Results tagged ‘ Twins ’
Marlins lineup vs. Twins
JUPITER, Fla. — After a day off, the Marlins are back in action on Tuesday afternoon, taking on the Twins at Roger Dean Stadium.
Josh Johnson will face former Marlins right-hander Carl Pavano.
Donnie Murphy will be playing third base.
MARLINS
1) Emilio Bonifacio, CF
2) Omar Infante, 2B
3) Hanley Ramirez, SS
4) Gaby Sanchez, 1B
5) Logan Morrison, LF
6) John Buck, C
7) Greg Dobbs, RF
8) Donnie Murphy, 3B
9) Josh Johnson, P
– Joe Frisaro
Sanabia gets start vs. Twins
The Marlins are sending Alex Sanabia to the mound on Monday to face the Twins in Fort Myers.
The right-hander is getting the nod now that Javier Vazquez has been scratched due to mild right elbow soreness.
Over the past week, Sanabia has dealt with some minor discomfort in his right elbow. He also has been working on some things with his delivery.
Sanabia is expected to throw only one inning. Brad Hand, Dan Jennings and Clay Hensley are also scheduled to pitch.
MARLINS
1) Emilio Bonifacio, CF
2) Ozzie Martinez, SS
3) Greg Dobbs, 1B
4) John Buck, C
5) Matt Dominguez, 3B
6) John Baker, DH
7) Joe Thurston, 2B
8) Scott Cousins, RF
9) Chris Lubanski, LF
– Joe Frisaro
Vazquez, Coghlan dealing with ailments
JUPITER, Fla. — Javier Vazquez has been scratched from pitching Monday due to mild elbow soreness, and Chris Coghlan is dealing with a sore right shoulder.
Mild injuries are piling up for the Marlins.
Vazquez was scheduled to face the Twins on Monday in Fort Myers. Alex Sanabia will make the start, and he is expected to throw one inning. To add pitching depth for the trip, Brad Hand and Dan Jennings are making the trip and will pitch. Both left-handers were recently sent down to Minor League camp.
Clay Hensley also is expected to pitch.
“He has mild elbow soreness, but he should be ok for his next start,” Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez said. “He said he wanted to make sure that he would be ready for the regular season. He will have three more starts before the season starts, so he should be fine.”
Vazquez would be lined up to pitch on Saturday against the Cardinals.
“If something is going to happen, this is a good time to deal with that,” Rodriguez said. “At this point, we just want to make sure everybody is going to be alright for Opening Day. So that’s why we’re not taking any chances.”
As for Coghlan, the center fielder is a sore right shoulder.
It’s been bothering him for a little while, and it was made public on Sunday.
“His shoulder is not 100 percent,” Rodriguez said. “That’s normal because he didn’t have the chance to get in very good shape, throwing-wise when he was rehabbing.”
– Joe Frisaro
Marlins new park next up for MLB
With the recent opening of Target Field, the next new MLB ballpark to open will be the next home of the Marlins.
More than 30 percent completed, the Marlins retractable-roof stadium remains on schedule and on budget. The doors of the park will open in 2012.
On April 12, eight members from the Marlins organization traveled to Minnesota for the first game of the Twins new home, Target Field.
Marlins president David Samson gives high marks to the Twins, and their president, Dave St. Peter.
“It could not have been a better opener,” Samson said. “It was an example of how an organization does everything right. Their Opening Day ceremony. The details in the ballpark. Not one detail went untouched and unlooked at.
“Dave st. Peter, to me, is simply a magician as a team president. It’s just remarkable what he’s done.”
Samson is impressed with how the Twins had driven up their season-ticket base, as well as how they repeatedly are a contending club.
“This is a team that wins consistently, year in and year out,” Samson said. “I just give him all the credit in the world. That ballpark is simply magnificient. They were so gracious with their time on Opening Day.”
The Twins were the last team to open a stadium before the Marlins get underway in their park in 2012.
All details of the Marlins ballpark can be followed via the new ballpark webcam on www.marlins.com. Fans can view construction from the interior and exterior of the ballpark online.
“Now, we feel like, we’re next,” Samson said. “We’re no longer on deck. We’re at the plate right now.”
– Joe Frisaro
Carroll strains left oblique
In batting practice, Brett Carroll felt some discomfort.
Not wanting to give up a start in right field, however, the Marlins outfielder stayed in the game. But after it was clear that something was wrong during his at-bat in the second inning, Carroll was replaced.
Shortly afterwards, the team announced that Carroll is hampered with a left oblique strain.
The injury actually occurred in batting practice before the Marlins lost, 4-1, to the Twins at Hammond Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
“In my last round of BP, I just felt a little aching,” Carroll said. “My first swing of my first at-bat, I fouled the ball off and I didn’t feel right.”
Carroll ended up striking out, and before the bottom of the second inning started, Bryan Petersen went to right field.
“I’d never experienced this before,” Carroll said. “I’ve never experienced an oblique. It’s mild. We’ll see. It’s one of those things I can’t control.”
With Opening Day slated for April 5, the timing of Carroll’s injury jeopardizes his chances of being on the team when camp concludes.
Carroll is in the mix for an outfield reserve job. A terrific defender, with one of the strongest outfield throwing arms in the game, Carroll has not been a lock to make the club.
For a while the team has considered carrying both Emilio Bonifacio and Brian Barden. Both are natural infielders who can play outfield. Bonifacio will make the team as a super utility player, capable of playing infield and center field.
Barden has enjoyed a strong Spring Training, and he is a candidate to be a backup infielder who also can play corner outfield.
Carroll, meanwhile, his batting .267 with three home runs and six RBIs in 30 Grapefruit League at-bats.
“It’s not near the rib, which is supposed to be ok,” Gonzalez said. “It’s still going to be a couple of days. I wouldn’t know until that thing settles down.”
– Joe Frisaro
Marlins among comeback kids
Throughout the playoffs, we’ve seen late-inning heroics and thrilling comeback victories.
On Monday, both games were decided by comebacks. Jimmy Rollins provided some two-out, walk-off drama in the ninth inning to rally the Phillies past the Dodgers in Game 4. Rollins lined a two-run double off Jonathan Broxton to lift his team to a 5-4 win.
Earlier in the day, the Angels overcame a three-run deficit and beat the Yankees, also 5-4, in 11 innings when Jeff Mathis came through with a walk-off double.
The Yankees certainly have had their share of clutch hits in the playoffs. In the A.L. Division Series, Alex Rodriguez had a ninth inning homer off Joe Nathan to help rally his team. And A-Rod also went deep in the ninth inning off Brian Fuentes of the Angels to pull the Yankees even in the A.L. Championship Series.
Resiliency, obviously, is a characteristic of a championship-caliber team. That’s why it isn’t shocking that the four teams in their respective League Championshp Series also are the teams that paced the Major Leagues in comeback wins during the regular season.
What many people probably don’t know is the Marlins were fifth in the big leagues in rallying to wins.
The Marlins didn’t wind up in the playoffs, but they did win 87 games. In 41 of those victories, they trailed at some point.
The top five comeback teams in 2009 were:
* Yankees, 51
* Angels, 47
* Phillies, 43
* Dodgers, 42
* Marlins, 41
The Marlins 41 comeback victories is two behind their franchise record.
Florida’s top comeback seasons are:
* 43 in 2008
* 43 in 1997
* 42 in 2007
* 41 in 2009
* 41 in 2000.
The 1997 Marlins, of course, won the World Series, and the 2008 squad finished with 84 wins.
– Joe Frisaro
Eyes on Pudge
As expected, a lot of scouts are on hand for the World Baseball Classic in Miami.
On the Ivan Rodriguez front, the Marlins remain a frontrunner, but there definitely is competition. The Twins, with Joe Mauer getting a second opinion on a back ailment, is a team that has interest.
If Mauer is only out for a little bit, though, they may not be a favorite to land Pudge. The Astros have a need behind the plate, but indications are Houston’s front office isn’t as interested.
The Marlins are well positioned, and the team is definitely following him closely in the Classic.
– Joe Frisaro
The Fish Pond
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