Results tagged ‘ Glenn Geffner ’
Z YOU LATER
Carlos Zambrano slugged his first home run as a Marlin this afternoon, a 3rd-inning solo shot off Philadelphia’s Joe Blanton. A few Big Z home run tidbits:
Zambrano is now tied for 7th on the all-time home run list among pitchers. Wes Ferrell hit 38, Bob Lemon 37, Warren Spahn 35, Red Ruffing 34, Earl Wilson 33 and Don Drysdale 29. John Clarkson and Bob Gibson both also hit 24.
He has now homered at least once in each of the last 10 seasons with a career-high 6 long balls in 2006 and 4 in both 2008 and 2009.
Z has homered twice off Kyle Lohse. The other pitchers he’s taken deep: Mark Buehrle, Roy Oswalt, Wandy Rodriguez, Yovani Gallardo, Tom Glavine, Darren Oliver, Wade Miller, Todd Wellemeyer, Woody Williams, Zach Jackson, Johnny Cueto, Micah Owings, Aaron Harang, Taylor Buchholz, Mike Matthews, Esmerling Vazquez, Josh Fogg, Garret Mock, Fernando Abad and now Blanton.
He’s hit 13 of his 24 at Wrigley Field (Chicago), 5 at Minute Maid Park (Houston), 3 at Great American Ballpark (Cincinnati), one at Chase Field (Arizona), one at old Shea Stadium (New York) and now one at Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia).
Including today’s shot, he’s hit 16 off righthanders (from the left side) and 8 vs. lefties (from the right side).
19 of the 24 he’s hit have been solo shots. He’s hit 4 with one on and one with 2 men on. He’s yet to hit a grand slam.
His homer today came in the 3rd inning, his favorite inning in which to go deep. 8 of his 24 have come in the 3rd.
The home run was the 37th hit by a Marlins pitcher in 20 seasons. Since Zambrano got to the big leagues in 2001, in a period in which he’s hit 24, all other Marlins pitchers have hit 20.
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.
PLEASE MAKE A NOTE OF IT
As the Marlins near the end of a historic May, here are a few statistical tidbits I’ve put together to hold you over until gametime tonight:
MAY IT NEVER END: With a win tonight or tomorrow, the Marlins will establish a franchise record for most victories in a calendar month. They’re a major league-best 19-8 in May, having previously won 19 games in August of 1997. They’re unbeaten (6-0-3) in 9 series this month and would finish 7-0-3 with one more win against the Nats. By winning both remaining May games to go 21-8 (.724) in May, they’d set a club record for the best winning percentage in any calendar month. They were 18-7 (.720) in June of 2006.
COMFORTABLE ANYWHERE: En route to a 27-22 record, the Marlins are 14-10 at Marlins Park and 13-12 on the road. They’re one of only 4 NL teams and one of only 8 in all of baseball with better-than-.500 records both at home and on the road. The other 7: the Cardinals, Dodgers, Indians, Nationals, Orioles, Rangers and Yankees.
MAN OF THE MONTH: Only 3 Marlins have ever won an NL Player of the Month award: Jeff Conine in June of 1995, Hanley Ramirez in June of 2008 and Emilio Bonifacio in July of 2011. This month may be Giancarlo Stanton’s turn. Here’s a look at the top contenders for the honor through yesterday’s games:
Giancarlo Stanton, MIA: .324 AVG, 9 2B, 0 3B, 11 HR, 27 RBI, .410 OBP, .735 SLG, 1.146 OPS
Carlos Beltran, STL: .310 AVG, 3 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR, 30 RBI, .400 OBP, .713 SLG, 1.113 OPS
Jonathan Lucroy, MIL: .388 AVG, 8 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 22 RBI, .409 OBP, .659 SLG, 1.068 OPS
POWER SURGE: Giancarlo Stanton’s 11 home runs in May with 2 games to play leave him one shy of the club record for a calendar month. Dan Uggla hit 12 homers in May of 2008. The only other Marlin to hit 11 in a single month was Gary Sheffield in April of 1996.
Major League home run leaders in May:
Giancarlo Stanton, MIA 11
Josh Hamilton, TEX 11
Adam Dunn, CWS 11
Carlos Beltran, STL 10
Josh Reddick, OAK 10
Major League RBI leaders in May:
Carlos Beltran, STL 30
Josh Hamilton, TEX, 28
Giancarlo Stanton, MIA 27
Nelson Cruz, TEX 23
Albert Pujols, LAA, 22
Jose Bautista, TOR 22
Jonathan Lucroy, MIL 22
ONE-MAN WRECKING CREW: Stanton has hit more than half of the Marlins’ total of 21 homers this month…he’s hit as many home runs in May as the full rosters of both the Padres (11) and Giants (11).
PICKING UP THE PACE: In going 8-14 in April, the Marlins averaged only 3.3 runs per game. Their total of 73 runs scored was 15th out of 16 NL clubs and 28th out of 30 teams in all of baseball. In May, however, they’re averaging 4.6 runs per game. Their total of 123 runs in 27 games are 5th-most in the NL and 11th-most in MLB.
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT: The Marlins have 3 pitchers in their rotation who have thrown no-hitters (Mark Buehrle, Anibal Sanchez and Carlos Zambrano), and tonight’s Anibal Sanchez-Edwin Jackson match-up marks the 2nd time one of them has faced off against another pitcher who also has a no-no on his resume. Mark Buehrle beat Matt Garza of the Cubs April 18 at Marlins Park.
LOOKING FOR A SUPPORT SYSTEM: Speaking of Anibal, he was the Marlins’ tough-luck pitcher a season ago, winning only 8 games despite a 3.67 ERA over 32 starts. In 2011, he allowed 2 runs or fewer in 16 of his 32 starts, but got a loss or a no-decision in 10 of those starts. This year, he’s allowed 2 runs or less in 6 of his first 9 starts and has a loss or a no-decision in 4 of the 6. The Marlins have lost 8 games this month and Anibal Sanchez has started 4 of the 8. He’s 1-3 in 5 May starts despite a 2.97 ERA.
GIMME 5: The Marlins are one of only 7 ML teams that have needed only 5 starting pitchers to this point in the 2012 season. The others are the Angels, the Cardinals, the Dodgers, the Mariners, the Nationals and the Reds. The Nats will fall off that list tomorrow when Chien-Ming Wang replaces Ross Detwiler to start against Miami. Here’s a look at the Marlins’ record in games started by each member of the rotation:
Josh Johnson: 6-4
Mark Buehrle: 6-4
Ricky Nolasco: 6-4
Carlos Zambrano: 5-5
Anibal Sanchez: 4-5
FASHION SENSE: The Marlins have worn their black jerseys in 27 of their first 49 games this season. How they’ve fared in each jersey:
Black: 15-12
White: 6-5
Orange: 4-3
Gray: 2-2
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.
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.
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.
