Marlins avoid no-hitter but are shut out for first time in '07

 

By Craig Barnes

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Marlins are making a habit out of having to break up an opponent's no-hitters.

 

They did it again Friday night as Josh Willingham's bloop single to left off reliever Saul Rivera to open the seventh inning ended Washington's hopes of a no-hitter in a 6-0 loss to the Nationals at RFK Stadium.

 

"The longer that it goes," Willingham said, "the more stress there is to break it up."

 

The Marlins managed only four singles off five Nationals pitchers. It was first time this season that they have been held without a run and gone without an extra-base hit.

 

"It happens sooner or later if you play 162 games," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "It is just one of those things that you can't control."

 

Starter Shawn Hill (3-3) had a no-hitter when he left the game after five innings with a sore elbow as the Nationals broke an eight-game losing streak, the longest since returning to Washington in 2005.

 

"He spotted his fastball well," second baseman Dan Uggla said. "It had late break on it. He did what he had to do to get us out."

 

It was the sixth time since April 18 that the Marlins have had opposing pitchers hold them without a hit for at least 32/3 innings. The others to do it: John Maine (6), Jamie Moyer (62/3), Jake Peavy (51/3), Brad Penny (32/3) and Brett Tomko (51/3).

 

"It isn't every day that the other team takes a no-hitter into the seventh inning," Uggla said. "We have had some tough pitching draws lately, but there is no explanation for it."

 

Left-hander Scott Olsen (3-3) gave up an unearned run in the first inning when Cristian Guzman, who singled to center, moved to third when Ryan Zimmerman reached on an infield hit and Miguel Cabrera threw wildly to first base. Guzman scored on Ryan Church's infield out.

 

After the first inning, Olsen settled down and kept the Marlins in the game, but there was no offense behind him.

 

"Not getting a hit until the seventh inning doesn't help," Olsen said, "but it is not my concern. My job is to give us a chance. Everything was good until the sixth inning."

 

The Nationals scored three times in the sixth finishing Olsen. Guzman led off with a single to left-center. Church doubled to right scoring Guzman and took third on Aaron Boone's throwing error, the Marlins' third of the game, two by Cabrera.

 

"As long as you have the human element in the game," Gonzalez said, "you are going to have errors."

Church scored on Austin Kearns' sacrifice fly. Ronnie Belliard singled to left and scored on Brian Schneider's double to right.

 

"I had two bad pitches and both were to left-handed hitters," Olsen said.

 

It made little difference because the Marlins' offense, second in the National League to the Mets with 176 runs, was a no-show. The Marlins have now struck out a major league-leading 308 times.

 

"I told Hanley [Ramirez] to get a knock leading off the game," Uggla said, "and then we won't have to worry about no-hitters."

 

and this horrendous quote from the Herald:

''It's just one of those things,'' Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. ``It doesn't bother me. It's just something that happens.''

:thumbdown

 

a) omg the complacency is aggravating. Yea, you can control not being shut out by the nationals and not being no hit every night

 

b) it isn't every day? uhh, yea it is.

 

c) fredi, this sloppy play has been going on for a while now....

 

reading this made me sick. this team is fine with .500 baseball. fredi makes excuses every night and says "it just happens" every night. this team needs to wake up. this play is not fine and not one of those things. :banghead

lol

I wonder if Fredi starts screaming and throwing chairs at the players after a loss will help with all the injuries...hmmm

Throwing chairs at players, and putting them on the DL. When do managers do that?

Throwing chairs at players, and putting them on the DL. When do managers do that?

 

 

Bobby Cox does it. That is why the Braves have been so successful over the years. He has a no chair throwing policy in the playoffs though, which outrages Atlanta fans.

that game was just horrendous ... we made the Nationals look good and the marlins look like a single A team from panama.

lol and who did he land on the DL, due to a crushing chair injury?