I Love A Parade Of Bums
A Day by Day Diary of the Marlins Descent Into The Heart of Darkness
April 12
My God Why Have You Forsaken Me
Pirates 7, Marlins 3
Sloppy Marlins slide to 11th loss in a row
By DAVE SHEININ
Herald Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH -- A microcosm of a season going terribly wrong:
A soft ground ball up the middle. The rookie pitcher has fallen toward first base
and can't make the play. The star shortstop tracks it down, but makes an
ill-advised, behind-the-back shovel-throw to nowhere. Error. Everybody safe.
Three runs later score. Marlins lose.
Therein are most of the elements that have characterized the Marlins' gruesome
losing streak, which reached 11 games with a 7-3 loss Sunday to the Pirates:
The rookie pitcher (Rafael Medina) doesn't do his job, then the star (Edgar
Renteria) tries to do something spectacular but only makes it worse, and the whole
thing snowballs into another terminal inning, another loss.
``We're not playing very good, we're not pitching very good, we're not managing
good and we're not coaching very good,'' Manager Jim Leyland said. ``Things
aren't going very good. Some things were to be expected, some were not.''
Perhaps the time has come to start talking about history. The longest losing streak
in modern baseball history was the 23-game skid the Philadelphia Phillies endured
in 1961. The Marlins are almost halfway there.
Perhaps the time has come to panic. The Marlins' bullpen is beginning to show the
strain of overuse. The only thing saving it is that Leyland has seven relievers instead
of the standard six.
``We have to get more innings from our starters or our bullpen is going to get
hurt,'' Leyland said. ``We've been using three, four guys a game. You can't do
that. They'll be dead. . . . We have to get some innings out of our starters. We
have to learn to pitch through some things, build up some stamina.''
Leyland wasn't speaking directly about Medina, but . . .
Medina (0-1) seems to tire at the same point each time he takes the mound. He
breezes through the first three innings (only two runs allowed in three starts). And
then. . .
Boom. A combined 10 runs allowed in the fourth inning of his three starts. On
Sunday, the fourth-inning toll was three runs, all of which followed Renteria's error
on the tailor-made double-play ball up the middle.
Medina's three starts have lasted five, five-plus, and 5 2/3 innings. His ERA is
9.19.
``I didn't feel tired,'' Medina said. ``Maybe I need to work on mixing up my
pitches.''
Medina was throwing nasty split-fingered fastballs in the bullpen, but it
mysteriously deserted him once the game began. Catcher Charles Johnson started
calling for changeups in its place.
One of those changeups became Medina's final pitch of the day -- a two-run
homer by Pirates catcher Jason Kendall with two outs in the sixth that made the
score 7-1 and put the crowd of 12,203 on its feet.
``He started getting his pitches up,'' Johnson said. ``And when the ball starts
elevating, you can see the hitters' eyes light up.''
Among the wasted storylines Sunday: Bobby Bonilla's return to the lineup for the
first time since the seventh game of the World Series (he went one for four with a
double and two strikeouts); a 441-foot, two-run homer in the seventh by leadoff
man Cliff Floyd, his fifth of the year, and a solo homer by rookie first baseman
Derrek Lee, his third.
They were wasted because the Marlins stranded four runners in scoring position in
the first four innings (six overall); because Medina again failed to get past the sixth
inning; and because the defense made two more errors (that's 12 in the past five
games).
``We need to do all the parts well to have a chance, and we haven't done anything
well,'' said veteran outfielder Jim Eisenreich, whose role has been limited mostly to
pinch-hitting and cheerleading. ``I want to help the young guys. But I can't pitch for
them. I can't hit for them, or play defense. . . . These guys need experience, and
12 games isn't experience.''
So far Leyland has been the model of patience with his young team. But you
wonder: How long can he keep it up?
``I've talked to them as a group a couple of times,'' Leyland said. ``You're walking
a tightrope because you want to protect them, but at the same time you want them
to understand that this is the reality of the big leagues.''
On paper at least, this seemed like the Marlins' last best chance to end the streak
until deep into this week.
Why? Because tonight, rookie Andy Larkin, just recalled from Triple A Charlotte,
starts against Pittsburgh's Esteban Loaiza (1-0, 2.57 ERA). Then after an off-day
on Tuesday, rookie Brian Meadows faces Philadelphia ace Curt Schilling (2-0,
0.35) at Pro Player Stadium.
``Just as we lost 11 in a row,'' Johnson said, ``we can just as easily win a quick
eight in a row.''
At this point, however, the Marlins would be happy with one in a row.
April 11
Jay Powell Coughs It Up
Pirates 7, Marlins 6
Homer off Powell extends skid to 10
Marlins get close, get beaten again
Pirates' homer in 10th pushes skid to 10
By DAVE SHEININ
Herald Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH -- Fireworks were exploding above Jay Powell's head, each one
feeling like a gunshot wound to the heart. As Pittsburgh's Jose Guillen danced his
way around the bases, his home-run ball resting beyond the center-field wall,
Powell turned, gave his glove a quick slap and began the long walk back to the
dugout.
The Marlins have lost in many different ways during this losing streak, which has
now reached 10 games. But none was as painful or as depressing as this -- a 7-6
loss to the Pirates in front of 19,920 delirious fans at Three Rivers Stadium.
``I'm not getting it done. I stink,'' said Powell (0-2). ``You're only as good as your
last pitch, and mine was a home run to dead center field to lose the game.''
Guillen's 10th-inning, lead-off, pinch-hit, first-pitch homer off a Powell fastball kept
the Marlins winless in the month of April and further widened the gaping hole in
Powell's psyche.
``It's no secret; my four appearances have been [bad],'' said Powell, who has two
losses, a blown save and a 6.23 ERA to show for those four appearances. ``I
expect more from myself. I expect to keep us in games. But I didn't do that today,
I didn't do that yesterday and I haven't done that all season.''
Powell's inconsolability is understandable, but his was only the most visible mistake
in another game full of them.
The Marlins blew a chance to put the game away in the top of the ninth, when they
scored just one run after loading the bases with nobody out off Pirates closer Rich
Loiselle.
Craig Counsell got the tying run home with a force-out at second. But after a walk
to Gary Sheffield again loaded the bases, rookie Mark Kotsay tapped Loiselle's
first pitch back to the mound for a force-out at the plate, then rookie Derrek Lee
followed with an inning-ending strikeout.
``I failed in an opportunity where I have to take advantage,'' Kotsay said.
``[Loiselle] was on the ropes, and I gave it up. I swung on the first pitch. I think
I've done it enough now to where I should learn.''
If Powell failed in his job as closer and Kotsay failed in his job as run-producer,
then starting pitcher Livan Hernandez also failed in his job as the Marlins' stopper.
Hernandez all but abandoned his fastball -- which was ineffective from the start --
by the fifth inning, and it didn't take long for the Pirates to start sitting on his curve.
``Livan was not real sharp,'' Manager Jim Leyland said. ``He just didn't have his
good stuff.''
Certain things are infallible indicators that something very bad is about to happen
to the Marlins. One of those things is a blown call by an umpire.
When first-base ump Gary Darling botched an apparent first-inning-ending
groundout and called Al Martin safe at first -- replays showed Edgar Renteria's
throw beat Martin by a half-step -- it was an absolute certainty that the next hitter,
Kevin Young, would inflict harm upon the Marlins.
Sure enough, it only took four pitches for Young to bat-whip a Hernandez fastball
over the left-field wall.
Another sure sign of impending doom: an error on a tough chance. With a runner
on first and one out in the fifth, first baseman Lee made a diving stop on a Martin
grounder, but threw wildly to second.
Was there any doubt what would happen next? Here's a clue: Young was the next
batter.
At least he didn't hit a homer. Young merely doubled to the left-field corner,
scoring both runners and giving the Pirates the lead.
``If [Lee] makes that play, it's a great play,'' Leyland said. ``But he didn't make it,
and we got burnt.''
Then the game entered the wasted-chances phase.
After Lee drew a leadoff walk in the eighth, catcher Charles Johnson hit into a
double play -- a play that took so long to develop, the Marlins lost three more
games before reached first base.
Then, of course, there was the ninth inning, in which one timely hit would've won
the game.
Leyland is at a disadvantage in any extra-inning situation -- like a chess player with
nothing but pawns -- because six of his seven relief pitchers are rookies, as are
three of his six bench players.
But as Saturday's game went to the bottom of the 10th inning, Leyland was in
pretty good shape -- he had his only veteran reliever on the mound, and two good,
veteran hitters (Gregg Zaun and Jim Eisenreich) on the bench.
But Powell's fastball to Guillen was a little too high and caught a little too much of
the plate, and then it was just a little too well-hit and a little too far over Kotsay's
head.
Kotsay hit the wall and slumped over, not so much in pain as in agony. And just
then the fireworks went off, spreading gray smoke above Kotsay's head.
PIRATES 7, MARLINS 6 (10)
Florida ip h r er bb so np era
LHernandez 4 2/3 8 6 5 2 4 85 6.62
Henriquez 2/3 0 0 0 0 1 5 12.00
JSanchez 2 0 0 0 1 2 36 4.50
Alfonseca 1/3 1 0 0 0 1 7 5.19
FHeredia 1/3 0 0 0 1 1 9 7.84
JPowell L, 0-2 1 2 1 1 1 0 6 6.23
April 10
things like this are going to happen
PITTSBURGH 4, FLORIDA 1
CBS SportsLine wire reports
Jose Silva allowed one Guillen and Lou
Collier had run-scoring triples to highlight a three-run second inning as the
Pittsburgh Pirates extended the Florida Marlins' franchise-worst losing
streak to nine games, 4-1.
Silva (1-1) scattered four hits, walked one and struck out two before
giving way to Chris Peters and Mark Wilkins in the eighth. Rich Loiselle
allowed the first two batters to reach in the ninth before a double play
helped him record his fourth save.
"Anything is good for confidence," Silva said. "We got this win and got to
.500. The team needed a win and I got a lot of help out there. This was a
quick game, I probably could have pitched more but it was not my
decision."
Turner Ward reached on third basemans Dave Berg's error to open the
second and came around to score the game's first run on Guillen's triple.
Freddy Garcia followed with a single to make it 2-0 and Collier's triple
plated Garcia for a 3-0 lead.
Starter Brian Meadows (0-2) surrendered three runs and five hits over
seven innings as the Marlins continued their worst start ever, having not
posted a victory since Opening Day for former Pirates manager Jim
Leyland.
Leyland managed the Marlins to seven wins in 11 games last season
against Pittsburgh, where he managed from 1986-96 before leaving for
Florida.
"You don't want to make young players too nervous," Leyland said. "You
just hope something happens to stop your streak. I don't want to put too
much pressure on the kids. We know we have a lot of youngsters, things
like this are going to happen."
Florida got on the board in the seventh. Gary Sheffield led off with a
double, moved to third on a groundout and scored the Marlins' lone run on
Charles Johnson's sacrifice fly.
The Pirates added an insurance run in the eighth off reliever Antonio
Alfonseca. Tony Womack had a one-out bunt single and stole second.
After Jason Kendall flied out, Al Martin delivered an RBI single to make
it 4-1.
"It's always good when you have success," Martin said. "I come to play
everyday. The outcome's not always good, but I'm not going to have
anyone say I cheat them. Tonight, things worked ou
April 9
"We stink right now," Jim Leyland said
Phillies9, Marlins 5
Disaster strikes again as Marlins
skid hits 8
Thu, Apr 9, 2:20:33AM
By Dan Graziano
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
PHILADELPHIA - For a while, this one looked like a normal baseball game.
Yes, the Marlins trailed the Phillies entering the bottom of the sixth, but it was
only 4-3, and very much within reach.
But then, as it had for the previous seven days, disaster struck. Philadelphia
flooded the bottom of the sixth with five runs on five hits. Add to that three
Marlins errors, a starting pitcher that had to leave the game with a bad back
and a tired bullpen that wasn't even that good when it was well-rested, and
you get a 9-5 Phillies victory.
And that means a team-record eighth straight loss for the Fightin' Fish, and the
following candid appraisal from the manager:
We stink right now," Jim Leyland said. "We're getting just what we deserve
right now. When you play the way we're playing, you get beat. We're not
doing any phase of the game well right now."
Evidence of such was all over the astroturf Wednesday:
Gregg Zaun, the backup catcher starting in place of a weary, slumping
Charles Johnson, threw two balls into center field in successive innings while
trying to throw out base-stealers. Both runners eventually scored.
The bullpen allowed eight more runs (though only six were earned) on 10
hits in six innings in relief of injured starter Eric Ludwick.
Cleanup hitter Gary Sheffield struck out three times, including once in the
fifth with two outs and the bases loaded.
"It's frustrating, and it's embarrassing," Zaun said. "You talk so much about
getting better, but there comes a time when you have to put up or shut up.
That's basically the way I feel about my own situation and the team's as well."
This one started innocently enough, with Ludwick allowing just one run
through three innings. But after the third, his historically bad back felt sore,
and he couldn't pitch the fourth. That forced Leyland to bring in left-hander
Kirt Ojala, who gave up six runs (four earned) on seven hits and a walk in 2
1/3 innings. Oscar Henriquez followed Ojala and gave up three hits and two
runs of his own.
"They had to get out there too early," Leyland said. "Ludwick's back
tightened up on him, and we got into the bullpen way too soon. You can't
pitch those guys every day. It's not fair to them."
Ludwick felt it wouldn't have been fair to the team for him to stay in the game.
Afterwards, he remembered his days in Oakland, when the back bothered
him and he would pitch badly as a result of a lack of concentration.
"I figured it'd be better if I shut it down and we brought somebody in who
could concentrate on each pitch," Ludwick said. "I'm familiar with that pain,
and I don't think it's as serious as it's been in the past, so hopefully I can get it
checked out and everything will be OK for my next start."
Ludwick will fly back to Fort Lauderdale this morning to be examined by
team doctor Dan Kanell.
The rest of the 1-8 Marlins will stay, and continue to try and figure out how to
put an end to what is now the worst start in franchise history.
What was wasted in Wednesday's loss was Derrek Lee's second home run in
two nights, a 2-for-4 effort by Mark Kotsay, and a pair of bases-loaded
situations (in the fifth and in the seventh) that resulted in a total of three runs.
"We're giving up eight, nine runs a game, we're not making the big plays when
we have to, and we're not getting the big hits," Zaun said. "Andit's only going
to get worse for us, because we still haven't seen the Atlanta Braves, the L.A.
Dodgers and the upper echelon of the league."
April 8
The Philadelphia Audience Is The Greatest Audience In The World
Phillies 9, Marlins 8
For Marlins, life's a pitch in seventh
straight loss
Wed, Apr 8, 4:06:56AM
By Dan Graziano, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
PHILADELPHIA - This just keeps getting worse.
Now, in fact, it's historically bad.
The Florida Marlins tied a team record with their seventh consecutive loss
Tuesday night, and this 9-8 extra-inning loss to the Phillies was perhaps the
ugliest and most painful defeat of this increasingly ugly and painful season.
After erasing Marlins leads of 2-0 and 8-4, the Phillies won their home
opener in the bottom of the 10th inning, when center fielder Doug Glanville hit
a bases-loaded single to left off Florida reliever Jesus Sanchez, scoring Mark
Lewis.
And so, the tattered remains of the defending World Series champs have
started the season 1-7, a free-fall even worse than what had been predicted.
This was a game Florida should have won easily. The Marlins reeled off four
straight singles to start the game, but only got two runs off Phillies starter
Garrett Stephenson in the first inning.
And after the Phillies took a 4-2 lead against Marlins starter Rafael Medina,
Florida busted out for six runs in the fifth, keyed by Derrek Lee's grand slam
(his first hit of the season) and Charles Johnson's solo homer.
But the Phillies chipped away at the Marlins' bullpen. They got a run in the
sixth against the combination of Medina and Antonio Alfonseca. They got a
run in the seventh when Mark Lewis hit a solo home run off Alfonseca. And
they got two in the eighth, when Scott Rolen homered off Vic Darensbourg
and closer Jay Powell walked former Marlin Alex Arias with the bases
loaded.
That walk - the fifth of six times in the game Arias reached base against his
former team - tied the score at 8-8, where it would stand until the bottom of
the 10th, when with two outs Glanville connected with the game-winner.
After 3 hours, 38 minutes, 10 walks by Marlins pitchers, and delays caused
by everything from Mike Lieberthal's faulty catcher's equipment to
Philadelphia's lunatic fans (who threw garbage on the field when their team
wasn't winning and one of whom ran onto the field shirtless in the seventh), the
result was the same for the Marlins as it has been every night for the past
week - a loss they could blame on their pitching.
The Marlins now have lost seven straight games for the fourth time in their
history. The last time they did it, June 30-July 6, 1996, it cost manager Rene
Lachemann his job. That streak reached seven in Philly, but it also ended
here. So, with two more on the schedule here the next two nights, maybe
there's hope.
Only question is, who can they get to pitch?
April 6
Get Out The Brooms
Brewers 8, Marlins 5
Brewers complete sweep
Mon, Apr 6, 5:03:57PM
MIAMI (AP) - Jeff Cirillo tied a club record with three doubles and the
Milwaukee Brewers completed their first series sweep in the National
League, beating the Florida Marlins for the fourth consecutive time Monday,
8-5.
Milwaukee has won five in a row, while the World Series champion Marlins
have lost six straight since an opening-day victory.
It's the Marlins' longest skid since they dropped seven consecutive games
June 30-July 6, 1996, a streak that ended with the firing of manager Rene
Lachemann.
Cirillo went 4-for-4 with a single, a walk and two RBIs. His three doubles
tied a club record achieved 17 times previously, most recently by Dave Valle
on July 24, 1994 against Minnesota.
Florida rookie Mark Kotsay hit his first major-league homer with a man on in
the fifth, but the Marlins, who traded away many of their high-paid players
during the off-season, were again plagued by poor pitching and shaky
defense.
Felix Heredia (0-2) allowed seven runs - five earned - in 4 2-3 innings. A
wild throw by shortstop Edgar Renteria on a botched rundown allowed the
Brewers to score two unearned runs in the second.
Milwaukee staked starter Paul Wagner to a 7-2 lead, but he lasted just 4 1-3
innings and failed to qualify for the victory. Wagner allowed five hits, six walks
and four runs in his first start of the year.
Steven Woodard (2-0) allowed one run in 3 1-3 innings, and Doug Jones
pitched a perfect ninth for his second save.
Milwaukee scored twice in the first. Fernando Vina led off with a single and
Cirillo doubled, and they scored on a groundout and a sacrifice fly.
Renteria's error made it 4-1 in the second. With runners at the corners,
Wagner hit a grounder to third, trapping Jose Valentin in a rundown between
third and home. But when Renteria made a wild throw to the plate, two runs
scored.
The Brewers added three runs in the fifth on RBI singles by Marc Newfield,
Vina and Cirillo. Cirillo made it 8-4 with a run-scoring double in the seventh.
Florida scored in the first when Cliff Floyd singled, stole second and came
home on Renteria's single. Josh Booty, mired in a 1-for-14 start, doubled
home a run in the second.
Pinch hitter Jim Eisenreich doubled home Florida's final run in the eighth.
Notes: Milwaukee's John Jaha left the game in the fifth inning with tightness in
his upper back, and his status is day to day. He went 1-for-14 in the series. ...
The longest losing streak for the Marlins last year during their championship
season was five games April 18-23. ... Florida began the week tied for last in
the major leagues with 42 runs allowed. Milwaukee was tied for first with 13.
... Marlins closer Jay Powell was unavailable because of the flu. ... Florida
rookie Ryan Jackson went hitless for the first time in the six games he has
played. ...
April 5
Wayne
Huizenga, who was soundly booed on opening day, was not introduced Sunday
Brewers 5, Marlins 2
Brewers 5, Marlins 2
Sun, Apr 5, 5:04:04PM
MIAMI (AP) - Jeromy Burnitz and Marquis Grissom hit backtoback homers
in the eighth inning off World Series MVP Livan Hernandez as the Milwaukee
Brewers won their fourth straight, 5-2 over the Florida Marlins.
During pregame ceremonies, the 17 remaining Marlins from last year's team
received their World Series championship rings. This year's squad then went
out and lost its fifth straightsince winning on opening day.
Cliff Floyd hit his fourth homer for the Marlins.
Hernandez (11) allowed six hits and three runs in eight innings.
Al Reyes (10) retired Edgar Renteria with the bases loaded in the seventh
inning, and after the Marlins loaded the bases again in the ninth, Doug Jones
struck out Cliff Floyd and Renteria for his first save.
Brewers starter Cal Eldred allowed two runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Trailing 2-1, Burnitz led off the eighth with his third homer. Three pitches later
Grissom, who had three hits, hit his first deep into the leftfield seats.
In the ninth, Burnitz had an RBI double and Grissom drove in a run with a
single to make it 5-2.
Floyd stroked a 11 pitch deep into the rightfield bleachers in the sixth to give
the Marlins a 2-1 lead.
Fernando Vina's solo home run in the Milwaukee fifth tied it 1-1.
The Marlins took a 10 lead in the fourth inning without a hit. Renteria singled,
stole second and advanced on a single. Renteria scored when Gary Sheffield
hit into a 1-4-3 double play.
Notes: Sheffield was back in the starting lineup after missing two games with
a swollen left knee. ... The original starting time of 1:05 p.m. was apparently
pushed back 30 minutes, so more fans would be on hand for the ring
ceremony. The crowd of 28,075 saved its loudest cheers for the 11 former
Marlins who were trades in the team's offseason fire sale. ... Owner H.
Wayne Huizenga, who was soundly booed on opening day, was not
introduced Sunday. The only ex-Marlin to attend the ceremony was Darren
Daulton, who's now retired. "Dutch" threw out the ceremonial first ball.
Rookies Josh Booty and Mark Kotsay received rings despite playing in five
and 14 games respectively. ... Renteria robbed Jeff Cirillo of a hit in the third
inning when he backhanded a hard hop and threw Cirillo out while sitting on
the dirt.
April 4
Marlins Welcome Milwaukee Back To The National League
Brewers 6, Marlins 2
Brewers 6, Marlins 2
Sat, Apr 4, 10:53:52PM
HITTING HIGHLIGHT: Backup catcher Gregg Zaun, getting his first start
of the season, went 3-for-3 with a single, double and triple, and scored two
runs. He doubled with one out in the second and scored two batters later
when utility infielder Dave Berg, in his first major-league at-bat, singled to
right. Zaun tripled to lead off the sixth and scored on Craig Counsell's
groundout to first.
PITCHING HIGHLIGHT: Reliever Oscar Henriquez, whose first two
outings of the season were utterly brutal, pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning, the
only 1-2-3 inning the Marlins turned in all night.
LOWLIGHT: The Brewers sent eight men to the plate in the third inning and
seven in the fourth, chasing Brian Meadows from his first major league start
after just 3 2/3 innings. In those 3 2/3 innings, Meadows gave up 10 hits and
six runs - all earned.
April 3
Will Valentin Make The Hall Of Fame On The First Ballot?
Brewers 7, Marlins 1
Brewers 7, Marlins 1
Sat, Apr 4, 1:31:47AM
HERE'S THE PITCH: Eric Ludwick turned in the best start so far by a
member of the Marlins' young rotation, but he also had some of the worst
luck. Ludwick gave up two runs on four hits and a walk in seven innings. He
struck out seven and gave up two solo home runs, both to Jose Valentin. But
he took the loss, as the Marlins failed to tie in the bottom of the seventh and
the bullpen gave up five unearned runs in the top of the eighth, with the help of
Josh Booty's third error in three games.
ROPES: Cliff Floyd, the first Marlins batter of the game, hit Jose Mercedes'
3-2 pitch 17 rows into the seats in right-center field. It was Floyd's third
homer in as many games, and was estimated (for what these estimates are
worth) at 432 feet.
WHIFFS: The worst pitching performance of the evening was turned in by
left-handed reliever Gabe Gonzalez, who threw just one pitch. Gonzalez
relieved Oscar Henriquez in the eighth with the bases loaded, and his only job
was to get left-handed Jeromy Burnitz. But he hit Burnitz with his first pitch,
forcing in the run that made it 3-1 Milwaukee, and Jim Leyland removed him
and brought in Antonio Alfonseca to pitch to the right-handers. Alfonseca,
unfortunately, gave up a sacrifice fly and Valentin's third homer of the game to
make it 7-1 Milwaukee.
April 2
Q. Even The Cubs? A. Yes, Even The Cubs
Cubs 8, Marlins 7
Cubs 8, Marlins 7
Thu, Apr 2, 5:38:26PM
By The Associated Press
MIAMI - Jeff Blauser's RBI single capped a two-out rally in the ninth inning
Thursday and the Chicago Cubs overcame an early six-run deficit to beat the
Florida Marlins 8-7.
With the score tied in the ninth, Jay Powell (0-1) hit Mark Grace with a 2-2
pitch and pinch-hitter Jose Hernandez. Blauser then lined a 1-0 pitch into left
field, easily scoring Grace. Rod Beck allowed the first two Marlins to reach in the ninth, but following a
sacrifice, Charles Johnson and Craig Counsell struck out. Beck got his 200th
save, a milestone reached by only 20 other pitchers.
Bob Patterson (1-0) pitched 1 2-3 scoreless innings.
Cubs pinch hitter Manny Alexander made the score 7-7 with a two-run
pinch-homer in the sixth against Jesus Sanchez. Tyler Houston drove in four
runs for Chicago with a groundout and a three-run homer.
Gary Sheffield hit a three-run homer, his second, in Florida's six-run first
inning. Cliff Floyd hit a solo homer, his second.
Chicago starter Jeremi Gonzalez departed after failing to retire any of the
seven batters he faced. Gonzalez allowed three hits, four walks and six runs
as the Marlins scored six times in the first for the second time in three games.
Florida's Rafael Medina, making his major-league debut, allowed seven hits
and five runs in five innings. Marlins starters had an ERA of 8.22 in the
three-game series, and Cubs starters were at 16.00.
Cliff Floyd and Edgar Renteria walked to start the Florida first. Ryan Jackson
singled home a run before Sheffield homered. Mark Kotsay doubled, and
Johnson and Counsell walked to load the bases.
Josh Booty greeted reliever Amaury Telemaco with an RBI single before
Medina struck out for the first out. Floyd walked again to force in the final run
before Renteria grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Sheffield, who went 2-for-4, has reached base in 11 of his 14 plate
appearances. He has homered twice, doubled once, singled twice, walked
five times and been hit by a pitch.
With the score 7-7, Cubs center fielder Lance Johnson threw out Sheffield
trying to score on a flyout in the seventh.
Houston hit a three-run homer in the fourth. Lance Johnson tripled later in the
inning and came home on Mickey Morandini's single to make the score 6-5.
April 1
A Journey of 10.000 Mles Begins With A Single Step
Cubs 10, Marlins 3
Cubs offer lesson in losing
Thu, Apr 2, 5:03:03AM
By Dan Graziano, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
And then, on Day Two, reality set in.
Opening day was fun for the Florida Marlins, who hit well enough and pitched
well enough to come up with a pretty exciting win. But Wednesday was a
10-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Pro Player Stadium, and it offered four
pretty strong examples of what to expect from the young and inexperienced
1998 Marlins: Felix Heredia, so good last season as a reliever, made his first major-league
start and showed why he's probably being rushed into that role.
Oscar Henriquez, the big, hard-throwing rookie reliever, showed why the
young Marlins' bullpen will have trouble holding leads.
Josh Booty showed what can happen to a rookie when he struggles.
The "crowd" of 16,877 showed South Florida isn't convinced just yet that
this team is worth watching.
"Our job is to go out and perform, whoever's in the seats," said left fielder
Cliff Floyd, whose leadoff home run in the eighth inning was one of Florida's
few highlights. "Hopefully, if we do well enough, more people will come."
First, though, there will nights like this.
It started with Heredia, who gave up five runs (four earned) in five innings.
"He's just going to have to learn how to pitch," Marlins manager Jim Leyland
said. "This is a good experience for him right now."
Heredia said the experience felt different from his relief work of last season.
"It's different because I've got to concentrate more on the hitters that are
coming up, rather than just the one that's in there right now," Heredia said. "I
just need to keep working."
A learning experience.Henriquez entered the game in the ninth with the Marlins trailing just 5-2. But
after four walks, a double and just one out, he left the game. By the time all of
his runs scored, it was 10-2.
"We kept ourselves in it until the ninth inning," Leyland said. "And then it got
out of hand because we didn't throw the ball over the plate."
Henriquez said he felt pretty good warming up in the bullpen before he came
in, but ... "Once I got to the mound, I was a little excited."
A learning experience. Which brings us to Josh Booty. The book on Booty was he would strike out
a lot, maybe hit a home run or two, but play outstanding defense at third base.
Well, Booty struck out three times Wednesday - accidentally throwing his bat
into the stands on the last one - and made two errors at third.
"Right now, I think he's taking that bat out into the field with him," Leyland
said. "It looked to me like he got burned on a couple of ground balls he didn't
expect to be hit to him, and that's where you're probably thinking about your
last at-bat."
Booty agreed.
"I've thought I've always done a good job of separating the two," Booty said.
"But tonight, I was maybe not concentrating like I should, maybe putting too
much pressure on myself to play good defense since I wasn't hitting."
A learning experience.
"The first ball, I felt like it kind of ate me up a little bit," Booty said. "Then I
was going to try to just snatch the next one, and I missed it completely, and I
was like 'Dad-gum.' "
But this was a young team's loss, and certainly won't be the last.