April 29, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins relief pitcher Mike Dunn (40) against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Marlins avoided a sweep at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks by picking up a 2-1 win on a nail biter of a final inning.  Regular closer Steve Cishek was brought in to seal the victory, but after allowing a couple of baserunners he was removed in favor of Mike Dunn.  Dunn was able to pick up the final out and preserve the rare victory.  The Marlins are last in the league in saves and Cishek has not been at his best all season. Could there be a change at the closer position coming soon with Mike Dunn taking over? Vote on the poll at the bottom of the article or leave us a comment.

Dunn pitching well in any situation for Marlins – Marlins.com

Left-hander Mike Dunn does not have a defined role in the Marlins’ bullpen this season. Other than closer Steve Cishek, nobody does.

Miami Marlins: Logan Morrison drops in before starting rehab assignment – Sun Sentinel

In uniform with the Marlins’ Sunday: sidelined first baseman Logan Morrison.  He was just visiting, but Morrison is inching closer toward wearing Marlins’ colors every day. Monday, he’ll begin a rehab assignment with Class-A Jupiter. He can stay on rehab as long as 20 days, but he can be activated from the disabled list as soon as May 30.

Former Marlins OF Cody Ross reflects on the surprising 2006 season – Palm Beach Post

The Marlins go into the tonight’s game 11-31 – the same record they had in 2006 after 42 games. In their 43rd game, the 2006 team started a four-game winning streak and went on to play competitive baseball into September. That team was 73-71 on Sept. 11 and 74-73 on Sept. 15 before finishing with a 78-84 record.

How Much Longer Can Miami Marlins Hold Christian Yelich Back? – Rant Sports

In a number of ways, the question of whether the Miami Marlins can continue to keep top prospect Christian Yelich down in the minors has a rather obvious answer.

Double trouble for Marlins’ offense – Marlins.com

Scoring runs hasn’t been the only problem at the plate for the Marlins. Staying out of double plays has been another.

Here at Marlin Maniac:

The Great, The Bad, and The Ricky Marlins Recap: Miami Marlins (11-32) vs Arizona Diamondbacks (25-18) 5/19/13

What a game! The best part was I got to see it live at Marlins Park. After driving 3 ½ hours from Orlando to catch the entire Arizona Diamondback series this was a nice way to end my trip. So, without further ado welcome to The Great, The Bad, and The Ricky. Here is the quick recap– The Great: we avoided a sweep by winning this game 2-1; The Bad: the Bottom of the 9^TH; and The Ricky: a great performance by Ricky Nolasco.

Down on the Farm Miami Marlins Daily Report: May 18th

After enjoying a ton of success in Double-A with the Suns, Flynn is still trying to find his groove in New Orleans. While Flynn has not been a flop in AAA, he has been nowhere near as dominating in AA ball. He owns a 3.99 ERA and a 3.81 FIP and has struck 30 in 29 2/3 innings, but he has also allowed 27 hits.

Arizona Diamondbacks @ Miami Marlins Game Preview: Sunday, May 19th 1:10 PM EST (Game 44)

The Miami Marlins cannot get the Arizona Diamondbacks out of Miami any faster. The Diamondbacks applied a major drubbing on the Marlins and Kevin Slowey on Friday and saw a first pitch of the game home run catapult them to a 1-0 victory in a pitchers duel.

Faith, Hope and the Plight of the Miami Marlins Fan

Sports fandom is a weird thing, it is like religious faith, really liking a band and a love affair all at once. Sports fans sacrifice so much of their time, sanity, emotion and even money in order to support a team. Marlins fans have been jerked around so much since the fire sale in 1997 that it has hard for us to still believe.

McCarthy Shuts Out Miami as Marlins Lose 1-0 on Leadoff Home Run

Marlins starter Tom Koehler put on a great show in his third career start on Saturday night, but the bats were too cold to pull out a win as the Miami Marlins lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks 1-0.

Tom Koehler Sparkling Performance Against Dbacks- A Pitch F/X Analysis

One of the reasons that I love baseball is the variety of outcomes and styles that it provides fans. Fans of pitching can see a start by a power pitcher like Jose Fernandez and breakdown how he did it.

Apr 23, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins ground crew use steam to clear snow from the seats before a game between Minnesota Twins and Miami Marlins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Source: FanGraphs

After dropping the first game of their double header with the Minnesota Twins, the Miami Marlins were able to bounce back in a huge way. The Marlins offense tied a season high scoring eight runs and picked up a season high 16 hits on the night.

Rob Brantly Leads Fish

After a quiet first game with the bats, the Marlins were able to heat up Target Field in the first inning. Placido Polanco started things off for the Marlins with a one out single. After a Giancarlo Stanton walk and a Greg Dobbs single to load the bases, the Marlins scored their first run on a fielders choice by Justin Ruggiano, who barely avoided being doubled up at first. Rugg beating out the double play set up Rob Brantly to pick up a key two-out double to score two runs, extending the Marlins early lead to 3-0.

The Marlins hot hitting picked up right where it left off in the second with back-to-back-to-back singles by Joe Mahoney, Donovan Solano, and Chris Coghlan. After Polanco struck out, a fielders choice hit by Stanton allowed the Marlins to extend the lead to 4-0.

Unfortunately, the Marlins scored only one run with the bases loaded and one out. Marlins fans were rightfully panicking that the Marlins might find a way to blow this lead.

However, after the Twins scored three runs off of Nolasco to pull back into the game, the Marlins offense was able to add on a few more insurance runs to keep the lead for good.

Giancarlo Stanton looked like the 2012 version that mashed 37 homers last season when he opened the fifth inning with a lead off double. After Dobbs grounded out and Ruggiano struck out, it looked like the Marlins would fail with once again with runners in scoring position.

Brantly wanted no part of that, as he hit his second double of the game, to score Stanton from third to extend the Marlins lead to 5-3. After the Twins cut the lead to 5-4 off of A.J. Ramos, Brantly came through with a key run scoring single to score Dobbs. The next hitter, Chris Valaika drove in Ruggiano to extend the Marlins lead to 7-4.

The Marlins extended the lead to 8-4 in the top of the eight inning when Stanton picked up his second hit of the day and his second RBI of the game, scoring Solano. Stanton now has three RBI’s on the season, all coming in the previous three games. Hopefully this is a sign of Stanton turning things around, as the Marlins will need his bat to turn things around and give fans a somewhat respectable season.

Ricky Nolasco Delivers Strong Outing

With an early 3-0 lead, Nolasco was able to give the Marlins a strong outing, as he picked up his first win of the season. Nolasco allowed six hits over his five innings of work, striking out four hitters and walking just one. Only two of the three runs Nolasco allowed were earned runs.

After he went 1-2-3 in his first two innings, Nolasco allowed three Twins runs in the third inning. He allowed three of his six hits in the third, along with his lone walk. Nolasco pitched around a one out triple by Eduardo Escobar to avoid any further damage in the game.

Overall, Marlins fans should be encouraged by Nolasco’s outing. It does not seem the postponed start Monday nor the last minute switch with Jose Fernandez affected Nolasco in his start.

A.J. Ramos relieved Nolasco in the sixth, but struggled in this one. Ramos allowed one run on on hit and two walks. Ramos has been dominant at times this season and looked like a rookie reliever at other times.

Mike Dunn pitched two solid innings for the Marlins in relief of Ramos. Dunn struck out three hitters in his two innings, but also allowed two hits and a run. Dunn has been outstanding for the Marlins early on.

Due to the run that Dunn allowed in the eight inning, Steve Cishek fell in line for a save opportunity. Cishek did not disappoint, as he pitched around a walk to retire the Twins and finish off his second save of the season. Although his early season ERA sits at 5.00, his sparkling FIP of 2.13 and his impressive 10/3 K/BB ratio should have Marlins fans encouraged about Cishek’s chances to have a strong season.

Upcoming: The Marlins will try to extend their winning streak to a season-high two on Thursday, as they kick off a four-game series against the Chicago Cubs. The pitching matchup in the first game will be Edwin Jackson against Kevin Slowey. First pitch will be at 7:10 PM EST. Stay tuned to Marlin Maniac for an extensive series preview.

Apr 8, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton (27) makes a catch in the fourth inning against the Atlanta Braves during on opening night at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Marlins fans were expecting big seasons from these two, mainly because there are not many other Marlins players to get excited about. That is why the fans are glorifying the early season struggles for these two. It is way too early to deem that there is anything wrong with either of these players, as the season is just a week old.

Giancarlo Stanton has always gotten off to slow starts in the month of April. Here is a look at his numbers from his first three April’s:

Stanton’s numbers so far this season are far from pretty, but the truth is he is being pitched to in a different manner than he has in the past. The season is just 7 games in and Stanton has plenty of time to adjust. In fact, throughout his career, Stanton has done a fine job of adjusting after a slow start.

Here is a look at Stanton’s career numbers in May:

So while his numbers have not been great so far this season, Stanton’s past numbers have warranted him time to make his necessary adjustments and get back to where he left off last season. I am not worried about Stanton, and from his quote, he knows he needs to get better and is working on it:

“It’s a marathon not a race,” Stanton said. “We’ve only had six games, 20, 25 at-bats. People want to say this is how the season is going to go. No, you’ve got to go through the whole year.”

If you look across baseball, Stanton is not the only superstar struggling in the early season. Robinson Cano, Jason Heyward, and Matt Kemp have not gotten off to the best starts, among a bunch of other players. Like Stanton said, it’s marathon, not a race.

Steve Cishek apologized to Jose Fernandez after he blew his shot at his first career win, in start number one. He has had two rough outings, but Marlins fans have already grown impatient with him. This is a question that Juan Rodriguez was posed on Twitter last night:

No RT @workthewire Any sense that Cishek is on the way out as closer?Who’s next?Ramos?Rauch?

— Juan C. Rodriguez (@JCRMarlinsbeat) April 9, 2013

I remind you, when I posted my article in early March that the Marlins should explore the trade market for Steve Cishek, I was met with a lot of angst on Twitter and Facebook. Cishek’s side-arm delivery has made him a fan favorite and people were upset to hear the notion that the Marlins could trade another popular player.

Now, with just two games under his belt, I have seen Marlins fans clamoring for Cishek to removed from the closer role. Hashtags were already created for Cishek’s struggles, including my favorite, #Cishekwrecked.

Cishek admitted after the outing that he did not have a feel for his slider, which caused him to be erratic. It was a cold day on Sunday in New York, so that is understandable. Cishek should improve and two bad outings should not be the indicator of whether he can handle the role or not.

If you are concerned about Stanton or Cishek’s issues at this moment, you are overreacting. Both should be fine and will turn things around. The baseball season is just two days into it’s second week and we have a lot more season left.

Flash forward four years and Skipworth has failed to live up to his expectations, but he still has a decent shot to make the Marlins roster, because of the injury to Mathis:

“Obviously, the circumstances that came about were not the ones that you want, as a teammate and now a friend of Jeff’s,” he said, bringing up the veteran Mathis’ collarbone injury. “You never want to see anyone get hurt.

“With that being said, often times, when guys get hurt is when people are able to have an opportunity.”

Mar 23, 2013; Jupiter, FL, USA; Miami Marlins catcher Kyle Skipworth (53) in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals during a spring training game at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Skipworth has not done too much damage with his bat, something he was well touted for out of high school. He has hit a measly .167 this spring and has not shown any of the power he has been known for. Rather, his five walks in 31-plate appearances and strong defense has impressed the Marlins enough to give him a shot in the majors.

There is still a shot the Marlins sign another catcher and let Skipworth play regularly at Triple-A, but listening to Redmond, that does not seem to be in the cards:

“That’s the situation we’re in,” Redmond said. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for him. He’s a strong physical catcher. He’s got a good arm. And from what I’ve seen, he’s got some pop in his bat, too.”

Here is a look back at the articles that were posted on Marlin Maniac last week:

Game Recaps:

The Marlins played six games this week, going 2-4 this week. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, we missed the recap for Friday’s game and Andy should have his recap up later today. Here are the rest of the recaps:

Monday (3/18/13): Miami Marlins Defeat Minnesota Twins In Rain-Shortened Game

Tuesday (3/19/13): Miami Marlins Fall to St. Louis Cardinals Behind Struggling Jacob Turner, 5-4

Wednesday (3/20/13): Game Recap: Big Innings Sink LeBlanc As Washington Nationals Top Miami Marlins, 7-5

Saturday (3/23/13): Game Recap: Chris Coghlan, Miami Marlins Walk Off Against St. Louis Cardinals, 6-5

Now we will take a look back at the main articles posted on MM last week:

Ehsan Kassim:

• Here is the recap from last week: MM Weekly Recap: Miami Marlins Roster Taking Shape
• I questioned, with his soaring popularity, should the Miami Marlins look to deal their closer Steve Cishek?
• I continued my top 20 Marlin Maniac prospect list: Jose Urena was the #9 prospect, with Rob Brantly coming in at #8, and finally Adeiny Hechavarria at #7.
• Find out how the Miami Marlins have placed themselves in a no-win situation with their fans. Seems like the team is more interested in suing their fans then them attending the games.
• With no clear front-runner for the center field job, it looks like the Marlins want to use a three-man committee to man center. Also check out in this article some of the best links from around the Marlins blogosphere.
• Jeff Mathis and Logan Morrison are progressing from their injuries and both of them have set timelines for when they would like to return for action.
• I took a stab at predicting the Marlins 25-man roster for Opening Day. With some poor play and possibly some injuries, it seems like I might be slightly off.
• Speaking of struggles, Jacob Turner‘s struggles this spring could mean he starts the season in Triple-A New Orleans
• Not due to poor performance, but rather lack of experience, star prospect Christian Yelich was reassigned to minor league camp. Trust me when I say he will be back soon.
• Lastly, I took around a look around the NL East and brought you the best articles on the web for our fellow NL East teams.

Placido Estevez:

• In his Marlins Way segment, Placido wonders if it is Opening Day already?
• If Giancarlo Stanton feels lonely this season, he could always ask Miguel Cabrera for some advise. If you remember, Cabrera was in the same situation as Stanton after the 2006 season.

 Alex Agueros:

• In his Marlins Way segment, Alex talks about the infamous Chone Figgins being cut and other news on Marlins demotees.

 Geoff Parkins

• Geoff and I had a disagreement with the course of the Marlins and he posted this: The Miami Marlins: The Nuclear Option Vs. Keeping Placeholders.
• Chone Figgins and a few other players faced getting cut last week. Geoff examines what comes next.

David Polakoff:

• David made his posting debut this past week and made the rational argument that despite his struggles, Turner is just 21-years old and should not been seen as a major detriment to his future success.

Justen Rosenberg:

• In some non-Marlins related news, Justen made predictions on teams that could shock the world in 2013.

Fansided:

• March Madness 2013: Win A $100 RetailMeNot Visa Gift Card From Marlin Maniac

Mar 9, 2013; Melbourne, FL, USA; Miami Marlins second baseman Chone Figgins (1) against the Washington Nationals during a spring training game at Space Coast Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Marlins announced today that they have released veteran utility man Chone Figgins.  A long-time pal of Juan Pierre, Figgins is an 11-year MLB guy whose performance inexplicably fell off of a table in Seattle.  Going 8 for 26 with 6 RBI in 11 games wasn’t enough to earn a roster spot.  Cutting Figgins brought the roster to 42, with a little over two weeks of spring training left.  It’s probably reasonable to expect the last two cuts to be the toughest decisions to make. While he brought the same  stabilizing/mentoring experience to the clubhouse as Pierre, he simply didn’t have the defense or the wheels necessary to offset the age and mileage.

It’s tough to speculate who else will be trimmed off of the 40-man roster in the next two weeks.  A quick poll of the Maniac staff ( I had to actually get up from the massage table here at Marlin Maniac HQ and head down to the executive Writer’s Bar to get my answers…the lengths we go to for a story!)  shows Austin Kearns (.071 and 10 strikeouts) and Chris Valaika (.200 and 5 SO) as being the most likely headed to the unemployment office.

On the lighter side of the game, the warm weather here in Jupiter, plus the 5-mile proximity to the Gulf Stream, has prompted Steve Cishek and Nick Green to take up a little extracurricular activity.  Based on Cishek’s Twitter feed, it looks like a few of the boys have been blowing off steam with rod and reel instead of club and ball.

Here are a couple of pics from the promising closer (reportedly working on a changeup as a treat for the lefties he’ll face this season).  Gotta admire Chris Hatcher’s rod holder ingenuity: