu for the team lead. He also moved his batting average and slugging percentage up to seasonal highs .283 and .512.

Hanley Ramirez: 3-5, 3 R, 5 RBI, 2 K - If Ross is going to miss the Orioles, this guy is going to be sending them tear stained letters (fortunately for him, he is capable of doing this against anyone). Hanley knocked Chris Coghlan in with a single, running his average with RISP, which already led the major leagues before tonight, up to .419 and up to .429 in the 8th when he added his third grand slam in six ABs with the bases loaded this year (.669 BA), his second of this series, in the 8th. Its not even the All-Star break and he and Ross have already tied the record for most grand slams in a season by a Marlin.

Sean West: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 K - Was effective but he had to throw way too many pitches. He had to thrown 49 pitches through three innings, 76 through five innings, and didn't have any 1-2-3 innings the entire night. With a little help from his defense, West was able to get through six innings but if he plans on getting any further into outings or even this far on a regular basis, he really needs to cut down on pitch count. He's currently throwing an average of 17 pitches per frame.

Chris Coghlan: 1-5, 2 R, 3 K - Worked an 8 pitch AB before roping a double down the right field line, his eight XBH of June. Alternatively, this guy's pitch count is just right. The last nine times he's gotten a hit, the AB has consisted of an average of 5.4 pitches.

Jorge Cantu: 3-5, RBI - After missing a homer by a few feet, he lined one into the same corner Hanley did a batter earlier, scoring him from second to take sole possession of second place in RBIs back. He also singled in his next two ABs.

Brett Carroll: 2-3, R, BB - Two more hits, one vs a righty, one vs a lefty to run his seasonal average up over .300. In starts this year, he's hitting .414 with a 1.089 OPS.

]]> http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/06/game-74-marlins-vs-orioles.html http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/06/game-74-marlins-vs-orioles.html Game Recaps Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:40:11 +0000 Land Shark Stadium - 7:10 PM - Ricky Nolasco vs Jason Berken

BOX

Judging by the quality of his last four starts, after his baseball career, Ricky Nolasco may have a future as a jeweler. Nolasco spun his fourth straight gem on Wednesday night, shutting out the Orioles over seven innings. He was backed by RBI hits by Cody Ross and Hanley Ramirez as the Marlins took their fourth straight to get back above .500.

Ricky Nolasco: 7 IP, 7 H, 2 R (0 ER), BB, 7 K - Proved that its not only Chris Volstad who needs to pay attention to runners as he allowed Brian Roberts to get a walking lead from second and get to third uncontested with only one out in the 1st but then came back to strike out Nick Markakis and get Aubrey Huff to ground out to end the inning. After that, he set down his next eight in order and faced the minimum through his next four innings before running into trouble in the 6th after the frame was prolonged by a two out error by Emilio Bonifacio. Nolasco walked Huff and gave up an RBI single to Melvin Mora. The walk was just his fifth to his 25 Ks since his return. He erased it quickly though, striking out Luke Scott to end the inning with the lead intact. Since his return, hitters are just 1 for 12 against him with RISP. Nolasco then once again got back to facing the minimum in his last inning. His seven innings of work gave the Marlins exactly what they needed with a very thin bullpen: a 7+ inning start.

Emilio Bonifacio: 1-4, 2 R - Last night, he reached on a bad throw by the pitcher and scored on a dropped throw by Greg Zaun. Tonight he reached on a bad throw by the third baseman that hit him and allowed him to get to second on a routine grounder. Later, he reached on a very questionable call at first then caught the Orioles napping on a Hanley single, scoring all the way from first. His luck followed him onto the field as he errored for the thirteenth time this year which leads all MLB third basemen, allowing a run to score. However, it could've easily been two errors as the ball went off his glove before he fielded it. Despite all his good fortune though, he still hurt his team more than he helped it. Despite Bonifacio's latest version of a hot streak, it appears as though the front office is finally done making excuses for him as the Marlins have expressed interest in Mark DeRosa. Unfortunately, so have three other teams, all of which have the ability to outbid the Fish. Even if DeRosa falls through though, Gaby Sanchez is hitting over .300 in AAA. Speaking of New Orleans, with no room on the bench, it's looking like that is where Bonifacio will be spending the second half of his season.

Cody Ross: 3-4, 2 RBI - Knocked in Dan Uggla from first in the 4th and from third in the 8th. The second half of June hasn't been kind to Cody in terms of RBIs (neither was the Bermuda Traingle as he would have had a second RBI if the ball didn't bounce over the wall) as it was only his third in his last ten games. However, it hasn't been because of a lack of hits. Ross has ten hits and is batting .333 over that span. On the other hand, it can be almost completely attributed to the cold streaks the guys ahead of him have been on as Jeremy Hermida and Uggla are just 14 for their last 68.

Dan Uggla: 2-3, 2 R, BB, K - This half of that equation had a good night tonight, going 2-3 and a good series thus far as he's 4 for his last 9. Unlike Ross, this is a guy the second half of June has been kind to him considering how the month started as Uggla has hits in six of his last eight, a span in which he's upped his monthly average from .214 to .223. On top of that, Uggla has also been playing some very good defense. He's never been a better second half player (in fact, his post All-Star stats are dramatically worse than his pre All-Star stats) so there is some cause for concern here. He's had some good streaks like the one he's on right now but he's just never been able to find his groove.

Jeremy Hermida: 1-4 - Until his double in the 6th, he hadn't gotten a hit since June 13 and had only been on base twice. Over that 0-23 span, he had lowered his average from .281 to .258. Hopefully this marked the end of the slump. If not, even though Hermida has always performed better in the second half, with Brett Carroll playing well, Hermida may soon get a short vacay in an attempt to get his head straight. If that doesn't work, because of the Marlins' position in the standings, a platoon may be in order.

Hanley Ramirez: 1-3, 2 RBI, BB - Knocked in two runs in the 1st. Before this series, the marlins were 0 for their last 26 with RISP. They're now 10 for their last 25. Hanley has been responsible for six of the 14 RBIs over that span. Over the past week, he's hitting .333 with two homers.

John Baker: 2-4, 2 K - Took a fastball right down the middle for strike three in his first ab then after getting ahead 3-0 in his third one, took two more dead center fastballs then swung at ball four to end a second and third situation. With RISP, his seasonal average is now down to .250. Bonifacio can't go soon enough so that this guy can get back to the spot in which he's hitting .311: the two hole. ]]> http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/06/game-73-marlins-vs-orioles.html http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/06/game-73-marlins-vs-orioles.html Game Recaps Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:49:41 +0000 Land Shark Stadium - 7:10 PM - Andrew Miller vs Koji Uehara

BOX

Coming into Tuesday night's game, since 2005, the Marlins had had a lot of success against Asian import pitchers, hitting .275 with an 11-5 record against them. That success only halfway continued against Koji Uehara as the Fish touched him for seven hits but only one run. More of those would eventually come though. The Marlins ripped the Baltimore bullpen which has been very good of late, for six runs, the last of which came in the bottom of the 12th inning, erasing an undoing by their own bullpen and getting themselves back to .500 for the first time since May 13.

Andrew Miller: 7 IP, H, ER, 2 BB, 4 K - Gave up a double on the second pitch, an extra base on the third pitch, and a sac fly RBI on the fifth pitch. didn't like the way that felt so he went on to setting down his next ten in order and 19 of his last 21 without giving up another hit. Watch that ERA shrink. In his last eight starts, it's gone from 5.94 to 4.17. Over that span, he's only had one 4+ run outing. If Miller is indeed going to be a big factor in the Marlins' success this year, things are looking very good right now.

Emilio Bonifacio: 1-5, 2 R, BB, K - Even when he has a decent night in the box score, it's a bad night surrounded by luck. Struck out on three pitches in his first AB, grounded into a 1-2-3 double play with the bases loaded in his second, and what should've been a 6-4-3 double play in his third (fortunately Robert Andino is more of a failure than he is). He scored the winning run but should have been out by a mile. He singled in his fourth AB as a result of the swinging version of the only thing he's been able to do with some success: bunt. In between ABs, he walked on and off the field to audible boos. He wasn't sent on a steal any of the times he reached base. Gotta have that speed up there.

Hanley Ramirez: 2-5, R, 4 RBI, BB - Hit his second homer in as many games and his second grand slam of the year. He's had five ABs with the bases loaded.

Leo Nunez: 0.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER - The setup man came into a five run game, threw three pitches, gave up a homer, a single, then left with an injury. It was the eleventh time in twenty games June games that he's been used. Meanwhile, Tim Wood has been up for three days in what is his second major league stint this year and has yet to make his major league debut and Renyel Pintio had only thrown twice since May 22. Fortunately, the injury isn't serious and Nunez said he should be able to go on Thursday but hopefully this is an eye opener for Fredi Gonzalez. When it's not a save situation, don't use this guy. Thankfully, that probably won't happen at all now as Nunez looks to step in to the closer's role.

Matt Lindstrom: 0.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER - For the ninth time this year and for the third time this month, he once again allowed runs in a save situation. He got pot pulled for his sixth time this year. 14 of his 16 pitches were fastballs right down the heart of the plate. Both of the others were hanging curveballs. The reason he hadn't been using the curve? He hadn't been feeling the affects of a sprained right shoulder when he threw the fastball, just when he threw the curve. He was sent to the DL after the game. This surely has attributed to why he had a 7.56 ERA this month. Even before the injury, he hadn't been lights by any means (evident by his 1.9 WHIP) but given what the Marlins have to replace him with, it's still a loss. The good news is a break did Lindstrom well last year. Hopefully that's the case again this year. 

Brett Carroll: 0-1 - This man has no right arm. He just has a gun attached at the shoulder. Threw out Ty Wigginton with (name) headed to third for a huge second out in the top of the 11th, allowing Burke Badenhop to escape the inning unscathed and allowing the Marlins to walk off in the 12th. On top of hitting .280 (including .348 vs LHP), he's on the plus side of defensive +/-. In what was probably his last chance to make it as a pro, it's great to see this guy playing well.

Jorge Cantu: 2-6, RBI - The walkoff hit belonged to this man. It was the fifth of his career. In high leverage situations, he's hitting .295.

]]> http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/06/game-72-marlins-vs-orioles.html http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/06/game-72-marlins-vs-orioles.html Game Recaps Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:36:48 +0000 Land Shark Stadium - 7:10 PM - Chris Volstad vs CC Sabathia

BOX

Chris Volstad's recent struggles ended a bit sooner than expected on Sunday night as he posted a quality start against the .272/.352/.470 Yankees. He was backed by home runs by Hanley Ramirez and Cody Ross as the Marlins took the series from New York with a 6-5 win.

Wes Helms: 1-4, RBI, 3 K - Finally broke an 0-26 streak with RISP with an RBI single in the 1st. However, I still maintained he doesn't belong in the two hole. He spent the rest of the afternoon proving me right, striking out three times.

Brett Carroll: 1-4, K - Finding a very nice stroke, especially against lefties. At one point in the game tonight, he was hitting .300. If the Marlins aren't hitting Ronny Paulino second because they're worried about him slowing Hanley down on the basepaths (which is a very legitimite worry seeing as how Paulino is the slowest man on earth), Carroll, an average speedster, would also be a much better option than Helms. vs LHP: .348/.375/.652/1.027.

Chris Volstad: 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, BB, 4 K - Needs to pay a lot more attention to baserunners. Tonight marked the third time this year he's just given a runner a base because he ignored them before the pitch, allowed Derek Jeter to get to third and walk home on a single. Jeter wound up as one of the runs Volstad gave up after getting the first two outs in the 3rd but then not getting a call on a pitch the umpire had until this point been calling a strike and called a strike later and after the Mark Teixeira double, an A-Rod jam shot single. After the three run inning though, Volstad was able to develop his curveball nicely and set down 10 of his last 11. He kept the fifth best offense in baseball off balance all night, proven by the fact that all the runs he gave up were knocked in by hard luck hits. He struck out four, two times as many as he had in his last two starts combined, both 6+ run outings. He still hasn't made it past the 6th inning this month but this was a great bounce back start that could go a long way in getting his feet back under him.

Hanley Ramirez: 1-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB - His slugging percentage was getting dangerously close to laughable, especially in the month of June as he hadn't homered since May 23. He fixed that, getting it back up above .400 by homering in the 6th to tie the game.

Jorge Cantu: 2-4, RBI - Drove in runs for a third straight game. This time they actually counted. Officially, they were his first two since June 10 but unofficially, they were his third and fourth in his past four games. Despite having three of those taken away by errors, the one tonight moved him into second place in the National League in clutch RBIs.

Cody Ross: 1-4, R, RBI, 2 K - Put the marlins ahead with a solo blast in the 7th, his fourth in his last nine games. this month, he's slugging .588.

Chris Coghlan: 3-4, 3 R - Went 3-4 and scored three runs to snap an 0-8 streak. For his efforts, he was taken out of a manageable game against the fifth best offense in the game in the 8th. If Fredi didn't want Coghlan in the outfield with the game on the line, why not take the 1-4, 3 K Helms out of the game and put Coghlan at his natural position on the infield? Because that would make too much sense.

Matt Lindstrom: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, K - Evidence that a guy is overthrowing? He hits 102 on the radar gun. Lindstrom continued to be a model of inconsistency as after getting the first two outs, he gave up consecutive singles to Jorge Posada and Melky Cabrera and allowed them both to score on a two run triple by Brett Gardner. He walked Johnny Damon before finally getting the twenty-seventh out. Having confidence in this guy when he comes in in a save situation is becoming hard to have. With a bunch of other guys in the bullpen that are easier to rely on and that are more deserving of the 9th inning glory, I don't know how much more of these Gonzalez can defend. If this keeps up, Lindstrom should be placed in the role Kiko Calero was being wasted in before he landed on the dl, in 4+ run situations only. ]]> http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/06/game-71-marlins-vs-yankees.html http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/06/game-71-marlins-vs-yankees.html Game Recaps Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:19:26 +0000 Land Shark Stadium - 7:10 PM - Josh Johnson vs A.J. Burnett

BOX

In front of 47,000, Josh Johnson spun a gem on Saturday night, giving up just three hits and one run, preserving an early two run advantage and getting the win over AJ Burnett and the Yankees in the second game of a three game series.

Dan Uggla: 1-4, R, RBI, 2 K - Hit his second homer in three games in the 2nd, marking his second straight four plus homer month. Through his struggles, the one stat that has remained constantly decent has been his SLG as it has rarely dipped below league average (.413). However, he's below league average in every other stat category. He also struck out twice in the game, running his four game K/BB to 6/1. Before that, Uggla had finally been on pace to post a good OBP figure this month. He's now on pace to strike out more than 20 times for a third straight month.

Josh Johnson: 7 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 BB, 8 K - In first five innings he threw an average of 13 pitches per inning and didn't have to throw more than 16 in any one after the 1st. The only blemish on his record was an AJ Burnett bloop that fell after Burnett threw his bat at a curveball. That remained the Yankees' only "hit" until the 7th when New York finally got to him but only after the inning was extended by Dan Uggla misplaying a double play ball. Thanks to Uggla, Johnson had to throw 13 extra pitches and did not get an opportunity to go for his second straight complete game, something a Marlins' starter hasn't done since 2006. Nonetheless, Johnson more than did his job in upholding the lead. In high leverage situations this year, he has a .224/.246/.343/.590 against line. Sign this guy to a long term deal. Now.

Jorge Cantu: 0-4, 2 K - Drove a run home in the 6th after a Johnny Damon gaffe in left, marking the second straight series he's driven in Hanley Ramirez on an error by an outfielder. As a result of the error, Cantu is officially 2 for his last 11 but don't let the stats fool you. He's been having some great swings and after a rough May, looks to be getting back to his April form.

Leo Nunez: 0.2 IP, H, BB - Was once again gone to over Kiko Calero in a high leverage situation in the 8th. Six of the last eleven times Calero has pitched, it has been in a 4+ run situation. He performed another high wire act tonight, throwing seven of his first nine pitches for balls but then rolling a huge double play ball before handing the inning over to Dan Meyer who got the last out. It was a forgone conclusion that when the season started, Nunez was going to have a career year in innings pitched as long as he stayed healthy. However, nothing said he had to throw 70+ innings. Furthermore, this month, Nunez has a 1.67 WHIP. Calero has a 1.26 WHIP. However, we all know how much sense Fredi Gonzalez has liked to make this year: none.

Jeremy Hermida: 0-2, BB, K - Has really cooled off of late, going 0 for his last 16. Over that span, his OPS has dropped from .805 to .761.

Matt Lindstrom: 1 IP, H - Uggla made up for the missed double play that ended Johnson's night by successfully turning one that got him the win on a 100 mph fastball thrown by this guy. Lindstrom has been on of late, with a win and two saves in his last four outings. ]]> http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/06/game-88-marlins-vs-yankees.html http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/06/game-88-marlins-vs-yankees.html Game Recaps Sun, 21 Jun 2009 22:04:19 +0000 Land Shark Stadium - 7:10 PM - Sean West vs Andy Pettitte

BOX

For the third time this year, a Marlins starter struggled through the worst start of his career as Sean West gave up ten hits and five runs in just four innings. Florida fell to the Yankees, 5-1 in the first game of a three game series.

Sean West: 4 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 7 K - Left almost every pitch up which allowed the leadoff man to reach and come around to score in each of the first two innings. He was lucky enough to get the inning ending double play ball in the first but nowhere near as fortunate in the his three run 2nd as he was giving up RBIs to the likes of Andy Pettitte. The Yankees went 6/9 their first time through the order and 9 for their first 17 overall and had a baserunner in each of West's innings. West went on to fall behind in the count against five of his next six hitters. After giving up a Melky Cabrera homer in the third and allowing his first two men to reach in the 5th, he was pulled, failing to do what two Nationals pitchers just did: last five innings against the Yankees. In his defense though, this was by far the biggest crowd he's pitched in front of and against the Yankees so anxiety was definitely playing a role. As a result, he gets my benefit of the doubt this time. However, if West wants to stick around in the big league rotation this year, he needs to cut down on baserunners. Since his arrival in the majors, he's given up an average of nine per game.

Renyel Pinto: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, BB, K - Spared West's era of two more runs by coming in with two men in scoring position and no outs and retiring the side. this was a nice bounce back performance for pinto who had given up runs in each of his last three starts and blew two saves.

Cody Ross: 1-3, RBI, R - Capitalized on the only mistake Pettitte made all night, homering for his fourth time this month and snapping a bit of a dry spell. He was 1 for his last 9 coming into tonight.

Wes Helms: 0-4, 2 K - In the two hole despite hitting just .143 (.091 before last night) this year and .111 for his career. also has one of the worst K/BBs on the team. Meanwhile, down in the six hole, Ronny Paulino has a 24/12 K/BB and a .373 OBP.

Dan Uggla: 0-3, 2 K - Pettitte was overmatching almost everyone but he was especially overmatching this guy. Uggla has had some awful ABs lately and his stats prove it. He's just 6 for his last 36 with one RBI and a 5/2 K/BB. Over that span, he has swung at nearly 60% of the pitches he's seen and his OPS has dropped 40 points from .792 to .752. After a good start to June in terms of plate presence, Uggla's OBP is slowly coming back down to where it was at the beginning of the month.
]]> http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/06/game-69-marlins-vs-yankees.html http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/06/game-69-marlins-vs-yankees.html Game Recaps Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:15:27 +0000 Fenway Park - 7:10 PM - Ricky Nolasco vs Jon Lester

BOX

Against Jon Lester, who coming in, was riding the best three start streak in MLB history since 1900, the Marlins homered twice in the 2nd to take an early 2-1 lead. Ricky Nolasco clung to it by not allowing another hit over his last three innings of work, allowing his team to avoid being swept by the Red Sox in a rain shortened game.

Chris Coghlan: 1-3 - Worked the count full in his first ab, the seventh time in his last four games he's worked at least one full count. Singled on the sixth pitch of the AB, to make himself 11 for his last 22. Amongst guys with at least 50 ABs, at .345, Coghlan has been the Marlins' best hitter this month.

Hanley Ramirez: 1-3, K - Is doing the exact opposite of Coghlan. Has swung at pitches out of the zone 39% of the time in his last three series. his stats are starting to reflect his lack of patience as he is a very un-Hanley like 10 for his last 39 (.256).

Ricky Nolasco: 5 IP, H, ER, 0 BB, 5 K - After he gave up a homer in the 1st, he set down his next ten in a row and 12 of his last 14 without giving up another hit to notch a one hit complete game. he's thrown about the same percentage of overall strikes in his last three starts that he did in his first nine (64% to 65%). the difference has been his deceptiveness. He's throwing curveballs for strikes 10% more of the time now than he was at the beginning of the year.

Dan Uggla: 1-2, R, RBI - Proved that anything Kevin Youkilis can do, he can do as well, homering to the exact same part of the park. The homer broke a 15 game homerless draught and an 11 game RBI-less draught. Despite his struggles with to come through with big hits though, Uggla's June has been by far his best month as he's getting on base at a .382 clip compared to a .317 one in April and May.

Ronny Paulino: 2-2, R, RBI - Hit the length of two homers in the 2nd, marking his third in his last two starts and his seventh RBI of the month. In June, he's hitting .379/.419/.621/1.040. John Baker is hitting just .167 this month with strikeouts in all but one game (11/3 K/BB) and hasn't homered since May 24, leading one to think he's still feeling the effects of a stitched up right eye. Since Paulino has had as much success vs righties as he has had vs lefties this month, he should get at least a few more starts while Baker recouperates all the way and should his hot streak continue, could still be starting even when Baker is back at 100%. ]]> http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/06/game-68-marlins-red-sox.html http://mvn.com/marlinstoday/2009/06/game-68-marlins-red-sox.html Game Recaps Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:53:37 +0000