Stat Wrap 7/28: Jose Flops As Marlins Drop Opener

This was a big game, a big opportunity. And Jose Fernandez picked the worst possible moment to remind us he’s only human.

The Miami Marlins narrowly lost the first game of a four game set, falling into a tie with the visiting St. Louis Cardinals for the NL Wild Card thanks to a 5-4 defeat Thursday night at Marlins Park. Just be glad the Mets lost.

A quick glance at the score might prompt you to think the Cardinals took a 1-0 lead into the sixth inning, that Jose simply threw too many pitches early and took a tough luck loss when the bullpens collectively melted down in the later innings. Unfortunately, that’s not what happened.

Fernandez earned every bit of this loss himself, allowing five earned runs. And the score should have been worse, as a very generous overturned call spared the Marlins ace being charged with a balk in the second inning.

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The Fish are now faced with having to win two of their next three games without Fernandez, Adam Conley, or Wei-Yin Chen being available to take the mound. Winning the season series with the Cardinals is critical, for doing so would ensure tie breaking privileges in a heated playoff race.

And now we Stat Wrap:

Ichiro Watch: Bright side! Pinch hit double puts him two away from 3 K.
Dee Gordon Watch: 0 for 4 in the long awaited return.
Martin Prado went 2 for 4, and hit his 4th HR of the year.
Jose Fernandez’s Night: 5 IP, 5 ER, 9 K.
Third time ever tonight the Marlins scored 4 ER or more and lost a Jose start.
Out of those three though, this was the first time he allowed more than 2 ER.
This was also only the second home loss of Jose’s career.
The bullpen tossed four scoreless innings of two-hit ball though.
This game brought to an end a string of seven straight starts in which Marlins starting pitchers surrendered only 2 ER or less.

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