May 20, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins right fielder Marcell Ozuna (right) greets teammate center fielder Justin Ruggiano (left) during the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

After dropping his last five decisions, right hander Alex Sanabia tossed 6.1 strong innings, allowing only one run off seven hits, picking up the win. The Marlins scored five runs on eleven hits, led by Justin Ruggiano’s 2 RBI night. Miami did not draw a walk all night against Philadelphia, including the starter Cole Hamels who apparently stormed out of the clubhouse after the game.

Cole Hamels stormed out of the clubhouse and declined to speak to reporters.

(tweet)

Marcell Ozuna opened Miami’s five-run onslaught in the first inning, scoring Adeiny Hechavarria on a single to center. The onslaught was put on hold for five innings, during which Sanabia surrendered a solo home run to Dom Brown.

Perhaps out of guilt for snuffing out the rally with his first inning double play, Justin Ruggiano scored Placido Polanco on a double to centerfield. The score was 2-1 going into the seventh, where Sanabia was pulled with runners on the corners and one out in favor of Ryan Webb. Webb stamped out the Philadelphia scare with a flyout and groundout.

Miami piled out three more runs on the righty Justin De Fratus in the eighth inning. A Ruggiano single scored Polanco once again. Nick Green scored Marcell Ozuna and Ruggiano on a single of his own.

A.J. Ramos and Chad Qualls finished the game for Miami, working two scoreless and hitless innings, solidifying the win for the Fish.

With the win, Miami moves to 13-32, a cool 13.5 games behind the NL East leaders, the Atlanta Braves. Game two of this series features Jose Fernandez hosting recently recalled Tyler Cloyd. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 ET.

EDIT:

Hey, cool. Alex Sanabia was spitballin’.

(from CrashburnAlley)

The Great:

We avoided a sweep at the hands of the Diamondbacks by winning this game 2-1. The inning that that gave us the win was the bottom of the 6^th where the Marlins bats finally came alive— but not at first. We started the inning with Ricky popping out to the seconded baseman; then it was followed by an Adeiny Hechavarria single. Unfortunately, he was not moved up by Placido Polanco who flied out to left field the next at bat. Then came Derek Dietrich who singled to left field moving Adeiny to 3^rd. Up came Marcell Ozuna, who with a 2-1 count and 2 out double off the left field wall scored Hech and Dietrich and the Marlins took a 2-0 lead.  Justin Ruggiano walked and then Chris Coghlan ground out to end the inning… but not without the damaged already done.

The Bad:

Our 9^th inning was not the prettiest inning of the game. We started with Ricky giving up a double to Didi Gregorius ending his day. In came Steve Cishek who started out well by having Paul Goldschmidt ground out to second, but that ground out moved Didi moved to 3^rd. Next came Jason Kubel who sac flied to left field, scoring Didi. Eric Chavez then singled and Martin Prado walked ending Steve’s day. Mike Dunn, who has been on point this season, came in and walked Miguel Montero loading the bases. A. J. Pollock then came up and with a full count and grounded out to the shortstop ending the game and giving The Fish the win. This inning could have been a lot Uglier, but nevertheless it was Bad.

The Ricky:

May 14, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco (47) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

This is the Ricky Nolasco that all the Marlins fans wanted to see all season! Ricky went 8 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, and a whopping 11 K! He struck out the side in the 5^th and the 8^th. Also having a 1-2-3 inning in the 2^nd (with a double play), the 6^th, and the 7^th. This was his best performance of the season and hopefully he can keep it up for the rest of the season.

In the end, it was a fun game to be at live. The crowd was so alive, the players were playing their hardest, and Ricky was amazing. If we can keep this up all season I can see the fans coming back. Until next time, enjoy your week and Let’s Go Marlins!

Apr 26, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins left fielder Juan Pierre (9) tosses a baseball to fans in the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Marlins Park. The Cubs won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Marlins Park has been for the most part empty for a majority of their games in 2013. The lack of interest for the Miami Marlins and their gorgeous ballpark stems from the off-season firesale that owner Jeffery Loria decided to hold. Loria dismantled the Marlins roster one off-season after lavishly spending on the free agent market.

The Marlins saw this act as a betrayal to the public, as Loria had promised to their fans they would remain competitive once their brand new ballpark opened up. When the Marlins sold off their roster, fans were extremely upset and wanted Loria out as owner of the team.

The backlash towards Jeffery Loria and company has resulted in the lack of attendance, although the Marlins do not have the worst attendance in baseball. The lack of attendance has resulted in the Marlins deciding to close off upper deck seats for weeknight games.

The upper bowl will be closed for six dates during the team’s nine-game homestand that begins next Tuesday. Fans can sit only in the lower bowl for games May 14-16 against Cincinnati and May 20-22 against Philadelphia. The upper bowl will remain open for May 17-19 games against Arizona.

Closing the upper bowl for some games “will give an overall better fan experience,” [Marlins representative P.J. Loyello] said, adding from a standpoint of concessions, restrooms and other services, “it will be better for fans” than if they were scattered in a larger area.

THE MARLINS LOST A BUNCH OF GAMES BUT YOU WERE SLEEPING WHEN IT HAPPENED SO IT DOESN’T COUNT | Strip Club with Stanton

The last time we spoke, on May 5th, the Marlins were ending Roy Halladay‘s career, which was nice. You probably wanna hold onto that memory, because Loria’s band of merry misfits has played 6 games since, recorded more than 1 run just twice, and won just once. Luckily it all happened on the West Coast, so you probably slept through it. Can I get a “Yay, Marlins!”

May 12, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez (16) in the dugout during the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Dodgers won 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Impact of Jose Fernandez | Fishstripes

Jose Fernandez has been an invaluable member of the Marlins’ rotation in 2013 and could be on his way to one of the best seasons by a rookie pitcher in recent memory.

Returning to Marlins Park post-fire sale | Fishstripes

I had vowed to boycott the Miami Marlins in 2013, but thanks to needing an activity with a friend, I am returning to Marlins Park for a game tonight. How did I do it to still avoid helping Jeffrey Loria?

College position player is likely first option in draft for Miami Marlins | Miami Herald

There is strong sentiment within the Marlins organization to take a college position player with their first pick — the sixth overall — in next month’s amateur draft.

With five of the first 80 picks in the draft, the Marlins have a chance to continue adding to their stockpile of young talent in the wake of the team’s roster selloff from last year.

May 14, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins second baseman Derek Dietrich (51) connects for a base hit during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Marlins’ rookie Dietrich a living tribute to grandfather | Sun-Sentinel

Derek Dietrich, who the Marlins selected from Double-A Jacksonville last week, had a special relationship with his grandfather, former major leager and baseball lifer Steve Demeter.

Marcell Ozuna is Miami Marlins Future Now | Rant Sports

It is no secret that the Miami Marlins are struggling overall this season. That generally happens when a team is in a rebuilding phase so it becomes somewhat acceptable with a few requirements. The main things fans need to see to put up with a rebuilding phase are the signs of actual rebuilding. They need to see signs that there is a future for their team that is promising and that they can believe in. Marlins fans do not have to look very hard to see proof that their team has a future.

With Marlins by chance, Ozuna aims to stay | Marlins.com

An injury to All-Star Giancarlo Stanton landed Marcell Ozuna in the big leagues. All-out hustle will go a long way in keeping the 22-year-old outfielder around for a long time.

Stock Up, Stock Down for Miami Marlins’ Top 10 Prospects for Week of May 6 | Bleacher Report

Another week, another promotion.

The Miami Marlins called up another prospect to the big leagues after they placed two middle infielders on the disabled list less than 48 hours apart. Donovan Solano was placed on the 15-day DL with a left intercoastal strain while Chris Valaika joined him with a fractured left wrist. In their place is Derek Dietrich, the fifth Marlins top-10 prospect to make his debut in the majors this year.

Here at Marlin Maniac:

The Good:

May 12, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Tim Federowicz (18) looks on as Miami Marlins center fielder Justin Ruggiano (20) heads to the dugout after a solo home run in thesixth inning of the game at Dodger Stadium. Dodgers won 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

With hitting being one of our biggest problems this season it is nice seeing some of our young batters come alive. Let’s start with Mr. “I got this” Justin Ruggiano. Going 2 for 4 with a single in the first, his 7^th HR in the 6th, a run and an RBI, even with 2 strike outs he is proving he is going to be one of our power hitters. Next let’s look at Mr. Stanton’s stand in, Marcell Ozuna, who also went 2 for 4, with singles in the 1^st and 4^th inning. It is going to be interesting to see what the Marlins are going to do with him once Giancarlo comes back. Next, in only his 3^rd game as a Marlin, Derek Dietrich went 2 for 4 with a double in the 7^th and a single in the 9^th while also scoring a run in the same inning. He is trying to prove that it’s not too early for him to be called up. Finally, Adeiny Hechavarria went 1 for 4, but that one hit was his 9^th inning double scoring in two of his fellow Marlins. This one hit was also the only real clutch hit in the game (but we will get to that.)

The Bad:

We lost to the Dodgers 5-3. As if that wasn’t bad enough, this was our chance to win our first series on the road; but we continue to look for that first on the road series win.

The Ugly:

Today the Marlins went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position and left 6 people on base. This means that not only are we getting on base, but we are getting runners to second and third, however that’s where they are stranded. It seems to be the story of our season- we are getting on base in scoring position but cannot bring them home. Also Ugly was the bullpen. This season up to this series the Marlin’s bullpen has been on point, with the exception of a few players; and today’s game was no exception for those few players. Jon Rauch came into the 7^th giving up 2 hits, 2 runs, and 2 earned runs. This brings his season’s ERA to 7.36; might be time for the Marlins to make a move on him. Mike Dunn wasn’t terrible today, but he didn’t play today how he has played in the past. This game he went 1 inning and gave up 2 hits, 1 run and 1 earned run in the 7^th. Yes, the 7^th inning was ugly. Whoa, déjà vu.

While they might not have been able to see the Marlins win today, I wish all mothers out there a wonderful Mother’s Day. See you all in Miami this Tuesday when the Marlins open up the series against the Reds. As always, go Marlins!

Jeffery Loria’s lies and deception from last offseason still has lingering effect on the Marlins and the Blue Jays, as well as the respective fanbases. Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports

On Marlin Maniac, it is our goal to give you not only the latest updates on everything Miami Marlins related, but also top notch analysis and opinions on the Marlins roster and play. Although there are plenty of great Marlin blogs out there, we want to make MM your one-stop blog for all your Marlins information.

In order to do this, we have come up with a new idea that involves all the writers that will hopefully build up some debate in the comment section. We are going to do a bi-weekly roundtable discussion segment, where we discuss the top Marlins-related topics. We will look at between three and five questions each time and may try to find more ways to incorporate the viewers in this as we go on as well.

Here is a look at the burning questions surrounding the Marlins we discussed this past week:

Ehsan: No. I have said the trade was not a bad baseball one from the onset. The problem with the trade was the timing. Loria broke his promise to field a competitive team and instead went back to pocketing the revenue sharing. Loria may feel smart when he looks at how the Jays are playing, but no one else in South Florida, or baseball for that matter, are too happy with his decision.

Geoff: I don’t care if we traded Mendoza for Ruth, DiMaggio, and Rose.The fan base in Miami is fragile, and the optics of what he did this off season have done what may prove to be irreparable harm to the future of the franchise. Now, it may take ten years of teams in the thick of a pennant race to rebuild the fans loyalty to the point where game tickets are hard to come by.

James: No, but I am not sure the fact that our sloppy seconds haven’t helped Toronto much makes him feel like he made the right decision.

Justen: Maybe to some people. He’s not liked very well by a lot of Marlins fan. The way he handled everything with the franchise over the past year/year and a half has been atrocious. Doesn’t justify anything for me.

Will:  Still hate him. While I was never high on Buehrle, even JJ has lost it so it is nice to know this trade is evened out. Really excited about Jake Marisnick!

Placido: No, of course not. The real tragedy of the trade has nothing to do with the particular players that were traded away or received, but instead with the realization that the millions saved would not be reinvested into the roster.  If Loria had made the trade then turned around and signed Stanton to a long term deal and signed 1 or 2 of semi-significant free agents all would be fine because it would have been viewed as a baseball move made to improve the team’s results on the field (of course, what free agent would ever sign with Loria after the trade?).

Alex: No. The problem with the November trade wasn’t the baseball aspects. It was that Loria showed he really didn’t give a darn about building a likable franchise for the fans.

Andy: I don’t waste my enregy talking about Mr. Loria anymore

David: It’s not the trade that is so horrific, it’s the fact that the money was not reinvested in the team in the form of a Stanton extension or a free agent signing. It absolutely is not justified, regardless of how the players play, because it’s another example of Loria doing something for purely monetary reasons.

Daniel: The Marlins fire sale or “market adjustment” as baseball people too cowardly to admit what they did involved moving three very big name players to the Toronto Blue Jays in return for a series of top prospects. The “big three” were pitchers Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle and Shortstop Jose Reyes. The Marlins received in return Jake Marisnick, Adeiny Hechavarria, Brad Mathis and Justin Nicolino. The only player that came to Miami to have played this season in the majors is Hechavarria. Marisnick and the others are good prospects but are not close to joining the big club. Henderson Alvarez is the player who will most likely join the Marlins rotation once he returns from injury.

The question we were asked to answer is, “The blockbuster deal from November looks to be going the Marlins favor in the early going, does this justify Loria’s actions to you?” The simplest answer is no, but there is one issue that can’t be ignored which complicates the issue, dependability. Johnson, Reyes and Buehrle have historically been All-Star type players, often at MVP and Cy Young levels. But for the crafty lefty and the power right-hander father time has been following them for a long time. It might have caught up.

Feb 23, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; Miami Marlins left fielder Christian Yelich (76) makes a running catch on a bases loaded hit by St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Oscar Taveras (not pictured) at Roger Dean Stadium. The Marlins defeated the Cardinals 8-3. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

2. With the Marlins already calling up top prospects Jose Fernandez and Marcell Ozuna, how soon will it be before Christian Yelich gets the call to the majors?

Ehsan: Early-to-mid-June was my prediction in the preseason and I still feel good about that today. Yelich has started to hit really well with the Jacksonville Suns and with the continued struggles and injuries filling the Marlins roster, he is their best option to roll out there for the rest of the season.

Geoff: His trip to the DL has set his clock back to July, I’m afraid.  He still needs his AA at-bats to season him for the bigs.  I’d be happiest seeing him sometime after the midsummer classic.

James: I wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t see him on the big league club before the All-Star game.

Justen: Soon. I think it’s a good idea to let the top prospects learn the game more in the MLB and just leave it up to the coaching and the veterans on the squad.

Will: I think Yelich will be up definitely sometime this year, September at the latest. With Ozuna and Jose both looking the part, there is a lot of promise for the future in Miami.

Placido: Since Yelich is not on the 40 man roster, I would think it takes a significant injury to Pierre or Ruggiano to force the move.  My guess is that barring that they wait until August, but with this team it is a mistake to try to apply logic so he will probably be up by June.

Alex: Yelich may have to wait a bit before being called up. I have a feeling that when he does get called up, they want it to be permanent. Unless, of course, ANOTHER Marlins gets injured.

Andy: Well I’ve been wrong with Jose and Marcell so let’s try with Christian. I like Christian and I hope he comes up soon we need his bat power. With that the Fish either have to send down Chris Coghlan or wait for him or Juan Pierre to be put on the DL. I don’t want either to happen so I will go with when baseball opens to a 40 man roster he will be called up.

David: I’m not sure Yelich sees big league time until August, if then. First, Yelich just returned from an injury, so he has some catching up to do. Additionally, when Logan Morrison and Giancarlo Stanton come back, the Marlins won’t have many places to play Yelich. If Ozuna keeps hitting (which, granted, is a big if), he’d presumably go to left, with Ruggiano in center and Stanton and right. Ruggiano isn’t having the season he had last year, but remains a source of power for the Marlins. I’m not sure the Marlins would call up Yelich without regular playing time, and I’m not sure he’d get it on this roster. If there’s an injury or a trade, however, it’s entirely possible we see him sooner.

Daniel: Christian Yelich will get called up to majors if Juan Pierre makes it obvious that he can’t be productive as an everyday major league player. So far in 2013 Pierre has struck out more often and walked less often than his career average. Has a .237/.287/.272 triple slash line a .254 wOBA as well as  a wRC+ of 55.  The JP of 2013 will never be the JP of 2003 but those numbers are unacceptable. If he is to ever get hurt or another player to be replaced Yelich who has been swinging a hot bat in Jacksonville has a good chance to get called up. I’d say that the middle of June, when Giancarlo and LoMo are scheduled to come off the DL is the time when Yelich is most likely to be called up.

Ehsan: Jeffery Loria. He has continued to meddle in day-to-day affairs an owner has no business being in. Pretty sure the idea to promote prospect Marcell Ozuna before he was ready was Loria’s as well. His decision to start flip-flop Fernandez and Nolasco in a double-header has raised even more issues.

Geoff: Hitting.  Specifically, consistent advancement of baserunners via line-drive base and extra-base hits.  Our starting pitchers desperately need run support, and we’re leaving too many runners stranded, especially the runners in scoring position. Our guys need to be hitting gapper line drives behind the runners, and we’re just not doing it enough.

James: Injuries to the young guys. Fernandez had Tommy John surgery yet, seems like that should be a mandatory requirement for all pitchers.

Justen: Simple; injuries.

Will: Biggest concerns are the facts, we are not that good, and its tough to watch at times. Still, having Jose, Ozuna, and at times Hech, it is fun to watch the young guys play ball.

Placido: The injuries to young players.  Henderson Alvarez, Nate Eovaldi and Giancarlo Stanton are all players the Marlins need significant contributions from in the next few years if they are to become a contending team.  Seeing them injured already so early into their careers does not inspire confidence that they will be able to grow into the star quality players the Marlins need them to be in the next few seasons.

Alex: Fernandez and Ozuna. Don’t want them getting injured or discouraged in the majors when their best years are some time ahead of them.

Andy: Some fan favorites are not performing well, and the back lash from the fans when those players get released, sent down  or traded. This is going to be a big problem Pierre and Coghlan are not doing so well this season but fans love them so the fans will feel hurt again if anything happens to them and that is going to be a big problem for a fan base that already feels no love.

David: My biggest concern is the health of the ballclub. Already this season we had two starting pitchers injured out of nowhere with mysterious injuries that, thus far, are looking to keep each of them out at least 60 days. We’ve had Hechavarria on the 15-day DL. Solano is injured. Stanton and Mahoney were both injured, and then each were reinjured within days of coming back into action. Kotchman is hurt. Mathis has been hurt. The team is thin (evidenced by Kyle Skipworth being the only real 40-man option to recall when Austin Kearns went on the bereavement list) and we can’t afford many more injuries.

Daniel: The bench.

As you can tell, Marlins fans still have some very strong feelings against owner Jeffery Loria. He still has his work cutout for him to regain the trust from the fanbase, if that is even possible.