Miami Marlins outperform Houston Astros in their 5-4 win at new Marlins ballpark - MLB Update
First baseman Gaby Sanchez gave the Miami Marlins an edge in the bottom of the 11th inning as they beat the Houston Astros 5-4 at Marlins Park in Miami on April 13, 2012.
Right from the start Marlins maintained the lead. However in the top of the eighth, J.D. Martinez sent Edward Mujica for a homer and tied the score.
Afterwards Astros survived the bottom of the ninth, taking the game into the tenth inning.
It was in the bottom of 11th that Marlins saw Chris Coghlan scoring a run off Sanchez’s hit and giving the side a well fought out victory.
Marlins won their first game under manager Joey Cora after Ozzie Guillen was suspended for five games after praising Fidel Castro.
Despite the backlash ensued after his remarks, fans turned to stadium in large number. Only a handful of fans stood outside the new Marlins ballpark recording a protest.
"People want to come to the ballpark. It's a brand new toy," Cora said. "Second, they want to see a winner. You win games, they're going to come. I'm confident that's what is going to happen."
Marlins closer Heath Bell did fairly better than the last game when he squandered the chance to record his save in the season. He threw one inning and went scoreless.
Ricky Nolasco while starting for the Marlins threw five innings and conceded two runs. Although he did not give many hits, just four, Marlins will want from him a rather lengthy outing on the mound to lighten the burden on the bullpen.
Star shortstop Jose Reyes is not getting as many hits as one will expect. Currently his batting average in the season stands at .242, lower than his career .292. In three at-bats, he drew two base on balls and hit once.
Expressing shock over why such a huge hit that Gaby managed was not a homer, interim manager Cora believed that it is a vast ballpark and in years to come it will witness a hard time for the hitters.
"So far it's a big, big, big, big ballpark," Cora said. "The ball Gaby hit, he crushed it. He'd better go to the weight room. It's going to be interesting to see what happens the rest of the year here, but right now it's playing big."
From both sides monumental hits came off but the distance they were supposed to cover for the homers was immense.
The win will go to infuse confidence in the whole team, something the Marlins needed desperately after two losses in the absence of Guillen.
Tags: