Marlins Survive 9th Inning Scare, Protect JJ's Gem 6-5.

[MiamiHomer]

Discuss.

[Bingebag]

Does anyone feel all that confident with Nunez in the 9th?

I guess I can suffice to say my opinion: Nunez > Lindstrom in closing situations, but not by a ton.

[MiamiHomer]

Nunez will always be over Lindstrom in my eyes till Lindstrom can use more than a fastball ball. At least Nunez can work with that change up but needs to limit the long ball.

[Longview]

Im amazed that the Wes Helms run in the 8th was the winning run.

[Fish and Chips]

JJ pitched a hell of a game.

sucks that the box score doesnt really reflected the game though

[MiamiHomer]

MIAMI -- A no-hitter may not have been in the cards for Josh Johnson on Friday night, but the Marlins' ace showed why he should be a serious Cy Young Award contender.

In a crucial showdown in the Wild Card standings, Johnson was absolutely dominant. The All-Star right-hander threw 6 2/3 hitless innings and struck out a career-high 11 in the Marlins' 6-5 victory over the Rockies in front of 15,965 at Land Shark Stadium.

Johnson (12-2) lowered his ERA to 2.85, and the Marlins improved to 18-6 in his starts. With 161 1/3 innings pitched, the 25-year-old topped the 157 innings he threw as a rookie in 2006.

Florida also extended its team record of consecutive games with at least 10 hits to 11.

The win moves the Marlins to within two games of the Rockies in the Wild Card chase, while they are a half-game back of the Giants.

On his 98th pitch -- a full-count 97-mph fastball -- Johnson yielded his lone hit, a towering home run by Garrett Atkins to left field.

Dan Uggla belted a two-run homer, giving him 111 in his career (sixth in team history). Hanley Ramirez added two hits, extending his hitting streak to 10 games. But Chris Coghlan had his hit streak snapped at 12, going 0-for-4.

Marlins' Johnson shuts down Rockies (http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090814&content_id=6423768&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=fla)

[Sashimi]

I know people are going to say 'he only has one blown save,' but I really do not have much confidence in Nunez right at all. He just has not been effective. His K rate has absolutely fallen off the table in August and the WHIP and HRs are up. I don't know if his arm is tired or what.

Problem is Lindstrom doesn't look to be a great alternative either. But I think you have to think outside the box here and give someone else a shot.

[jonathan2323]

that would have been a fly ball any other day. the wind took that ball out.

[Marlinsfan4lyfe]

Can we try sanches when hopper comes back off the DL

[Chewford]

Jeremy Hermida's favorite sports team is the Florida Gators! ^_^

Tremendous effort by JJ tonight. Farthest I've seen a guy take a no-no at a game I went to and it was most certainly cool.

[The Hanram]

Fun game to be at. Where were you at Chewie??

[Chewford]

Fun game to be at. Where were you at Chewie??

Section 127, row 2. I paided full price for my ticket dis time! :o

[Namaste]

John Smoltz.


Closer.


Why not?

[MiamiHomer]

John Smoltz.


Closer.


Why not?

I wish but one of the articles on Smoltz pointed out that due to his health with his arm he wouldn't be able to work back to back night or even after 1-2 days rest. Not to mention he expressed that he would consider going to the bullpen if it were the right situation.

[Chewford]

John Smoltz.


Closer.


Why not?

Besides the one lead off triple off Donnelly, I don't think you can take much from tonight's 9th inning due to the fact it was pouring rain for a good deal of the inning.

[Namaste]

MH

Oh I didn't know about the needed rest. Oh well. I'd read that he was better the first time through a line up so I figured why not.

[MiamiHomer]

MH

Oh I didn't know about the needed rest. Oh well. I'd read that he was better the first time through a line up so I figured why not.

Over his past seven starts, his ERA over the first two innings was 0.64, and opponents hit just .196 against him.


There have been some indications that Smoltz would consider a return to the 'pen if it was the right team and the right situation. But even as a bullpen weapon, Smoltz would have his limitations.
"You'd be signing him to be a multi-inning guy who could maybe pitch two or three innings," said an official of one team with back-burner interest. "But the problem is, then he'd have to sit for two or three days. You couldn't use him back-to-back."


The 42-year-old right-hander could be open to either starting or pitching out of the bullpen. The Marlins have a need for both.

That's just some stuff I picked out of the articles posted in the other thread.

[The Hanram]

Section 127, row 2. I paided full price for my ticket dis time! :o

Nice I was in Section 443, row 2. I paid nothing for my ticket. :marchmellow

[Sashimi]

Besides the one lead off triple off Donnelly, I don't think you can take much from tonight's 9th inning due to the fact it was pouring rain for a good deal of the inning.

Does the rain disproportionately affect the pitchers, especially when it comes to giving up HRs? Moreover, this isn't just an aberrant performance by Nunez; it is another in a string of less than stellar performances by him lately. In his last 6 outings coming into tonight, he's averaged less than 5 K/9, more than 3 BB/9 and 1.6 HR/9.

[Omar]

That's just some stuff I picked out of the articles posted in the other thread.
I know this is extremely unlikely, BUT:

We (kind of) flirted with the idea of a closer by committee for a couple of weeks before Lindstrom went down. We have three guys in our pen as currently constituted (when healthy) that can go multiple innings and are very effective in Badenhop, Meyer, and Sanches. Smoltz is a proven closer. How's this for a scenario?

Closer 1: Smoltz
Closer 2: Meyer
Closer 3: Badenhop
Flex 1: Sanches
Fireman 1: Nuñez
Fireman 2: Pinto
Fireman 3: Lindstrom

Each closer is designated for a specific night and will pitch no less than two innings. You have Nuñez, Pinto, and Lindstrom as your fire-arms to go whenever you need to get out of an inning quick. Sanches can be the guy brought in to "save" a game in the 4-6th innings when it's still doable but we need innings eaten. Any of the 3 designated "closers" will simply go old school on a rotational basis - one night it's Smoltz, one night it's Meyer, one it's Badenhop, for multiple innings. Rotate based on rest. Any of the three firemen are available at a moment's notice in case the night's closer falters.

If we make the playoffs, Smoltz is the primary closer (since back to back games wouldn't be as big of an issue) with whoever is hottest going to second in command.

[Swifty]

Obligatory Fredi hate, but why the fuck do you send JJ out for the 8th with the no-no gone and him over 100 pitches? Let's just blow that fucking arm off.

[nny]

Obligatory Fredi hate, but why the fuck do you send JJ out for the 8th with the no-no gone and him over 100 pitches? Let's just blow that fucking arm off.

I thought same. I thought maybe he'd get one batter and to get another ovation but then he pitched to a second and I was like wha
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Nunez will always be over Lindstrom in my eyes till Lindstrom can use more than a fastball ball. At least Nunez can work with that change up but needs to limit the long ball.

he's a FB pitcher; he will always give up a lot of HRs. Meyer is too.

which is why I'd personally prefer the "real" lindstrom, since he is very good at limiting XBHs
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Tremendous effort by JJ tonight. Farthest I've seen a guy take a no-no at a game I went to and it was most certainly cool.

Me to. High five!! :five:
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Can we try sanches when hopper comes back off the DL

he's not very good

[Ramp]

I mean JJ only threw 8 pitches in the 8th inning to get to 114. Not the biggest deal ever. And it's not like he was struggling in the first 7 innings

[Party]

Only threw 8 pitches because he didn't finish the inning. His last two innings were far from free and easy. That could have been another 17 pitch inning bringing his total to 123.

123 pitches in a 6-1 game is fail on Fredi's part.

[BigGameFish]

Some dumb bitch in the stands yelled "CMON JJ KEEP THE NO-HITTER GOING" right before Atkins took him deep :fip

I felt like back-handing her

[Fish and Chips]

http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfx/location.php?xml=http://gd2.mlb.com/components/game/mlb/year_2009/month_08/day_14/gid_2009_08_14_colmlb_flomlb_1//pbp/pitchers/435178.xml&batterX=0&innings=yyyyyyyyy&s_type=1&sp_type=1&h_size=700&v_size=500

http://marlinmaniac.com/2009/08/15/blogservations-081409-josh-johnson-tames-the-rockies/

interesting read

[nny]

I've been meaning to ask him to join here but it seems like a pure-blogs guy