The Florida Marlins have signed Jeremy Hermida and Jorge Cantu for the 2009 season as the team and both players avoided salary arbitration. Cantu’s deal is for $3.5 million, and it comes after he made $600,000, including $100,000 in incentives, last year. Hermida’s deal is for $2.25 million with a chance to earn another $50,000 in incentives.

A very nice raise for Cantu and Hermida for $2.25 is pretty good as well. Hopefully both players can stay healthy for an entire season.

The Marlins now have four arbitration-eligible players still unsigned — Dan Uggla, Ricky Nolasco, Cody Ross and Alfredo Amezaga.

The Florida Marlins broke their four game losing streak on Wednesday night as they beat the Washington Nationals. It was nice to see the fish finally win another game even if it was just against the pesky Nationals.

Josh Johnson improved to 6-1 on the year as he tossed six innings. Johnson allowed six hits and two runs in the game as he pitched his final game of the year. I expect Johnson to have a great season next year as he did wonderfully for the Marlins this year.

Ryan Tucker gave up three hits and two runs as he made things interesting late in the game but the fish were able to hold on for the win.

Hanley Ramirez and Josh Willingham both hit solo home runs in the game. They were not the team leaders in the rbi column however as Jeremy Hermida and Matt Treanor both finished with two rbi each. Jorge Cantu and Gaby Sanchez had the other rbi’s for the Marlins in the game.

Good win for the Marlins and they can even up the four game series with a win against the Nationals on Thursday.

Marlins Blog

The Florida Marlins and Cincinnati Reds played a make up game on Monday afternoon and the Marlins played great except for one inning. In the bottom of the seventh, the Marlins gave up six runs and the Reds came from behind to beat the Marlins by the score of 7-5. Tough loss for the Marlins as it was a game that they should have won.

Ricky Nolasco was the starting pitcher for the fish and he ended up with a no decision. Nolasco threw six innings and gave up six hits and three runs. He did strike out five batters but also gave up a solo home run.

Andrew Miller was the lossing pitcher as he was charged with two runs while not recording an out. He is now 6-10 on the season. Logan Kensing and Arthur Rhodes both gave up one run in relief as well.

Four different Marlins players had one rbi each. Jeremy Hermida and Josh Willingham both hit solo home runs while Cameron Maybin and Matt Treanor both helped out with one run as well. The other two runs that the Marlins scored were un-earned as they scored on an error and a wild pitch.

Now the team will board a plane and fly to Washington D.C. where they will begin a three game series with the Nationals on Tuesday night.

Marlins Blog

The Florida Marlins beat the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday afternoon by the score of 5-3. The Marlins used two runs in the seventh inning to take the lead and go on for the victory. With the two run victory, the fish took to two out of three game games against the Braves.

Doug Waechter earned the victory as he pitched a scoreless seventh inning. Marlins starting pitcher, Chris Volstad pitched six innings and gave up six hits and three runs to get the no decision. It’s too bad that Voldstad got a no decision as I thought he piched well enough to get the victory had he got a little but more run support.

For the offense, Hanley Ramirez got things started in the third inning when he hit a solo home run to put the Marlins up 1-0. The fish would score two more runs in the fourth inning that tied the game at 3-3 when Jeremy Hermida hit a two run single. In the seventh win the Marlins took the lead, Cory Ross had a rbi single and Ramirez scored on a wild pitch.

Goodjob by the Marlins, they need to go on a nice winning streak because they are on the outside looking in right now for any post season hopes.

Marlins Baseball Blog

The Florida Marlins rallied and scored three runs in the ninth inning to tie the game but then allowed a run in th bottom of the innings and the San Francisco Giants beat them 6-5. That is a very tough way to lose a game but I will give the offense credit for coming back in the final inning and scoring three runs to tie the game.

All five of the Marlins runs came via the home run ball. Jeremy Hermida had a two run blast in the fourth inning to put the Marlins on the scoreboard. Pitch-hitter John Baker then hammered a three run shot in the top of the ninth inning to tie the game. it was too bad the Marlins only scored from the home run ball and they weren’t able to score runs any other way.

Matt Lindstrom took the loss as he gave up a rbi sac fly to Bengie Molina in the bottom of the ninth inning. Scott Olsen had started the game for the fish and pitched six innings. Olsen gave up nine hits and four runs as he got the no decision. Joe Nelson gave up two hits and one run while Logan Kensing pitched a scoreless inning in the eighth.

The Marlns and Giants will play once again on Thursday afternoon as they play the rubber game of the three game series. The Marlins could really use a win as they are five games back in the division.

Marlins Baseball

The Marlins beat the Mets 7-5 to take the rubber game of the series.  They knocked the Mets out of first place, handed Mike Plefrey his first loss since the end of May, and are now just a game and a half out of first.  

Starter Josh Johnson, making just his fourth start since coming back from Tommy John surgery finally got his first win of the season.  The Marlins are now 4-0 when Johnson has started for them.  In 6.2 innings pitched, Johnson allowed four runs on eight hits, walked two and struck out two.  Not only did he pitch well but Johnson hit a RBI double in the fourth inning.  

The Marlins offense really broke out in the fourth inning.  With the Mets leading 1-0, Jeremy Hermida tripled to lead off the inning.  Jorge Cantu singled to center allowing Hermida to score and tie the game.  Mike Pelfrey then retired to get Dan Uggla and Mike Jacobs.  It was with two outs that the Marlins did the real damage.  Cody Ross trippled to right, scoring Cantu from first.  John Baker doubled to center field, scoring Ross from third.  Baker would score on Josh Johnson’s double to center.  Hanley Ramirez grounded out to second to end the inning, but the Marlins would lead the game 5-1.  The Mets looked like they would make a run at tying up the game when Damion Easley hit a three run homer in the top of the seventh, however Dan Uggla added two insurance runs with he hit a two run homer off Joe Smith in the bottom of the eighth.  Uggla now holds the record for most homeruns by a second baseman in his first three years as a starter.  The Mets would add one more in the top of the ninth, but the Marlins hold on to win 7-5. 

The Colorado Rockies come to town for a four game set.  Anibal Sanchez will make his first start of the season.  Game time is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. 

Marlins Blog

The Florida Marlins were hammered by the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night by the score of 10-1.  The Padres jumped all over Marlins starting pitcher Andrew Miller who only lasted five innings after giving up six hits and four runs.  The Marlins bullpen wasn’t much better however as they allowed the Padres to tack on six more runs in the game.

Doug Waechter was charged with five runs (three were earned) while only recording one out in the sixth inning.  Waechter served up a three run home run to Scott Hairston which really blew the game wide open.  Logan Kensing then gave up one more run and by that time the game was pretty much over in my books.

Jeremy Hermida had the only rbi for the Marlins as he hit a solo home run in the first inning off of Randy Wolf.  Other than that one hit by Hermida, the Marlins only had five hits while leaving 16 runners on base and striking out eight times.

It was a terrible day for the Marlins who just need to forget about it and come out and play better Wednesday afternoon as they still have a chance to win the series against the Padres.

Marlins Blog

The Marlins lost the final game of a grueling 9 game road trip, 7-1 to Justin Duchscherer and the Oakland A’s. Andrew Miller suffered the loss to see his record fall to 5-6, but the real culprit was The Marlins’ porous defense which set the stage for most of the A’s runs. A booted ball by Wes Helms at 3rd base and a nightmarish game behind the plate by Mike Rabelo helped the A’s get to Miller early, and Duchscherer did the rest, holding the potent Marlin’s offense to just one run in 7 2/3 innings.

The game started well enough for The Fish with Jeremy Hermida hitting his eighth HR in the first inning, but it was all down hill from there. The A’s tied the game in the bottom of the first helped by a Wes Helms boot of a DP grounder. Then in the bottom of the third, all the wheels came off for Miller & the Marlins. The A’s scored four times without any real good hits, taking advantage of a passed ball by Rabelo, and then a brain lock by the Marlins catcher on a first to home double play ball. Marlins first baseman Jorge Cantu fielded a grounder, stepped on first and threw home to Rabelo who had plenty of time to tag the runner coming in from third. But he thought the force play was in effect, so he merely stepped on the plate and did not tag the runner. The run scored, and the following A’s batter blooped a lazy pop up behind 1st base that scored two more runs, and you could have shut your TV off right there. I wish I had done so; that way I would have missed another ineffective relief performance by Matt Lindstrom and Logan Kensing later in the game.

At any rate, the Fish end the road trip with a 4-5 record and actually picked up ground on the Phillies, who lost again, their fifth straight defeat. The Marlins are just one game out of first place as they head home to start a three game series Tuesday with Tampa Bay.

Some people subscribe to the theory that these heartbreaking defeats where the team battles and battles, but finally loses, are good for a team. They say these kind of losses build “character”. Well, if that is true, then the Florida Marlins lead all of major league baseball in character. Too bad you can’t trade in some of this character for a game or two in the standings. The division leading Phillies have hit a rough patch of their own, losing three straight, but once again, Florida fails to capitalize. Getting back to these heartbreaking, character building losses, it seems that The Fish follow the same formula in every one. First the starting pitcher puts them in a nice hole, the way Mark Hendrickson did last night, surrendering four runs in the third. Step two is the comeback phase, usually accomplished via the home run, provided last night by Hanley Ramirez, Jeremy Hermida, and done twice by Dan Uggla, giving him 23 for the year. The comeback phase in these “Signature Losses” is done bit by bit, often requiring some ninth inning HR heroics, as was the case yesterday; Uggla’s second HR tied the game and sent it into extra innings. And of course, none of these losses would be complete without a really bad ending in which the Fish basically beat themselves. Sometimes it’s the bullpen that implodes with our relievers helping out the other team by doing things like walking the lead off man, or walking the pitcher, or throwing a wild pitch or two and getting so flustered that they just start serving fastballs right down the middle of the plate. Sometimes the bullpen is fine, but ERRORS are the reason we lose these types of games, as was the case last night. Bottom of the eleventh inning Eric Chavez, the A’s third baseman, launches a deep fly to left off Doug Waechter, our fifth pitcher. The ball is well hit, but it’s not going out. Off the wall maybe? No, Luis Gonzalez has plenty of room with his back against the wall and all he has to is reach up and catch it. He doesn’t even have to jump. So he raises his hand, the ball nestles nicely in the pocket of his glove and… and it pops out and hits the ground. Chavez ends up at second base and some guy called Kurt Suzuki promptly delivers the walk off hit. The Marlins have had so many of these kinds of losses this year that it’s getting to be like they’re actors following a script. And it’s a great script, very entertaining and all, complete with heroes and unfortunately, a goat or two, but it has a lousy ending; another Marlins loss.

I’m not one of those guys who believes in that losing builds character nonsense. The only thing these losses build is a track record of losing these type of “close and late” games. Far from building character, these losses are devastating to the psyche of teams, especially young teams like the Marlins. Late in the game or in extra innings a team that loses a lot of these types of games starts pressing. It’s like every guy on the field is thinking it, even subconsciously: how are we gonna blow it tonight? And : I sure hope I ain’t The Goat tonight, the guy who commits the error, or issues the walk that causes us to lose THIS game. Once teams start thinking like that, forget about it, they’re going to KEEP losing those kinds of games. Sure, looking at last night’s loss there are some positives we can take from the way the team battled back, never quit, kept on plugging away, etc., etc. Back in April & May when we had games like this and nobody really thought this team was going to be a serious contender, those types of pats on the back, those attempts to find some positives from these losses were acceptable. But not any more; not now. Not with the Marlins in a genuine pennant race. Now, there ARE NO positives to take from these kinds of losses. In fact there are some big negatives that they need to fix and quick. We have to find out why we make these kinds of errors and issue lead off walks and stuff like that in these kinds of close games. We need to figure out how to CLOSE THE DEAL in these games, not just make these great comebacks and then lose. Real contenders find a way to WIN these kinds of games; PRETENDERS find ways to lose them.

The Florida Marlins battled back with three runs in the eighth inning but they needed atleast one more to extend the game as they went onto lose to the Cincinnati Reds 8-7.  I’ll give the team credit for coming back, they just needed one more big hit to take the lead, they just didn’t get it done tonight.

Hanley Ramirez, Jeremy Hermida, and Dan Uggla all hit home runs in the game.  All three of the home runs were solo shots however.  Besides those three rbi’s for the Marlins, Luis Gonzalez and Mike Rabelo also had one rbi each in the game.

Taylor Tankersley took the loss which dropped his record to 0-1 on the season.  Tankersley was pitching in relief of starting pitcher Burke Badenhop who threw six innings.  Badenhop left the game after giving up six hits and four runs.  Three of the four runs were earned.

With the loss, the Marlins dropped to to 23-15 on the season.  Marlins Blog