I WAS JUST THINKING…
While a great May doesn’t assure anything more than a bad April, it’s worth noting that if the season ended today, the Marlins would be in the Playoffs.
A major league-best 18-7 in May with 4 games to play before we usher in June, the Marlins need one more victory to match the winningest month in franchise history. Miami went 19-10 in August of 1997.
The Marlins’ current .720 winning percentage for the month gives them a shot at a club record as well. The Marlins were 18-7 (.720) in June of 2006. The Marlins would need to win at least 3 of their final 4 this month to better that .720 mark.
The Marlins have had just one day off since April 23. Thursday, a travel day to Philadelphia, will end a run of 20 games in 20 days and 36 games in 37 days. The Marlins are currently 19-13 in the longer stretch.
Miami is unbeaten in 9 series in May. They’d have 7 wins, no losses and 2 splits if they finish off the series victory over the Giants this afternoon. Should they lose today, they’d be 6-0-3 in 9 May series with a 3-game set with the Nats to come.
As if the schedule hasn’t been challenging enough, beginning with tomorrow night’s series opener against Washington, the Marlins’ next 41 games will be against the Nats (7), Phillies (6), Braves (3), Rays (6), Red Sox (6), Blue Jays (3), Cardinals (6) and Brewers (4).
With victory number 69, Ricky Nolasco became the all-time Marlins wins leader when he beat the Rockies on Tuesday, and he’s worn the career strikeout crown since last year. Heading into this afternoon’s start against Matt Cain and the Giants, he’s 5 starts shy of tying Willis for the top spot in club history with 162. He’s 46 innings pitched short of Willis’ club mark of 1,022.2. And Ricky’s next loss would tie Willis’ club mark of 54.
Ricky’s last 3 starts against the Giants have all come against Matt Cain, who he’ll face today. In 2 head-to-head match-ups last season and one this year, Ricky’s posted wins by scores of 5-1, 2-1 and 2-1. Overall, Nolasco is 5-2 with a 1.56 ERA and a .219 average allowed in 7 starts against the Giants, having allowed just one run in each of his last 4 outings against San Francisco.
Yesterday’s 5-3 win over the Giants was a virtual blowout for the Marlins. Each of their first 4 wins against San Fran this year had been one-run games. Overall, Miami’s already posted 11 one-run wins and a major league-high 17 come-from-behind victories.
After going 4-2 against the Giants last season, Miami is 5-1 this year with one to go, winning consecutive season series from San Francisco for the first time ever.
If you doubt Omar Infante has the best all-around numbers of any second baseman in the National League to this point in 2012, check this out.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/batting/_/position/2b/league/nl
Don’t forget to cast your All-Star ballots either at Marlins.com or on your next visit to Marlins Park.
And from the Fish Tales editorial board, this message: the All-Star Home Run Derby will be an absolute joke if Giancarlo Stanton is not invited to participate.
For more on the Marlins, follow me on Twitter @GlennGeffner and friend me on Facebook at Facebook.com/GlennGeffner. To have new Fish Tales posts delivered directly to you via email, please “Follow” the blog above. And you can catch Marlins play-by-play on the radio all season long on 790 The Ticket and the Marlins Radio Network.
NUMBER CRUNCHING IN CLEVELAND
Here are some of the statistical nuggets I’ve put together for this afternoon’s broadcast in Cleveland…
After going 8-14 in April, the Marlins are a major league-best 13-4 in May with 12 games still to play this month. They’ve got a great shot to set a club record for wins in the month of May (16 in 1996, 1997 and 2008), while their current .765 winning percentage this month gives them a shot to best the existing May mark of .593 (16-11), also in 1996, 1997 and 2008.
The Marlins also stand a legitimate shot to post the winningest month in franchise history, as the existing record is 19 wins (in 29 games) in August of 1997.
Emilio Bonifacio is not in today’s starting lineup, sidelined by a sprained left thumb suffered last night. Boni begins the day with the 6th-longest active consecutive games played streak in Major League Baseball, one of only 7 current runs that exceed 100 games.:
Prince Fielder, DET 220 games
Joey Votto, CIN 165 games
Ichiro Suzuki, SEA, 139 games
Dustin Pedroia, BOS, 138 games
Michael Bourn, ATL 129 games
Emilio Bonifacio, MIA 112 games
Dan Uggla, ATL 103 games
If Bonifacio does not play at all today, the longest active Marlins consecutive games played streak will belong to Hanley Ramirez, who, with his start today, will have played in all 40 games this season. For those who want to impress their friends by immediately screaming out the answer to today’s Metro Ford Trivia Question on the radio broadcast, the longest consecutive games played streak in Marlins history is Juan Pierre’s run of 375 in a row from March 31, 2003 through June 2, 2005.
For comparison sake (all numbers into today’s game):
GIANCARLO STANTON
1st 19 games this season: .234, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .290 OBP, .308 SLG
Last 19 games this season: .320, 8 HR, 19 RBI, .386 OBP, .703 SLG
HANLEY RAMIREZ
Through his first 39 games in 2012: .232, 7 HR, 26 RBI, .306 OBP, .432 SLG
Through his first 39 games in 2011: .211, 3 HR, 15 RBI, .294 OBP, .309 SLG
LOGAN MORRISON
Through his first 35 games in 2012: .252, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .252 OBP, .342 SLG
Through his first 35 games in 2011: .299, 7 HR, 19 RBI, .299 OBP, .385 SLG
GABY SANCHEZ
Through his first 35 games in 2012: .202, 1 HR, 11 RBI, .250 OBP, .303 SLG
Through his first 35 games in 2011: .331, 6 HR, 23 RBI, .412 OBP, .534 SLG
For more on the Marlins, follow me on Twitter @GlennGeffner and friend me on Facebook at Facebook.com/GlennGeffner. To have new Fish Tales posts delivered directly to you via email, please “Follow” the blog above. And you can catch Marlins play-by-play on the radio all season long on 790 The Ticket and the Marlins Radio Network.
FISH TALES TICKET CONTEST UPDATE
Just to update those Fish Tales followers hoping to win tickets to either the Monday or Tuesday Marlins-Pirates games:
I have selected the 4 winners in the most random way known to man. I have emailed the first 2 winners to confirm they are able to use the tickets and to see which game they’d like to attend. When I hear back from them, I will then contact winner #3 and let him or her know which game or games remain to choose from. Once #3 is set, I will contact winner #4 and tell him or her which pair of tickets remains.
If any of the 4 winners is unable to attend, I will go down the list I have compiled to #5, #6, etc.
So 2 of you should have received an email from me in the last couple of minutes. And 2 more winners will be hearing from me as soon as I hear back from the first 2.
Thanks to all for following the blog.
GG
MEMBERSHIP HAS ITS PRIVILEGES
If you click on the “follow” button on this blog and become and official Fish Tales follower, you’ll have every blog post sent directly to your email box.
And if you become a follower between now and 11 a.m. Sunday, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win 2 tickets to see the Marlins and Pirates at Marlins Park on Monday or Tuesday night. I’ll again be giving away my personal seats, terrific seats directly behind home plate.
So follow now, and I’ll contact the winners on Sunday.
SETTING THE PACE
Coming off a complete-game effort in a 4-1 win in San Diego Saturday night, Mark Buerhle gets the ball for the Marlins tonight in the opener of a 3-game weekend series against Johan Santana and the Mets.
The victory in San Diego was a vintage Buehrle performance that featured 20 ground ball outs and was completed in a relative blink-of-the-eye by 2012 baseball standards.
Long regarded as the fastest-working pitcher in the game, the 33-year-old first-year Marlin finished the Padres off in a cool 2 hours, 18 minutes, marking the 3rd time in 6 Buehrle outings the Marlins had played in less than 2:30.
After the victory over the Padres, I asked Mark about his legendary tempo:
“I’ve always worked quick. No one’s ever really told me the quicker you work the better off you’ll be. I’ve just always gotten the ball and gotten on the mound. I don’t see any reason to walk around and grab the resin, take your time.
“It always helps when they’re hitting the ball to our position guys and getting outs because you can turn around and get the ball back pretty quick. But if you’re giving up a lot of hits it usually takes a little longer to pitch your game.
“I’ve just always worked that way, and I think the other guys like it.”
Over the years, opponents have tried to slow Buehrle down, stepping out of the box between pitches, asking for time, trying to dictate a slower tempo in hopes of taking the 12th-year big leaguer out of his rhythm.
If the idea is to frustrate Buehrle, it doesn’t work.
“The only time it really affects me is when guys are trying to speed me up, the guys who stay in the box,” he said. “Whenever I get the ball back, and I get on the mound, I look up, and if that hitter’s in the box, I don’t want to say it makes me mad, but it’s like he’s almost trying to rush me. That’s when I try to even work faster.
“The guys who call time out and step out and think they’re going to mess with me, they’re going to slow me down, it doesn’t bother me. I kind of think it’s funny. I know what they’re trying to do. But it doesn’t bother me.
The guys who stand in there, they’re the ones that kind of tick me off a little bit.”
For more on the Marlins, follow me on Twitter @GlennGeffner and friend me on Facebook at Facebook.com/GlennGeffner. To have new Fish Tales posts delivered directly to you via email, please “Follow” the blog above. And you can catch Marlins play-by-play on the radio all season long on 790 The Ticket and the Marlins Radio Network.
