Marlins need more pitching, better defense to win title

Published June 30th, 2008

By Mario Sarmento
SPORTS COMMENTARY

Lost in all the hoopla about the Florida Marlins’ fine start (second in the National League East) is the fact the team could be even higher in the standings if it hadn’t blown so many leads with poor relief pitching and bad defense.
Yes, the Marlins have walloped a major league-leading 113 home runs.

But they also rank 26th in the MLB in ERA, and are second-to-last in the majors in fielding.
The Marlins have blown 12 saves so far, and their problems when they don’t hit the ball have been magnified in recent weeks.
Against the Oakland A’s last week, reliever Renyel Pinto was staked to a 4-3 lead.
If the Marlins won, they would have tied the Philadelhpia Phillies atop the East.

Pinto retired the first two batters in order in the seventh when he inexplicably walked Bobby Crosby on a 3-2 count.
Hanley Ramirez couldn’t catch up to a shallow pop fly from Eric Chavez that dropped for a hit, and  Kurt Suzuki ripped a two-run double to give Oakland the lead. The Marlins tied it on a Dan Uggla home run in the ninth, but their relief pitching did them in again when Doug Waechter allowed an RBI double to Suzuki, and the Marlins lost in 11 innings, 7-6.

In the home opener of a three-game set against Tampa Bay Tuesday, the Marlins again led 3-2 in the eighth.
But three straight infield hits against Pinto loaded the bases.

Joe Nelson then went to a full count on three straight batters, retiring the first two without incident.
But he walked Dioner Navarro to tie the game, and he followed that by walking pinch hitter Eric Hinske to give Tampa the lead for good in a game they went on to win 6-4.

This past week has been a microcosm of what ails this team, as the pitching and defense are too inconsistent for the Marlins to make any headway in what is becoming a packed NL Wild Card race.