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Washington Nationals 9 Florida Marlins 1


Ricky Nolasco was reliable in the month of June when he went 3-2 with a 2.62 ERA. Since becoming a starter on May 17 for injured Sergio Mitre, Nolasco is 4-4 with a 3.96 ERA. Every time he has started he has gone at least six innings, with three exceptions. Two were in May and one was last night.
Every now and then a rookie pitcher will get rocked up. Last night's 9-1 loss to the Nationals was the worst start in Nolasco's brief career. He threw just four innings and allowed seven runs. Nolasco was a victim of Alfonso Soriano twice as the Dominican took him deep in the first inning and again in the fifth. Soriano was slumping prior to Monday's night game and credited not playing in Sunday's affair against Tampa as the reason for his 14th career multi-homerun game.
Homeruns have plagued the Marlins during this three game losing streak. Soriano's solo blast off the second pitch of the game compiled with his two run shot in the fifth plus Jose Guillen's three run homer off reliever Matt Herges blew the game wide open. Take away those three pitches and the eight run deficit would have been a 3-1 pitchers duel. Keep in mind that Nolasco's wild pitch in the second scored the never-aging Royce Clayton.
So I understand that perhaps last night's game looks embarrassing in the paper the next day, but we're going to make mistakes. Through a 162 game season, not every start will be roses.

Keep this in mind, the last poor start Nolasco had was a 7-3 Sunday loss to the Mets on May 28. His very next start: 8 IP, 0 ER, 7 SO, 1 BB.

News from the Farm:

  • Triple-A shortstop Robert Andino was named to the All-Star team. Andino, known for his glove, is batting .265 with eight homers and 26 RBI. Marlins fans remember Andino from his five games played in mid-May due to Hanley Ramirez's sore back. Andino hit .238 and started during the Marlins seven game losing streak.
  • The Hammerheads won a wild one last night. In a tied game in the 12th inning with two out and a runner on second Dante Brinkley (acquired in the Lo Duca trade) singled in Carlos Piste to win the game. It was an infield single and Piste was hit by the pitch.
  • The Mudcats blew a lead heading into the Ninth inning. Reliable closer Kevin Cave was out of character last night. According to The News and Observer in Zebulon, "Cave walked the first two hitters he faced, threw a wild pitch, gave up a hit and then threw another wild pitch before getting his first out. Cave (0-2) blew his third save attempt of the season." Carolina lost 5-3 to the Smokies

Posted by Brian Saal on Tuesday, July 04, 2006 at 8:06 AM |

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