---- @ ----

Zambrano 8-4, 4.61 -- vs. -- Penny 7-6, 2.96

 

Date: Saturday, July 3rd, 2004

Time: 6:05 PM EDT (Most of Florida)/5:05 PM CDT (Panhandle)

Location: Pro Player Stadium - Opa Locka, Florida

TV: PAX/Marlins TV, PAX/Devil Rays TV, MLB.tv

Radio: 560 WQAM/Marlins Radio, 1140 WQBA/Espa?ol, 970 WFLA/Devil Rays Radio, MLB.com Gameday Audio

Weather: Forecast/Current Conditions

Anti-Jinx: Engaged from now until the end of this game.

Courtesy of: MLB.com, Weather.com, and ESPN.com

GO DIME!

According to WQAM, the beach mats won't be there tomm, but you will get a ticket to return starting near the end of July until end of August to receive your mat, or you can go to El Dorado, or the Marlins in Miami store....

Marlins, Penny try to stop skids

07/03/2004 12:28 AM ETBy Charlie Nobles / Special to MLB.com

Until late May, the Marlins' Brad Penny was having an All-Star kind of season. He was 6-2 with an eye-catching 2.12 ERA. But since then, Penny has struggled. His decline has nearly paralelled the Marlins' own travails.

 

Penny, who has gone 1-4 with a 4.58 ERA since his fast start, will try to help the Marlins out of a 2-7 swoon on Saturday night against the Devil Rays at Pro Player Stadium.

 

The long downtrodden Devil Rays rose above .500 with Friday night's 4-2 victory. Meanwhile it marked the Marlins' fourth loss in their last five games.

 

Penny will face the Devil Rays' Opening Day starter, Victor Zambrano, who is working on a five-game winning streak. Zambrano beat the Yankees three times by the end of May, the first time that has been done since Boston's Bill Lee did it in 1974.

 

As concerned as the Marlins are about a turnaround from Penny, they are at least as concerned about their hitting. As manager Jack McKeon lamented after Friday night's loss, in which Mike Lowell and Miguel Cabrera drove in their only runs, "If those guys don't knock in runs, we're in trouble."

 

Pitching matchup

TB: RHP Victor Zambrano

8-4, 4.61 in 2004

first start in 2004 vs. FLA

2-0, 2.57 lifetime vs. FLA

 

FLA: RHP Brad Penny

7-6, 2.96 in 2004

first start in 2004 vs. TB

1-1, 4.61 lifetime vs. TB

 

Players to watch

Hee Seop Choi continues to be an offensive threat, singling and walking in Friday night's game. He's 22 for 64 since June 5, with 13 walks. ... Mike Lowell now has a 10-game hitting streak after Friday night's home run. He's 15-for-41 during that span.

 

 

Quotable

"We're all family here -- one wears them, everybody else wears them." -- Marlins pitcher A.J. Burnett on purchasing enough camouflage-designed jerseys for each teammate while on a recent trip to Atlanta.

 

On the Internet

 MLB.TV

 Gameday Audio

 Gameday

 Official game notes

 

On television

TB: PAX

FLA: PAX

 

On radio

TB: WFLA 970

FLA: WQAM 560 AM, WQBA 1140 AM (Spanish)

 

Quick hits

The Marlins, who led the Majors in stolen bases last season, have just one in their last 14 games, and that by 38-year-old Jeff Conine. Juan Pierre, last year's Major League steals champion, was thrown out Friday night trying to steal his 19th base of the season. Pierre was in a 1-for-17 hitting slump until singling Friday night.

 

 

 

On deck

Sunday: Devil Rays at Marlins, 3:05 p.m. ET

Monday: Pirates at Marlins, 7:05 p.m. ET

Tuesday: Pirates at Marlins, 7:05 p.m. ET

Wednesday: Pirates at Marlins, 7:05 p.m. ET

Thursday: off This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Win one for my Bday, break out of this slump in a big way 15 runs

If Choi bunts today, will someone please take his bat and stick it up Jack's ***!

If Choi bunts today, will someone please take his bat and stick it up Jack's ***!

438111[/snapback]

 

I'll be glad too. I want Choi to bat first. He has the highes OBP of the team and we can easily get him home.

lets win one tonight ... im gonna try to be here for the game thread ... it has been a couple of days

 

not like ya'll miss me haha

 

 

GO FISH

 

GO DIME

If Choi bunts today, will someone please take his bat and stick it up Jack's ***!

438111[/snapback]

 

I think Jack's gone insane, no other manager in baseball would have a hitter like Choi bunt. Bunts need to be saved for castillo, pierre, pitchers, and possible redmond.

Zambrano is a very wild pitcher, so if we stand back, defend the plate, and wait for our pitches we can beat them.

:marlins

If Choi bunts today, will someone please take his bat and stick it up Jack's ***!

438111[/snapback]

 

I think Jack's gone insane, no other manager in baseball would have a hitter like Choi bunt. Bunts need to be saved for castillo, pierre, pitchers, and possible redmond.

438280[/snapback]

Actually I think most managers would have bunted the tying runs into scoring position so a basehit ties the game

If Choi bunts today, will someone please take his bat and stick it up Jack's ***!

438111[/snapback]

 

I think Jack's gone insane, no other manager in baseball would have a hitter like Choi bunt. Bunts need to be saved for castillo, pierre, pitchers, and possible redmond.

438280[/snapback]

Actually I think most managers would have bunted the tying runs into scoring position so a basehit ties the game

438442[/snapback]

 

They usually won't with guys who hit around .250 and put up good power numbers, if he wanted to advance the runners, he should have put in someone more suited to bunt like nunez or easily.

Mets beat the Yankees.

Good game yesterday. Baez had me shi**** my pants like always. I can't believe Pavano made that huge mistake to Huff daddy. He crushed that ball. Anyway the Rays got Victor Z on the mound tonight. If you don't know him here's a quick scouting report. The guy is always wild as hell. He will prob. hit a batter or two and is good for 4+ walks. He has very good stuff. A 92-93 mph fastball and a NASTY slider which accounts for most of his K's. Lets go RAYS!!!!!

Crawford flies to center.

 

Fick pops up to Luiy.

 

Huff goes down swinging.

Pierre, Luiy, Lowell due up for the home team

Pierre doubles to left.

Woo-Hoo Pierre!!

Hey, lets win a game.

3-2 on Luiy.. groundball to short... Lugo looks JP back and throws Luiy out.

 

WQAM is unavailable from MLB radio.

Hey, lets win a game.

438530[/snapback]

That's a great idea! :w00t

Lowell pops up to Tino Martinez in foul territory and JP tags up and heads to third.

Great Inning! :thumbdown

Well, that was inspiring.