http-~~-//www.youtube.c...h?v=_H5mFUKRXIc http-~~-//www.youtube.c...h?v=-_KH8AmHVAg

 

 

By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com

08/19/09 12:15 AM ET

 

HOUSTON -- Demotions can be upsetting and painful at the time a playeris sent down, but some good can come out of them when handled properly.

 

Thus far, it looks as if Marlins rookie Sean West made the most of hisnearly four-week stint at Double-A Jacksonville. The 23-year-old, whowas optioned after a rough outing at Arizona on July 11, was recalledand inserted into the rotation on Aug. 8.

 

The primary reason West was sent down was to polish up his changeup andslider. The 6-foot-8 left-hander has a fastball in the 94-mph range, sovelocity isn't an issue. What was hurting him was the lack of commandon his offspeed pitches. Once word was out that he was only throwinghis fastball for strikes, big league hitters waited on the pitch anddid some damage.

 

West has shown improvement with his offspeed pitches in his two startssince returning to the big league club. On Aug. 8 at Philadelphia, heworked four innings, but had pretty good stuff in a no-decision. Hestruck out four and walked two that day, giving up three runs (twoearned). A high pitch count, 93 pitches, led to an early exit. TheMarlins did pull out a win that day.

 

On Thursday, West collected a win, beating the Astros at Land SharkStadium. The lefty was solid in six innings, allowing one run on fivehits. He didn't walk a batter and he struck out three. The changeup waseffective, as he threw 92 pitches, 62 for strikes.

 

"I was pretty satisfied with it," West said of his changeup. "I wastrying to go seven [innings]. I wanted to kind of pick the bullpen up.I threw a lot of changeups. That was my go-to pitch."

 

"The two weeks [in the Minors], I was really, really comfortable with[the changeup]," he said. "That was one of my best pitches when I firstgot drafted. That was my out pitch. But my slider has come a long waysince then.

 

"The fastball is there. Those are the two pitches you focused onbetween starts [slider and changeup]. In the bullpen, that's what I wasfocusing on more, the changeups. It's going to be a good pitch for melater on down the road."

 

In his two August starts, West is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in 10 innings. Hehas seven strikeouts and two walks. It's a big contrast from hisnumbers in two July starts, when he was 0-2 (8.44 ERA), and allowed 10earned runs in 10 2/3 innings. He walked seven and struck out three inthose games.

 

West grew up in Spring, Texas, in the Houston area. He grew upfollowing the Astros, and even ran the bases as a kid at the Astrodome.Now, he will make his first start ever in Texas.

 

About 35-50 of his family and friends are expected to watch the start.

 

"I saw a few games in the Astrodome," West said. "I never saw one hereat Minute Maid."He'll likely have to make some adjustments on Wednesday, because he isdrawing successive starts against the same team. The Marlins take onthe Astros in the second of three games at Minute Maid Park. Afterwinning 6-2 on Tuesday, they are in position to take the series.

 

In Tuesday's victory, the Marlins extended their streak of collectingat least 10 hits to 14 straight games. The last team to have more isthe 1937 St. Louis Browns, who had 15. The Major League record is 18.

 

 

 

Pitching matchup

FLA: LHP Sean West (4-4, 4.57 ERA)

West didn't walk a batter in his Thursday start against the Astros andstruck out three. This will be his 13th start, but the rookie has yetto face the same team twice.

 

HOU: RHP Yorman Bazardo (0-0, 5.06 ERA)

This will beBazardo's first start with the Astros and third of his career afterspending most of the season at Triple-A Round Rock. He allowed fiveruns (three earned) in his Astros debut on Aug. 8 and has thrown 4 1/3scoreless innings in two outings since. He was 9-6 with a 3.20 ERA in23 games (20 starts) at Round Rock this year before being called up.Bazardo appeared in one game with the Marlins in 2005 before gettinginto 14 games with Detroit in 2007 and '08.

 

Tidbits

Burke Badenhop, on the DL since Aug. 2 with a righttrapezius strain, threw two innings in a Gulf Coast League game inJupiter, Fla., on Monday. He will pitch three or four innings for ClassA Jupiter on Saturday. ... Andrew Miller, on the Minor League disabledlist with a sprained right ankle, is throwing a simulated game onSunday. The lefty will throw 60-65 pitches. ... With a single in thefirst inning, Hanley Ramirez extended his hitting streak to 13 straightgames. That matches his season high and is one shy of his career best(14 -- registered from June 24-July 7, 2008). ... Dan Uggla can checkMinute Maid Park off the list. In the fourth inning on Tuesday, Ugglawent deep in Houston for the first time in his career. Uggla now hashomered in 23 parks in his four-year career.

 

Tickets

Buy tickets now to catch the game in person.

 

On the Internet

MLB.TV

Gameday Audio

• Gameday

• Official game notes

 

On television

• FS-F HD

 

On radio

• WAXY 790, WAQI 710 (Español)

 

Up next

• Thursday: Marlins (Josh Johnson, 12-2, 2.85) at Astros (Wandy Rodriguez, 11-7, 3.05), 8:05 p.m. ET

• Friday: Marlins (TBA) at Braves (Javier Vazquez, 10-8, 2.99), 7:30 p.m. ET

• Saturday: Marlins (Chris Volstad, 9-9, 4.61) at Braves (Tommy Hanson, 8-2, 3.05), 7 p.m. ET

 

 

 

(Game Thread created thanks to: espn.com, marlins.com, youtube.com, marlinsbaseball.com)

Coming Soon.

 

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXx5wOzWWds

 

:notworthy Pure Genius.

:gofish

1) Coghlan, LF

 

2) Gload, 1B

 

3) Hanley, SS

 

4) Cantu, 3B

 

5) Baker, C

 

6) Uggla, 2B

 

7) Ross, CF

 

8) Hermida, RF

 

9) West, P

1) Coghlan, LF

 

2) Gload, 1B

 

3) Hanley, SS

 

4) Cantu, 3B

 

5) Baker, C

 

6) Uggla, 2B

 

7) Ross, CF

 

8) Hermida, RF

 

9) West, P

 

 

 

 

I'm starting to dig the new lineup.

1) Coghlan, LF

 

2) Gload, 1B

 

3) Hanley, SS

 

4) Cantu, 3B

 

5) Baker, C

 

6) Uggla, 2B

 

7) Ross, CF

 

8) Hermida, RF

 

9) West, P

 

 

 

 

 

Rookie Galardo who is this guy should be an easier win for the Marlins and West.

Isn't tonight's Bazardo the same Bazardo who was once compared to Pedro Martinez, when he was with the Marlins organization, but never panned out?

Isn't tonight's Bazardo the same Bazardo who was once compared to Pedro Martinez, when he was with the Marlins organization, but never panned out?

 

 

 

 

Yup.

if sean could just give us a quality start we should win, but you never know with him. pretty simple imo, if sean west pitches well we will win.

Lets hope the offense continues to rip and West pitches well again.

Lets go West

Hopefully West isn't too nervous as he isupposed to have about 35 members of his friends and family there.

Can you not center all that text next time? It's harder to read it that way.

Can you not center all that text next time? It's harder to read it that way.

 

Sorry.

I'll make sure to change it next time.

Washington pitcher has walked the bases full with none out in the top of the 1st...Tulo up...this inning probably won't end well.

Tulo with a 2 RBI double. 2nd and 3rd, none out for the Rockies..

 

Oh well.

Somehow the Nats got out of that mess. 2-0 Rockies, middle of the 1st. There is hope.

Come on HanRam.

1 down with a nice slap hit by CC.

9 to go.

That looked like a strike.

Making him pitch, that's good.

 

Come on Cantu, big hit here.

Jeez...everyone is winning again

Cantu!!!!

 

1-0!

cantuu

2 down on a rbi single to left by Cantu.

8 to go.