April In The Rearview: Miami Marlins Month Review
The Miami Marlins have ended their first month of baseball and it is not in a way that Marlins would have liked it to be. They have gotten off to an extremely slow start ever since losing in their first home game to the St. Louis Cardinals in front of a world wide audience.
Let’s take a look back and review the team’s April:
Overall Record: 8-14
Standing: 5th, NL East
Offense
The team is not clicking on all cylinders like how everyone expected them to be. Omar Infante is the team’s leader in home runs while Hanley Ramirez leads the team in RBI. Giancarlo Stanton hit his first home run of the season just the other day against the Arizona Diamondbacks and has an OPS of .576.
Someone in the top of the order has to take control. Jose Reyes an on-base percentage of .293 and has managed to steal only four bases in seven attempts. He is the key guy for the Marlins if they want to manufacture runs to win games. Once Reyes starts going, the rest of the order will definitely follow for sure.
Pitching
Marlins starters are 4-9 this season so far. Two of their top pitchers in Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle are combined 1-7 in 10 starts for the team. They have let up 29 earned runs in that span. That does not bode well for the rotation. Ricky Nolasco has been the only bright spot on the team with a 2-0 record. Anibal Sanchez has also been pulling his weight after a 14 strikeout performance against the Diamondbacks this past weekend.
As for the bullpen, Heath Bell has been atrocious. Bell was supposed to be the man to hold down the fort in the bullpen but now that fort has collapsed. Bell is 0-3 on the season, three of the losses on blown saves. He does have two saves to his credit though. Bell is tied for third on the team in walks, only starters are in front him.
The only bright spot in the ‘pen is Steve Cishek. In 11 games, he has recorded a 0.96 ERA and has two wins to his effort as well.
By The Numbers
1: The amount of home runs Giancarlo Stanton has currently.
1: The amount of wins Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle have currently.
2: The amount of road wins the Marlins have tallied this season.
2: The amount of saves Heath Bell has recorded.
3: The amount of wins the Marlins have in one-run games.
3: The amount of saves Bell has blown.
8: The amount of wins the Marlins have.
42: The the place Hanley Ramirez is tied-in for the RBI lead. Ramirez has 13 RBI.
Outlook
The Marlins are heading into their second month of the season and things are not going that bad yet. It could always get away from them which is the last thing the team wants right now. I think the team will bounce back from a butterfly-filled April and get back to business shortly.
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