Marlins Hope to Rally, Make Playoffs
As the season progresses, it is becoming increasingly apparent that if the Florida Marlins hope to stay in contention to make the playoffs, the team will need to up their play defensively.
Someone in the Marlins bullpen is going to have to emerge as a defensive star and lead by example with this play.
Marlins’ Manager Edwin Rodriguez knows it and is patiently waiting for that player to come forward and provide a spark for the other players.
"We talk about it," Rodriguez said. "We don't feel like we need to come out early all the time and work on it. In Spring Training, they work on it. I think we have to be more aggressive defensively."
Not on track for their goal
Rodriguez said his goal this season is to reach 90 wins -- a threshold that would almost certainly put his team in the Wild Card hunt and possibly in contention for a division championship if all goes well.
Florida is almost squarely in the middle of the National League in terms of team offence and pitching. With a 3.95 ERA, they have pitched much better than many pundits expected and they have hit well enough to stay competitive.
However, at 45-47 this season, the Marlins are off pace to make it into the post0season and will have to put together a series of wins for Rodriguez’s ambitious goals to transpire.
It doesn’t really matter how you fix your team’s problems, the important thing is that they get fixed effectively and rapidly.
Currently last in the National League in fielding percentage (.978) and second-to-last with 74 errors already this season, Florida’s defence has not supported its pitching staff as well as Rodriguez would like.
"I think defence at this level is more mental than physical," Rodriguez said. "As a coach, you have to remind them. You have to make them concentrate a little more. I don't think that in the middle of the season you are going to get better mechanically."
All four starting infielders are among the top-three at their position in errors committed in the NL. This is not a statistic that you want your name associated with.
Rockies also want a turnaround
The Rockies have also had their share of mishaps this season and hope to use the start of the second half to reverse their misfortunes.
Rockies left-hander Jeff Francis is entering a month-long slump that has kept him winless since June 13. In that span, he is 0-1 with an 8.02 ERA.
Francis has struggled with his command and playing with a low level of confidence. He's walked eight hitters in his last three outings, compared with only four strikeouts, and the Rockies could consider moving him out of the rotation if he continues to flounder.
Tuesday's start will be an important showcase for Francis. If he does not deliver, rookie Jhoulys Chacin and left-hander Jorge De La Rosa will be given a chance to play in the rotation.
"We are at a point in time in our season where you fish or cut bait -- do one of the two -- and you've got a guy sitting there in that bullpen who was a part of the starting rotation when we lost three-fifths of it," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. "If he continues to push the envelope, and we continue to get inconsistency in other areas of our rotation, your hand gets forced."
Tracy hopes that Francis’ short leash will motivate and uplift his game and that he will be able to respond in a positive manner to the pressure he faces.
The Rockies could get a boost as shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is scheduled to be back in the lineup before August.
Tulowitzki missed 26 games with a fractured left wrist and the All-Star will increase his team’s performance down the stretch.
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