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

Mario treats Torto to drinks at the Iron Horse... ...and a pair of losses.

Swanky atmosphere, antique motorcyles, and Crown and Coke were a winning combo for Mar

Last weekend, Mar and I met up for dinner, drinks, and PTP.  The evening started out well enough for me, with a great dinner at Pitch's.  We then proceeded over to the Iron Horse Hotel bar to grab some cocktails and roll some dice.  We were surprisingly undisturbed, despite the hoppin' crowd.  And with my 1-2-3 going in a home series, I liked my chances to come out winning 2 of 3.  But that's why we play the games...

Game 1: J.Santana @ C.Billingsley
A pitchers' duel in this one, both Johan and C-Bill were dealling in this one.  My guy gave up only 3 over 9, and ordinarily that would be easy enough for my battery of sluggers to overcome, but it was not to be.  Mario got RBI hits from Carlos Ruiz, Justin Upton, and Martin Prado, while I could only muster a pair of runs. 
Mario wins 3-2

Game 2: C.Zambrano @ R.A.Dickey
Negative from the get go about starting Big Z, Mario's negativity got to the big guy, and he gave up 5 runs in the second, the majority of which came on a bases loaded 2-out triple from Dexter Fowler.  Torto added runs in the 5th and 7th, but Mario patiently chipped away, scoring 4 by the 8th (including a Casey McGehee HR), and making the score 7-4.  Dickey didn't have his sharpest outing, but didn't need it to get his 4th win. Things got a little dicey in the ninth, but Sergio Romo finally settled in for his 6th save.
Torto wins 7-4

Game 3: J.Chacin @ W.Rodriguez
Another pitchers' duel in game 3.  Wandy pitched a gem into the bottom ninth, with the only run given up a solo shot to Casey McGehee.  Torto climbed out of the 1-0 deficit in the 7th, on a Chase Utley 2-RBI single.  With a 2-1 lead, going into the ninth, the game was mine to lose.  Wandy got himself officially 'tired' on a lead off walk, so in came Romo again to save the day.  Not this time.  Mario ripped off 4 straight hits, then another walk, to plate 5 runs, making it 6-2.  Torto picked up a meaningless run in the bottom of the ninth, but still lost the series on the Romo blown save.
Mario wins 6-3
Mario wins series 2-1

Tough to lose the series that way, but Mar earned it.  He kept my big bats at bay, and my clutchy-ness came up empty.  Mar's team might not have the bats to score big most games, but his pitching (Zambrano excluded of course) is solid enough to surprise some.