Marlins Come Home, Mario Masticated

Mar swung by the Tortomasi estate Sunday afternoon. Despite some Sunday Wells-Fargo work-related interference, games got played.  Mar won the traditional home-away roll, and selected to keep playing on the road.  And so, the Marlins finally got their home opener.

Billy impales Don Shula's arrogant head during the ceremonial opening pitch at legendary Florida Stadium

Game 1: R.Vogelsong @ I.Kennedy
A pitchers' duel all the way to the end, both Vogelsong and Kennedy pitched gems.  Mar got on the board on an unearned run, after a Ryan TheRiot error put a man on, and later that inning, was scored by a Starlin Castro single.  Things got rough for Mar in the 8th, after he had pulled his starter the inning prior.  Ernesto Friereri had a rough one in relief, walking Prince and McCann, and then allowing a game-tying RBI-single from Chris Heisey.  To add insult to injury, after getting his 2nd out, Friereri gave up a 3-run blast to Ryan TheRiot (of the 3-point HR zone vs. RHPs).  With the game 4-1, Torto unleashed closer Sergio Romo who got thru the 9th unscathed.
Torto W 4-1

Game 2: J.Karstens @ J.Collmenter
Another pitchers' duel up front, this one got wild at the end.  Torto plated a run in the 2nd (McCann RBI-double), and again in the 5th (RBI single by TheRiot).  Up 2-0, things got away from Mar in the 8th again, with Ernest Friereri on the mound again.  A nightmarish inning, in this sequence - Out, BB, SB, 1B, HR (Prince), BB, 2B, 2B, Out, 1B, Out.  That mess lead to 6 runs, and an 8-0 deficit for Mario in the 9th.  With Matt Belisle on the mound, Mar made game of things, rattling off 6-runs of his own and batting around in order before Starlin Castro cost him his final out.
Torto W 8-6  

Game 3: R.A.Dickey @ H.Kuroda
Yet another pitchers' duel, but this one held thru to the end.  The story here was Hiroki Kuroda, as he went 8 dominant innings, allowing only 2 hits and 1 walk.  The Marlins got 3-runs off a solid Rah Dickey performance, allowing only an RBI-double by Rollins, and solo HRs by Chris Heisey and Lucas Duda. Romo slammed the 1-2-3 door in the 9th.
Torto W 3-0

Torto wins series 3-0. 

Some Marlins fun-facts in this young season:
- Ryan Theriot and his two game-winning HRs already has him outplaying his paygrade massively
- Mike Stanton continues to struggle, but cut down his K-rate, only striking out twice in these 3 games
- Prince's power is 'as-advertised', with 4 HRs in 9 games
- The front 4 starters have been phenomenal, with the worst ERA coming in at 2.51 from Josh Collmenter