Marlins @ Rays, 1:05 Pm

[FishFF]

how you liking the extra battery life so far mba?

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

Love it! In fact, I just had to kick on the extra battery life.

[Party]

Fans hate cardiac pitchers.

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

Per Juan Rodriguez's Twitter.

JCRMarlinsbeat: Sean West in 'B' game at Sarasota: 1.2 innings, 7 walks. 60 pitches, 24 strikes. #Marlins

--------------------
Boner walked again. Hanley up with 1 on and 1 out.

[Party]

Tuckers thing might be contagious

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

Hanley GIDP. Going into the bottom of the 3rd.
--------------------
1-2-3 3rd for Ricky.

[lou]

Does it really matter if West if struggling though? We can just shove him in AAA and let Miller/RVH fight for that 5th spot. And as we'll see below, it's not like these guys are pitching a lot. If they throw 15 innings combined in April, we'd all take it.

April 5th - JJ
7th - Nolasco
8th - Anibal
9th - Volstad

10th - JJ, 5 days
11th - "5th starter", home game versus LAD
12th - Nolasco, 5 days
13th - Anibal, 5 days
14th - Volstad, 5 days

15th - JJ, 5 days
16th - Nolasco, 5 days
17th - Anibal, 5 days
18th - Volstad 5 days
19th - "5th starter," away game versus Phi

20th - JJ, 5 days
21st - Nolasco, 5 days
22nd - Anibal, 5 days
23rd - Volstad, 5 days
24th - "5th starter," away game versus Col

25th - JJ, 5 days
26th - Nolasco, 5 days
27th - Anibal, 5 days
28th - Volstad, 5 days

30th - JJ, 5 days
May 1st - Nolasco, 5 days
2nd - Anibal, 5 days
4th - Volstad - 6 days

5th - JJ, 5 days, and then the rotation settles into normal scheduling, and the 5th starter starts in May are more than likely @ Wash, NYM, @ St. L, and PHI unless they start giving JJ/Nolasco an extra day off here and there. But regardless that's when the normal schedule starts.

What's cool is, we can carry a
1. RP 5th-10th, send him down, call up
2. "Miller" for the 11th, send him down after the game have another
3. RP 12th-18th, then call up
4. "West" for the 19th, (I'm assuming the organization doesn't care using more than 1 guy for these starts/8th bullpen slot per 10 day send down/call up rules), send him back down April 24th after both starts in this span, then call up
5. RP April 25th-May 8th, then on
6. May 9th, make a pick of which of the three SP gets first crack at the 5 based on spring training and 5 weeks of season evaluation.

A little hectic, and sure assuming no injuries and Volstad/Anibal having longer organizational leashes (which I think they'll have), but it makes sense. It keeps the SP stretched out no matter where they are pitching, and it let's you try all those vagabond RP we have to see if anyone wants to contribute to the team this year. Plus, the team saves money (albeit not a lot in baseball terms, but probably between $100-200k) if they keep Miller down for 4-6 weeks because it's doubtful there is any performance difference between him/West/RVH immediately out of the gate. ::patiently awaits someone saying it should be a baseball decision and not finances:: but hey, the response is "it ain't 2012 yet." That's $100-200k more dollars they can resign Helms with next year.

I think we're in good shape here even if they struggle in spring training. We're not asking for a lot as an organization with 7 starts through the month of May. Even if 5 of those are against playoff teams.

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

Miller's up in the pen but Ricky should go 4 innings (unless he's near his pitch count).
--------------------
Ricky still on the hill.
--------------------
Upton solo homer to right-center. Tied at 1 in the 4th.
--------------------
Awesome diving catch by CC out in deep left center! Still tied at 1 going into the 5th.
--------------------
BC!!!! Solo homer to right. Fish back on top 2-1!
--------------------
It's Miller time.

[lou]

BC went opp field? Righty or Lefty pitching?

[wanks1212]

bc homered off garza

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

1 H, 1 BB, 1 K for Miller in a scoreless inning. Fish still up 2-1 entering the 6th.
--------------------
Hanley loses the grip on his bat that goes flying into the stands and then singles to right with the new bat. Boner on 3rd. No outs. Barren pinch running for Hanley.
--------------------
Cantu GIDP but Boner scores from 3rd. Fish up 3-1.

[Party]

Spanish radio guys talking about how the wind is really picking up balls to rightfield. Felo says BCs homer should have been an out.

[lou]

bc homered off garza

Thanks. MLB box score is slow.

Good to see him hit something off a quality right hander.
--------------------

Spanish radio guys talking about how the wind is really picking up balls to rightfield. Felo says BCs homer should have been an out.

Retract prior.

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

Okay, Swift, you mentioned results. Check this out:

Left-hander Sean West has plenty of ground to make up if he hopes to start the season in the Marlins’ rotation. His first inning in Saturday’s ‘B’ game against*the Orioles in Sarasota was so bad the*Marlins called it after just five batters,*four of which West walked.

In all, West faced 13 batters and walked seven of them. He also gave up a single and struck out three. In his only official Grapefruit League outing, West walked three of the eight hitters he faced in allowing a run on one hit through two innings.

/That's from Juan Rodriguez's blog.
--------------------
A walk and another Upton homer, this one off Miller, ties the game at 3.

[Party]

Another wind assisted homer to right.

Turnbow and C Martinez expected to throw today.