The highest win by a marlin in his rookie season is 11 and Willis has 11! Lets see if he can break it.

 

Willis matches Marlins? rookie record with his 11th victory

 

By Juan C. Rodriguez

Staff Writer

Posted August 7 2003

 

ST. LOUIS -- Wednesday's game featured two starting pitchers who last year were Class A Midwest League All-Stars.

 

One made it into his team's record book. The other barely made it through six innings.

 

 

Dontrelle Willis outlasted Cardinals counterpart Dan Haren, matching the Marlins' rookie record for wins (11) in a 7-3 victory at Busch Stadium.

 

In addition to clinching the series, the Marlins ascended to 11 games over .500 for the first ti

 

me this season.

 

"Somebody asked me before the game about the significance of two rookies starting. We don't look at our guy like a rookie. He's got the poise and know-how of a guy that's pitched more than one year," Marlins manager Jack McKeon said.

 

With the exception of a Willis single in the eighth, the first five batters in the order accounted for all of the Marlins' 13 hits. The double-digit hit game was their first in six outings.

 

Catcher Pudge Rodriguez, who contributed a solo homer, and third baseman Mike Lowell each had three hits and combined for three RBI.

 

Willis (11-2) was shaky early, walking the first batter on four pitches and allowing hits to two of the next three. One of those was a two-run double down the left-field line by Scott Rolen.

 

Like in his previous start, when Willis allowed a first-inning homer to Arizona's Alex Cintron, he settled down. Only one of the next 12 batters reached, and that was by accident. Leadoff man Bo Hart ended up at first on a strikeout.

 

"It's easy to go 1-2-3, 1-2-3. With [runners on]second and third, and the MVP candidate coming up, that's how you win respect," Willis said.

 

Three Cardinals got hits off Willis in his final seven innings. Including the Hart strikeout, Willis retired 23 of the last 26 hitters he faced. He gave up a double to Albert Pujols, who extended his hitting streak to 20 games, in the sixth. Eduardo Perez hit a solo homer to left with two outs in the eighth.

 

Willis tied Brian Meadows (1998) for the most victories by a Marlins rookie. However, Meadows lost 13 games that season, also a Marlins rookie record.

 

"He's the kind of guy that rebounds after he makes a mistake. He challenges you and comes right back at you," McKeon said of Willis.

 

Nate Bump pitched a scoreless ninth to cap the Marlins' ninth win in 11 games. The Marlins began the day with the second best record in the National League since the All-Star break (12-5) behind the Giants (13-5).

 

Down 2-1 after the first inning, the Marlins reclaimed the lead for good in the third. They strung together four one-out singles and a walk before Haren got Miguel Cabrera on an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded.

 

Juan Encarnacion, who had his second multi-hit game in as many days, drove in his second run of the game with the last of those four singles. Mike Lowell also contributed an RBI single.

 

In two games against the Cardinals, Encarnacion is 5 for 8, raising his average from .269 to .275. The multi-RBI game was Encarnacion's first since July 22.

 

Rodriguez extended the lead in the fifth with his 15th homer, driving a 2-0 Haren offering 411 feet into the left-field bleachers. The homer was Rodriguez's second since the All-Star break and first since a July 18 game against the Cubs.

 

Making his seventh major league start, Haren, 22, struck out six in six innings but allowed a career-high 10 hits. Rodriguez's homer, the third Haren has allowed in 38 innings, was the only extra-base hit Haren allowed.

 

The loss was Haren's first in five starts. Since losing his first two games, Haren had gone 2-0 with a 1.85 ERA in his past four starts.

 

Then he ran into a rookie who pitches like an old pro.

 

"I just want to play and get a hotdog. That's how it's always been," Willis said.

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He's going to win alot more than 11 games this year. Trust me.