Fish n’ grits: Miami Marlins morning news

It was an off day for the Miami Marlins on Thursday. Well rested, and coming off a short-series and short road-trip, they’ll look to sweep the Braves.

The Miami Marlins needed to sweep the Athletics in two games, and they did it. They’ll need to sweep the Braves in three games next. The Fish are playing well, even in games that they find themselves on the losing end, they’re competing. That’s a recipe for success.

Yes, the vibes are on the upswing in the Miami Marlins clubhouse right now. Even a rocky plane ride couldn’t rattle the way the Fish are feeling. Speaking of which, can you guess who was on that  plane ride?

The Marlins lock up another high school draft pick, and a look at quick peek at the first game against the Braves. The morning sun is shining on you. It’s Fish n’ grits!

Shake, rattle, and rolling into Atlanta

The plane ride from Miami to Atlanta is a short one; about 90 minutes on average. But that doesn’t mean it’s too short to scare Miami Marlins reporter Jessica Blaylock to bits.

Apparently the flight into Atlanta wasn’t exactly smooth sailing.

It seems like the entire cabin was in good spirits though. What this says beyond weather patterns is that the team is loose right now. They’re feeling good, having fun. If they’re treating plane turbulence like a roller coaster, they’re not feeling any pressure.

The team would be in bad shape if the cast and crew of the Miami Marlins were treating their transit like a funeral. The Fish are currently six games below the even mark, but it appears they believe they’re poised to fight back.

Speaking of plane rides…

Guess who was on the one to Atlanta: Justin Bour.

The slugging left-hander completed a successful rehab start and is ready to rejoin the team. He’ll officially be in the lineup on Friday. That’s welcome news considering how Justin Bour was swinging the bat. But what does that mean for Tyler Moore?

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Moore hasn’t skipped a beat while Bour was on the disabled list. Slugging home runs and playing solid defensively, Moore has slid into the starting spot without a hitch. Moore will return to the bench, but will the Marlins try to find a way to utilize him more going forward?

Let’s hope Justin Bour returns to the lineup playing as well as he was before he went down. He was on an absolute tear.

The Marlins first baseman had hit safely in his previous seven starts. In that span of time he was slashing an eye-popping .407/.467/.815. He belted three home runs and driven in seven RBI’s in that same span of time.

If that’s the same player that gets off the plane in Atlanta and suits up for the Marlins this weekend, the Fish are in business.

Another high school prospect decides to sign

The Marlins were conservative in their approach to the draft this year. They took only four high school players over 40 rounds of selections. This ensured a wave of players would be entering farm system, while minimizing the risk of wasting a pick.

Their top selection was one of them, taken 13th overall, the Marlins selected high school lefty Trevor Rogers. He will sign with the team and forgo college.

It appears the Marlins can also count on 11th round selection Dakota Bennett reporting for duty. Speaking with local reporters at the Decatur Daily, he’d already made up his mind that he would be joining the organization before they drafted him.

"“I had been in contact with the Marlins, so I sort of knew this was going to happen,” Bennett said. “My mind was already made up. If they drafted me, I was going to take the contract. This is something I’ve always wanted. It’s an amazing opportunity.”"

Able to sign Bennett, that leaves only Jan Mercado from the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy, and Matt Givin from Rock Canyon High School.

There is no inclination as to whether Mercado will sign or not. However, given the nature of the school he attended, he has geared his career towards playing Major League Baseball, not attending college. He is a singable prospect having been selected in the 13th round.

Givin appears to be headed to Vanderbilt to play college ball. It’s probably the smart move for the talented left-hander. Selected in the 20th round, he could see himself taken on the first day with three solid years pitching in college.

If the Marlins only lose one prospect out of 40, that’s be a huge win for the front office.

Marlins vs. Braves, game one

The Marlins send Dan Straily to the mound to try and stifle the Atlanta Braves batting order. He enters the matchup coming off his second shortest outing of the season. The righty was chased in four innings in Pittsburgh, but didn’t factor into the decision.

Sean Newcomb takes the mound for the Atlanta Braves, making the second start of his young career. In his first outing, he was stellar. He threw 6.1 innings and allowed on unearned run. The baseball gods were hard on him that day, and he took the loss.

If the Marlins lineup can hit the way it did against the Athletics, they’re in great shape. Hopefully we’ll be talking about a series sweep and a five game winning streak as they return to Miami.

Next: The Miami Marlins trek back to even

The Miami Marlins finished off the Athletics, and are looking ahead to the Braves series. Determined for a series sweep, nothing will shake them, not even turbulence during their plane ride. Good news from the Marlins 2017 draft class, and a favorable matchup on Friday night makes this a happy morning for Marlins fans.