Weekend games with a Star Wars theme and a game that falls on Mother’s Day the only thing that can ruin the festivities; two Miami Marlins losses at Marlins Park.
Starting off the force was not with Marlins. Two home runs by Freedie Freeman and one from new addition but the veteran to the program Jose Bautista help the Atlanta Braves beat the Miami Marlins 10-5 on Saturday.
Bautista still shaking the nerves, making his first error of the year when he bobbled Brian Anderson’s two-out grounder in the fifth. One run scored on the play, and Derek Dietrich followed with a three-run double to put Miami ahead 5-4. The game on the diamond was far from over.
Atlanta broke a 5-all tie in the eighth when Marlins relievers issued three consecutive walks — each on a 3-2 pitch, and the last two with the bases loaded.
This season the Miami Marlins may not be hot, and with their budget, they will not be Dolce down to the tube socks, but they are better than I thought up to this point of the season.
Sunday was Mother’s day; my advice purchase flowers and a card. A baseball game with mom is icing on the cake. Preferably a carrot cake.
Marlins closed out their series hosting the Braves, every player from both teams wore some portion of pink honoring moms.
On Mother’s Day, the Marlins were introduced to Sean Newcomb.
Newcomb allowed no runs for the third start in a row and gave up only one hit in six innings to help the Braves beat Miami 4-3.
Cheers to the Atlanta moms, keep batting Miami mothers.
Miami’s Jose Urena allowed three runs in six innings, raising his ERA to 4.38. Miami’s opening day starter remained winless at 0-6 in nine outings after going 14-7 last year.
I predicted Urena is their ace because he learned you couldn’t get by with his fastball and seemed to be starting to understand what it takes to fill the strike zone. Unfortunately, it has been up and down without wins.
“He’s throwing the ball good enough to be better than 0-6, that’s for sure,” manager Don Mattingly said.
The Marlins lifeline was still alive. Trailing 4-0 to start the ninth, their first two batters singled. Atlanta closer Arodys Vizcaino came on and gave up a three-run pinch-hit homer to Justin Bour with one out, then retired the next two batters for his seventh save in eight chances.
Bour’s pinch-homer was his third this season and the fifth of his career, a franchise record.
The rap on Bour to start the season was he’s a one dimensional home run guy, but he has quieted the critics.
The last-place Marlins won only one game all week and called a players-only meeting after their latest defeat.
“We have to pay attention to the little details,” infielder Miguel Rojas said. “I feel like we have to forget about the big picture and start thinking about the little things.”
Marlins fall to 12 games under .500
Marlins after a day off day, have the Los Angeles Dodgers take their talent to Miami. LHP Wei-Yin Chen (1-2, 10.22) is scheduled to start Tuesday when Miami opens a three-game series at home against the Dodgers, who are expected to start LHP Alex Wood (0-3, 3.60). Chen has allowed five homers in seven innings over his past two starts.
Photo/MiamiMarlins/twitter
Photo/MiamiMarlins/twitter
