Marlins Take 2 of 3, Now Within 1 1/2 Games
It wasn’t a sweep, but the Marlins did what they needed to do to keep the NL East race tight and keep themselves in contention for a playoff spot. In front of 45,521 Phillies fans, the largest crowd of the season at Citizens Bank Park, the Marlins beat the Philadelphia Phillies Thursday night 3-0. In doing so, the took 2 of 3 games in the series and moved within 1 1/2 games of the Phillies for first place in the East.
21 year old Chris Volstad pitched 6 dominating innings, allowing only three hits and none until the 5th inning, while striking out three in just his 5th career start. Volstad combined with the bullpen to allow just four hits all game and shut out the Phillies for the 3-0 win. The New York Mets meanwhile took 2 of 3 games from San Diego to remain in third place, just a 1/2 game behind Florida.
The Marlins came into the series in Philadelphia ranked third in Major League Baseball with 155 homers as a team. The long ball is hard to be consistent with, and the Marlins can’t win forever just knocking the ball out of the park. So it was a good sign that the Marlins scored 11 runs in the three game series, all manufactured by knocking the ball around inside the park. If they continue this trend going forward, they will be much more difficult to keep out of the playoffs and to beat once they make it to the post season.
The Marlins will take on the Mets in a three game series this weekend in New York. Ricky Nolasco gets the nod Friday night, with Scott Olsen on Saturday, and Josh Johnson on Sunday. This provides the Marlins an excellent opportunity to keep the pressure on the Phillies by winning, and in so doing pushing the Mets farther off the pace.
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