Miami Marlins Morning Catch: Jacksonville Suns top Marlins 14-8

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Happy Opening Day Eve, Miami Marlins fans. Yes, tomorrow the Marlins officially open their 2015 campaign when Henderson Alvarez takes the mound against the Atlanta Braves, 4:10 PM at Marlins Park.

On Saturday, the Marlins played their final spring tuneup, a 14-8 loss to their Double-A affiliate Jacksonville Suns. Miami fielded its projected Opening Day lineup in the exhibition, and Dan Haren was on the mound for the first two innings. He scuffled against a roster exclusively featuring minor leaguers, as the prospects touched him for three runs in his two frames.

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Following Haren’s exit, the game was taken over by mostly minor league names on each side of the scorecard. So it’s not too worrisome that the Marlins were somewhat embarrassed by one of their own pipeline clubs. Technically, the minor leaguers in Suns uniforms beat up on minor league pitchers in Marlins uniforms for the rest of the game.

The games start to count tomorrow, the best day of the year. It’s not a national holiday — yet — but Opening Day signals that all is finally right in the world once again. We at Marlin Maniac will have a full slate of Marlins content for your reading pleasure to get you ready for the first pitch of the 2015 season, starting early Monday morning.

More Marlins News from Around the Web:

Jacksonville Suns use late rally to top Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins

Jacksonville Times-Union

"The Jacksonville Suns used a big seventh-inning rally to top their parent club Miami Marlins 14-8 in an exhibition game at Bragan Field to start a busy day of action in downtown Jacksonville.Viosergy Rosa smacked a grand slam to power a nine-run seventh that saw the Suns turn an 8-3 deficit into a four-run lead. Sharif Othman added a three-run blast later in the inning to further extend the home team’s lead against Miami’s bullpen.Fans in attendance were treated to the return of slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who smoked a run-scoring double in the top of the first to start his day. Stanton is returning after suffering multiple facial fractures when he was hit by a pitch that ended his season last September. Click here for full article."

Bookend signings, trades have Miami Marlins primed for playoffs

Tom D’Angelo, Palm Beach Post

"It started and ended with two message-sending contracts for nearly $375 million, or about $25 million more than Miami-Dade County contributed to the construction of Marlins Park.Between the bookend signings of right fielder Giancarlo Stanton to the richest deal in North American sports history, $325 million, and shelling out another $49.57 million for left fielder Christian Yelich, the Miami Marlins were busy trading for two veteran starters and retooling 75 percent of their infield.“The offseason they had was just precision,” said former big-league GM Jim Bowden, now an ESPN analyst and MLB Network radio talk show host. Click here for full article."

2015 Marlins pitching breakdown

Christina De Nicola, Fox Sports Florida

"It’s a more veteran-laden rotation and a familiar-looking bullpen for the Miami Marlins in 2015.Just two starters — right-handers Henderson Alvarez and Tom Koehler — opened last season in the rotation. Gone are righties Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob Turner. Righty Jarred Cosart impressed his new ballclub after arriving via a trade with the Houston Astros last August.With ace Jose Fernandez rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and unlikely to return before the All-Star break in mid-July, the Marlins knew they needed to fill that spot in the rotation. So they traded for veterans Mat Latos and Dan Haren. Click here for full article."

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