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I don't normally KTE, but since nobody's claimed responsibility, I figure that something cribbed from the Florida web site is better than nothing.
]Nolasco focused for big start vs. Mets
07/27/2008 8:21 PM ET
By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com
CHICAGO -- For most of the season, Ricky Nolasco has been a big-game pitcher for the Marlins. On Monday, the 25-year-old right-hander will take the mound in one of the biggest series of the season.
First place in the National League East will be on the line when the front-running Mets take on the Marlins at Dolphin Stadium.
New York is one of the hottest teams in the league, and the Marlins are coming off a 2-2 series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Florida is two games off the pace, and is looking to gain ground on the division leaders.
In the first half, Nolasco was Florida's top pitcher, winning 10 games before the All-Star break. In two starts after the break, however, he is 0-2, giving up nine runs in 12 innings.
One of the most level-headed players on the team, Nolasco isn't making too much of his subpar outings against the Phillies (four runs in seven innings) and Braves (five runs in five innings).
"I didn't get away with some pitches in the last game," he said of a setback vs. the Braves. "I thought I threw well against Philly, but I put the team in a hole early. It was kind of tough to get things going after that. I still felt I pitched a quality game and kept the team right there."
As he prepares for the Mets, Nolasco isn't changing anything.
"I'm going to keep sticking to what I do best. That's what I'm going to do," he said. "This obviously is a big start coming up. I'm just going to go out there and try to pitch ahead as much as I can."
Nolasco has faced the Mets twice this season. On March 31, he threw three scoreless innings of relief at home. And on May 26, he worked five innings and picked up the win.
The magnitude of the series, with the Mets going with John Maine on Monday, increases the stakes for both teams. Maine is 3-1 with a 2.84 ERA lifetime against the Marlins. This is his first meeting with Florida this year.
"I think every game is a big game for us right now," Nolasco said. "If we can just stay close until the end, then we can make a push at any time.
"I kind of stay level. I know the importance of the first game of the series against the Mets. It's important that we get that one. If anything, it makes me just concentrate more on what I have to do. It's not like I lose concentration, but it's a pretty good way to keep me focused."
Pitching matchup
FLA: RHP Ricky Nolasco (10-6, 3.99 ERA)
Nolasco took his second straight loss against the Braves on Wednesday, giving up five runs -- the most he had given up since June 5 against the Braves. Nolasco ended up striking out three and walking three before leaving with 84 pitches under his belt. Nolasco has struggled since going on a five-game winning streak between June 10 and July 7, when he posted a 1.83 ERA in five starts.
NYM: RHP John Maine (9-7, 4.20 ERA)
Maine finally got through the seventh inning Wednesday -- a feat he hadn't attained since May 7 -- allowing three runs, striking out five and walking two against the Phillies. His pitch count reached the century mark once again (104), but he stretched those tosses through seven frames. Of the six hits he allowed, most of the damage came on back-to-back home runs in the second inning. He'll now face the Marlins for the first time this season.
Tidbits
Of Dan Uggla's 25 home runs, 23 have been off right-handed pitchers. ... Right-hander Burke Badenhop, on the disabled list since June 22 with right shoulder tendinitis, will be sidelined for a bit with a bulging disc in his neck. It's caused a pinched nerve. Badenhop hopes to begin making rehab starts in a couple of weeks. ... The Florida bullpen had thrown 13 straight scoreless innings in the series at Wrigley Field before the Cubs scored four times in the seventh inning on Sunday. ... The five-run lead blown on Sunday wasn't the biggest margin the Marlins have yielded this season. On July 4, in an 18-17 loss at Colorado, the Marlins let a franchise-record nine-run lead evaporate. |
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