“We Find a Way to Lose, No Matter What” – – Ozzie Guillen

So…it looked like we were on our way to the second win in a row against one of the top three teams in baseball.  We had ‘em on the ropes, as a matter of fact.  But then… Reliever Mike Dunn flat-out blundered. On a crappy, basic PFP-drill flip from Carlos Lee to the covering pitcher, Dunn opened the door to a brutal six-run eighth inning that deflated, demoralized, and discombobulated what looked like a nice win for the Fish.

In a year where five of the starters fell far short of even modest expectations, tonight’s game was simply another nail in the coffin of what has turned into a season of difficult to swallow disappointments.

And yet, the Marlins still have promise, just maybe not for this year.  Rumors have been circulating around the possibility of a trade of Heath Bell and John Buck for the Mets’ Jason Bay.  The deal would be a benefit for both clubs, and both Bell and Buck are thought to be likely to clear waivers. It remains to be seen if Beinfest and Alderson can come to terms.

Jose Reyes extended his streak to 23 games, and Giancarlo Stanton is still slated to return from the DL on Tuesday.  It appears that as the starting rotation heads into a slump, the slumping bats are waking up and delivering the base hits that have thus far been AWOL.

Sunday’s matinee game features Ricky Nolasco facing Stephen Strasburg.  This will be the third time the Marlins have faced Strasburg this season, and we have yet to score a run on him.  Let’s hope today breaks that streak.

Prediction: Marlins by two in an upset.