Is It Finally Miller Time?

A bit surprising that Greg Maddux still hasn't gotten to win #350. Even more surprising - that Andrew Miller is the pitcher who beat him. Wouldn't you think it'd be Scott Olsen, maybe Mark Hendrickson??

Nevertheless, Andrew Miller redeemed his 2008 big league campaign (again) after his solid outing on Sunday against the major league-worst San Diego Padres. It was certain to me before the game that if Miller pitched anything short of the way he did, he would have found himself on a plane to AAA Albuquerque immediately following. In turn, Burke Badenhop would likely have become the fourth starter and Chris Volstad would then have taken up the role of fifth starter.

Fortunately for Miller, it would appear he has pitched his way to a couple more starts. Hopefully this is fortunate news for the Marlins as well, and will not turn into another string of terrible Andrew Miller games.

But with regard to the actual outing, I think his potential may be starting to show. The one real difference between yesterday's game and all the other Miller starts was his control. Normally, he would get behind every opposing hitter and would always have to climb back into the count, often resulting in walks. This time, however, he was rarely in that situation and the few times where he was, he fired back and made the right pitches to force the out.

So yes, JSponge, unlike that one time, and the time before that, it may actually be Miller time.

Marlins deny #350

Greg Maddux was denied a 4th time while trying to record his 350th win. The Marlins ran Maddux and the Padres out of South Florida with a 10-3 win. A quality start by Andrew Miller (4 hits, 2 runs, 4 strikeouts and 2 walks in 6 innings) combined with an offensive outburst by the fish (10 runs on 16 hits, including a Dan Uggla home run) leaves Greg Maddux still stuck on 349 career wins.

Overall, a good series win for the Marlins over the Padres after a rough patch prior to this weekend's games. The Marlins now sit just a half game behind the Phillies for the division lead.

Shuffling the Cards

A team loses a player, say Josh Willingham, so what can a manager do, especially after being swept in a 3-game series? You need to do something, so you just shuffle the cards a little, and re-deal a new hand. At least that is the way some managers think, and when it works, you get the credit! Sounds simple, but it also helps when you play an inferior team with your "almost ace" on the mound.

In the case of the Marlins, winning 6-4 over the Padres last night at home, the strategy worked, or did it? Hermida went 3 for 4 in the two-spot, Uggla hit 2 homeruns in the 6 spot, and Hanley extended his streak of reaching base at home to 47 games in the 3 spot. Sounds great, but is it the shuffle or the schedule that makes the difference?

When a strategy seems to work, you stick with it, so I would expect to see a similar line-up tonight once again. The problem is that with Jake Peavy on the mound at 3-1 with a 2.09 ERA, it might take a little more than a simple shuffle to win. It might just take a great outing by Nolasco, a little more clutch hitting, and a little better pitching by the closer who again managed to get into some trouble in the ninth with a 3-run lead.

And then there is the problem of tomorrow afternoon's game, when Andrew Miller and his 9.12 ERA face Greg Maddux going for his 350th career win. Perhaps a little shuffle in the starting pitching rotation might be a good idea. At least that way, the manager can take some credit there too if the Marlins just happen to win. But there's the rub. No matter how you shuffle the cards in your deck, you still have the same number of aces in your hand when you pick them up.

Padres Series a New Opportunity

The three-game home sweep at the hands of the Dodgers was miserable to watch, riddled with 2007-like mistakes, and destructive to the Marlins' position in the standings. At 15-13, the Fish have fallen 1/2 a game behind the Phillies and even with the Mets (though the Mets have a slight percentage points advantage).

Fortunately, the Marlins have some reasons to be optimistic. Willingham and Jacobs should be returning to the lineup any day now, and tonight's pitching matchup of Hendrickson vs. Germano looks favorable. Peavy and Maddux will be tough acts on Saturday and Sunday, but the Marlins have shown an ability to hit good pitchers this year. (Of course, Andrew Miller is slated to pitch Sunday...ugh)

Regardless, the Marlins need to take 2 of 3 in the next two series to salvage this homestand. It starts tonight.