IN MY OPINION
Marlins get an ace for playoff poker
Posted on Mon, Jul. 21, 2008
By DAVID J. NEAL
PATRICK FARRELL / MIAMI HERALD STAFF
Marlins pitcher Josh Johnson throws a pitch during the first inning against the Phillies on Sunday, July 20, 2008 at Dolphin Stadium.
Milwaukee made its big move to take the pot in this year's wild card hand by trading five players to Cleveland for an ace, last year's American League Cy Young winner CC Sabathia. The Marlins believe they have flipped their hole card that says ``Josh Johnson.
''Josh Johnson is a big trade for us,'' Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said Sunday. ``We [improved] from within. For us, that's a CC Sabathia kind of trade.''
Reading that, you probably had the same reaction Johnson did: ``I don't know about that. But it's nice to know they think of me that way, I guess.''
But, here's the thing: The normal performance curve off successful recovery from Tommy John surgery usually doesn't cross matching scoreless innings with a division leader's best pitcher. Especially since it was Johnson's second post-surgery major-league start.
BETTER DAYS AHEAD
When Johnson pitched beautifully in Sunday's 3-2 Marlins win in his longest appearance since the 2006 season, it was remindful of how good he was (12-7 with a 3.10 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 157 innings). Yet it didn't seem reasonable to see that Josh Johnson so soon again after last August's surgery.
''It's his second start,'' Gonzalez said. ``He's going to get better and better as the year goes on, the more starts he gets under his belt. He got us deep into the ball game, six and two-thirds innings. You can't ask for anything more on his second start after Tommy John surgery.''
Sunday's game was a pitchers' duel all the way. That's right ''pitchers.'' Both bullpens were stellar until the Marlins cracked the Phillies with a single, a walk and two more hits in the bottom of the 11th inning. But it all started with the starters in the 91-degree heat, Philadelphia's Cole Hamels throwing smoke and Johnson throwing steam.
Hamels didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning and allowed only three hits one batter into the eighth.
(While 72-year-old Jamie Moyer befuddles the Marlins for Philadelphia, going 10-0 lifetime against the Marlins, Hamels has to be befuddled by his results this season against South Florida's best pro sports team. He has held the Marlins to only 15 hits in 77 at-bats, a .195 batting average, but the Marlins have beaten Philly in each of Hamels' three starts partially because seven of the 15 hits have been home runs.)
Meanwhile, Johnson gave up a run in the first on three singles, one in the third on a walk and a double and faced only 13 batters in his other four complete innings. In one stretch of 18 batters, the ball left the infield only twice.
RAPID PACE
''It's always fun to get those duels,'' Johnson said. ``The game's moving a little bit quicker. Everybody's kind of into the game, the defense is a little bit better. They're not sitting back. It's fun, a lot of fun.''
Johnson was one out from going seven complete innings when Shane Victorino lofted a fly ball that landed in left field, about the length of the 6-7 Johnson's right arm on the fair side of the line. That double ended Johnson's day, almost two innings longer than his first start, against Los Angeles on July 10.
Johnson said Sunday as compared to the July 10 start, ``I wanted to get deeper into the game, and I did that today a little better. That pitch [to Victorino], I thought it was going foul and all of a sudden the wind brings it back. If I could've gotten through seven, it would've been nice, but I'll take it. I kept my team right there, which is what I want do.''
Gonzalez said, ``I'm not surprised. That's what he is. That's how valuable he is to our team and that's how good he is. I didn't get to see him very much in '06 when he was nails -- I think he had only three or four starts for us last year -- but this is what we expect of J.J.''
Logic and history says it should be unexpected. Then again, that has been the Marlins in 2008. So laugh if you want when they believe their starting rotation addition does for them what Sabathia does for the Brewers. Just don't expect the baseball world to laugh with you so quickly.
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