The Good

Looks like Greg Dobbs is getting to the grove again. Greg went 3-3 as the Marlins DH with a pair of doubles. He is proving that he belongs on the roster, and will be a great  utility man the Marlins need. To add a little bit more good Giancarlo got the only RBI the Marlins had this game scoring Juan Pierre in the off a single. Now let’s move on to the not so good.

July 15, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins first baseman Greg Dobbs (29) after hitting a double against the Washington Nationals at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Bad

The Marlins lost to the Astros 1-4. A lost is always bad, but the Astros are the team this year projected to be worst then the Marlins, so this could be taken as a bad sign. Though it is still Spring Training and neither team this game had there best roster of the field. The really bad was Jacob Turners pitching. Jacob is one of many players fighting for that last spot in the Marlins rotation. This outing might have just dropped him back to AAA. Jacob gave up 5 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 1 HR and only stuck out 1 batter. I think Jacob can bounce back from this and make the starting roster later on in the season, but for right now he need to improve back in the minors.

Mar 9, 2013; Jupiter, FL, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jacob Turner (33) reacts in the first inning during a spring training game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Ugly

The weather was horrible! The game was called in the bottom of the 5th due to insane rain and wind. Most of Central Florida was under Tornado warning and down the street from the game was the Arnold Palmer Classic which was also called due to rain. It was not a fun sunny day to be in Central Florida.

Hope you enjoyed this weeks The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Join me next time and enjoy the rest of the site.

July 4, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Houston Astros first baseman

Carlos Lee is now a Marlin.  Today, the Marlins traded Matt Dominguez and Rob Rasmussen for Houston Astro Carlos Lee. Lee, a .279 hitter this season, can play outfield and first base.  Odds are, Gaby Sanchez will be sent down to make room for the consistent bat of Lee.  Nestled in the top six of the order, Lee will provide intentional walk protection for Giancarlo Stanton, as well as  the possibility of being a good 3-hole hitter.

Ruggiano, a right-handed hitting outfielder, was obtained on Saturday from the Houston Astros for Minor League catcher Jobduan Morales.

In 39 games at Triple-A Oklahoma City this season, Ruggiano had a slash line of .325/.409/.581 with 5 home runs. Ruggiano has always posted a decent walk rate in his minor league career, but he has been unable to translate that into any MLB success.

Ruggiano has 207 career at-bats in 98 career games. Last season Ruggiano posted a line of .248/.273/.400 for the Tampa Bay Rays and owns a career .226/.262/.359. Marlins fans should not expect much from Ruggiano going forward, he is a perfect example of a Quad-A type player.

Giancarlo Stanton hit a huge walk-off grand-slam for the Marlins on Sunday, his seventh home run of the season. (Image: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE)

The Marlins will take their hot streak into another series at Marlins Park, this time against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates are themselves coming off of an impressive walk-off win against the Houston Astros. The Pirates come into this series featuring the third best pitching staff, ERA wise, in baseball. The Marlins hitters are going to be in for a tough battle.

Pittsburgh Pirates (16-18) @ Miami Marlins (18-16), May 11, Game 32

NL East Standings

Stadium: Marlins Park

Five-year Run PF*: N/A
Five-year HR PF*: N/A
Stadium Dimensions:
Left field line—340 ft.
Left-center field—384 ft.
Center field—416 ft.
Right-center field—392 ft.
Right field line—335 ft.

*Five-year regressed park factors provided by Patriot here

(more…)

The Marlins are coming off of an impressive 8-1 road trip, where they swept the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres. The Marlins took two out of three games in their most recent series, against the Houston Astros.

Giancarlo Stanton returned to form for the Miami Marlins on their recent road trip. The team hopes he can carry that to teams 5-game home stand.. (Image: Christopher Hanewinckel-US PRESSWIRE)

The New York Mets on the other hand have kept their hot start alive. The Mets were able to complete a three game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies and are now a season high five games above the .500 mark. David Wright has returned to David Wright status.

New York Mets (18-13) @ Miami Marlins (16-15), May 11, Game 32

NL East Standings

Stadium: Marlins Park

Five-year Run PF*: N/A
Five-year HR PF*: N/A
Stadium Dimensions:
Left field line—340 ft.
Left-center field—384 ft.
Center field—416 ft.
Right-center field—392 ft.
Right field line—335 ft.

*Five-year regressed park factors provided by Patriot here

(more…)