A day after being shut out in Arizona, the punchless Marlins managed only one run against a starter -- Jon Garland -- who had not won since May 19.
With two-thirds of all teams still in contention, the Marlins are finding out that they're not the only ones seeking to improve through trades. As president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest told reporters Saturday, ``There are so many teams in it that it's tough to make trades.''
The Arizona Diamondbacks have discovered the cure for the hangover. It's called Dan Haren. Less than 24 hours after the Marlins gave them a royal headache with a late-inning comeback victory, the Diamondbacks rolled out their staff ace on Friday to ease the pain. The All-Star pitcher did exactly that, silencing a Marlins offense that the night before had erupted for one of the biggest outbursts in franchise history, overcoming a 7-0 deficit to win 14-7.
Brett Carroll broke his bat in the process of belting his pinch-hit, go-ahead home run on Thursday. The bat ''died a hero,'' Carroll said.
The Marlins have high expectations for attendance at their new ballpark, and fan turnout will influence the team's payroll.
Brett Carroll's three-run pinch homer sparked a franchise-record 10-run eighth inning, and the Marlins stormed back from a 7-0 deficit to defeat the Diamondbacks on Thursday night.
A mere two Marlins postseason appearances in 16 franchise years (albeit both turned into World Series trophies) provides the math on how precious playoff contention is. There is no tougher ticket in all of sports than the Hunt for Rare October in baseball, so the Marlins plow into summer with an opportunity that must be handled with care.
Marlins right-hander Chris Volstad looked like the dominant pitcher from last season and tossed a complete game shutout, preventing the Giants from sweeping Florida.
Ricky Nolasco hated being sent to Triple A New Orleans, and now he is back in control after only a minor adjustment.
The prospect of helping to build the new Marlins ballpark drew thousands of job seekers to the stadium site in Little Havana.
The All-Star Game is up in the air for ailing Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez, who said he still wants to play in the game while also emphasizing that his main loyalty lies with the team.
Hanley Ramirez wasn't in the starting lineup Thursday night for the fifth consecutive game. But manager Fredi Gonzalez said the injured shortstop could be ready to go Friday.
Barry Zito. Jamie Moyer. As far as the Marlins are concerned, the two soft-throwing southpaws are one in the same -- same meaning the two hurlers always seem to put them in a hypnotic trance.
A few years ago, Brendan Donnelly gathered all of the baseball caps he had worn for various teams over the course of his pro career and hung them on pegs inside his home.
Hitters are continuing to pound Chris Volstad's sinker in the dirt for ground-ball outs. But quite a few more are putting the ball in the bleachers for home runs.
Despite a ninth inning rally, the Marlins could not overcome a Pablo Sandoval grand-slam.
Veteran experience is so scarce on the Marlins that it became the primary factor behind the recent signings of relievers Brendan Donnelly and Luis Ayala.
Western High grad Ryan Sadowski, who underwent emergency brain surgery in 2003, is finally in the majors and will face his boyhood favorite team, the Marlins.
Ricky Nolasco, 4-1 with a 1.54 ERA since being recalled from the minors June 7, struck out 12 in a dazzling performance.
Hanley Ramirez wasn't able to celebrate his All-Star selection as the National League's starting shortstop on the field Sunday afternoon.
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