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Wednesday, July 23, 2008

MLB.com: VandenHurk leads Marlins’ one-hitter

Making his first start since being recalled from Double-A Carolina after trying the Marlins’ patience early in the season, [Rick] VandenHurk was a new man against the Braves on Tuesday. The 23-year-old righty hurled five no-hit innings and got a lift from a Mike Jacobs three-run homer to lead the Marlins to a 4-0 win over the Braves in front of 14,721 at Dolphin Stadium.

The Braves broke up the no-hitter in the sixth inning with a leadoff single by Chipper Jones off Marlins reliever Joe Nelson. But the Florida relievers went on to pitch four shutout frames and allow just one hit to preserve the win.
...
It was the Marlins’ 10th one-hitter and the first time they’ve used four pitchers to accomplish the feat.

With the win, the Marlins moved within a game of first place in the National League East and are now even with the Mets.

NTNgod Posted: July 23, 2008 at 01:29 AM | 23 comment(s)
Related News: General, Atlanta, Florida, Game Recaps

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1. Robert in Redondo Posted: July 23, 2008 at 03:41 AM (#2869240)

I dare anybody to find a worse at bat than Francouer's in the fourth of this game. VandenHurk walks the bases loaded with no outs, Francouer comes up, swings at four pitches at eyeball level and strikes out.

2. Walt Davis Posted: July 23, 2008 at 06:35 AM (#2869254)

after trying the Marlins’ patience early in the season, [Rick] VandenHurk was a new man against the Braves on Tuesday.

Really? 5 walks and 94 pitches in 5 innings would try my patience. And if this is the new man, I don't think I wanna see the old one.

Good on the Marlins for having enough sense to pull him from the no-hitter. True, a no-brainer when you think about it (what, he was gonna throw a 150-pitch no-nitter?) but I still bet most teams would have left him in until the first hit.

3. Chuck Oliveros Posted: July 23, 2008 at 06:43 AM (#2869256)

On one of Francoeur's at-bats, and I believe it was on the at-bat #1 is referring to, with two strikes on him, VandenHurk threw an eye level fastball. Francoeur started to swing, but managed to hold up in time, and it was called a ball. On the very next pitch, VandenHurk threw another fastball in the same place and Francoeur swung right threw it. For crying out loud, he'd just seen the pitch and held up his swing. It should have been obvious that the next one was a ball.

4. Swedish Chef Posted: July 23, 2008 at 07:59 AM (#2869264)

VandenHurk must be the ugliest name in baseball.

5. bfan Posted: July 23, 2008 at 08:10 AM (#2869269)

In all fairness, I thought the second high pitch to Frenchie was a good 3-4 inches more out of the strike zone than the first bad pitch. But Braves management was thrilled, because Frenchie was "aggressive".

Why would any MLB pitcher ever throw him anything in the strike zone?

6. Tropical Storm Davis, aka Quilvio "Ebola" Veras Posted: July 23, 2008 at 08:27 AM (#2869275)

Freakin' Braves...is winning 2 games in a row too much to ask? Sheesh. This season's been a drag.

7. bfan Posted: July 23, 2008 at 08:36 AM (#2869278)

"is winning 2 games in a row too much to ask?"

Yes, when your OF has a combined sub .700 OPS, it is. Yes, when you continue to run out your over-matched, clueless RF in the 5 or 6 position in the batting order every night, so that he can find new ways to disappoint.

8. flournoy Posted: July 23, 2008 at 09:20 AM (#2869304)

The at bat #3 refers to is actually not the same at bat as the one #1 refers to. Francoeur just has so many horrible at bats that it gets hard to distinguish between them. His season OPS is now lower than it has been since the first game of the season. I don't think the long stay in Mississippi helped.

9. rb's team is inventing new ways to lose! Posted: July 23, 2008 at 09:32 AM (#2869306)

I kind of want to but tickets to the next home game so i can sit behind frenchie and boo, but then i'd have to watch him play.

10. bfan Posted: July 23, 2008 at 09:36 AM (#2869313)

By booing him, you would also risk getting flogged by all the Gwinnett County cuties around you who still view him as a super-star.

11. Tropical Storm Davis, aka Quilvio "Ebola" Veras Posted: July 23, 2008 at 09:43 AM (#2869322)

I had such high hopes for this season, but this is getting depressing.

Expectations were mediocre for Glavine (175 innings, 4.5 ERA), but he's not gonna come close to that. Smoltz is injured and will probably have to retire. My fave Brave, Matt Diaz, has been on the DL since the start of June. Francoeur has been awful and getting worse. Tex has been playing pretty well, but seems to already have checked out of Atlanta.

12. rb's team is inventing new ways to lose! Posted: July 23, 2008 at 09:45 AM (#2869324)

Yeah, what's up with matt? Is he ever coming back?

13. 1k5v3L Posted: July 23, 2008 at 09:47 AM (#2869327)

Glavine suffers from the curse of Alyssa Milano
Pavano, Penny, Zito, now Glavine
Just saying
Bang that chick at your own risk

14. SoSH U at work Posted: July 23, 2008 at 09:54 AM (#2869330)

Glavine suffers from the curse of Alyssa Milano
Pavano, Penny, Zito, now Glavine
Just saying
Bang that chick at your own risk

Did Glavine really bang Milano? I know he was listed among her pitching partners on that blog entry (and a who dated whom website), but he was married throughout the period cited on the site.

15. bfan Posted: July 23, 2008 at 09:55 AM (#2869331)

I would gladly bang her, and put my 53 MPH fastball at risk.

16. Kyle S at work Posted: July 23, 2008 at 10:05 AM (#2869340)

Reasons to look on the bright side (at least for next year and beyond):

1) The emergence of Jair Jurrjens
2) Steady improvement by Yunel Escobar
3) Another superstar year from Brian McCann (who's signed for a long time)
4) A loaded minor league system (Heyward, Freddie Freeman, Jordan Schafer, Thomas Hanson, Gorkys Hernandez)
5) Lots of money to spend in the offseason
6) Chipper solidified his hall-of-fame credentials

17. rb's team is inventing new ways to lose! Posted: July 23, 2008 at 10:11 AM (#2869343)

I say trade every spare part and get some fabulous prospects back, preferably an outfield prospect who hits better than a second baseman*.

*normal second baseman, our current one hits better than our outfielders.

18. Tropical Storm Davis, aka Quilvio "Ebola" Veras Posted: July 23, 2008 at 10:12 AM (#2869346)

I think Diaz is currently rehabbing in the minors.

19. Tropical Storm Davis, aka Quilvio "Ebola" Veras Posted: July 23, 2008 at 10:17 AM (#2869353)

I agree, there's a good young core there: McCann, KJ, Escobar, and they play up-the-middle positions. Kotsay and Diaz are serviceable, esp. if the corner offense can be augmented. Chipper should be okay for another couple seasons.

20. Bicycle RepairMan Posted: July 23, 2008 at 03:59 PM (#2869702)

There remains the question of who plays 1B next year. I don't want it to be Tex. And there remains the question of how long they run Francoeur out there...

21. Shooty: Now rated AAA by Moody's and S&P! Posted: July 23, 2008 at 04:01 PM (#2869705)

Kotsay and Diaz are serviceable, esp. if the corner offense can be augmented.

IIRC, Kotsay is a free agent after this year.

22. flournoy Posted: July 23, 2008 at 04:09 PM (#2869716)

I believe that's true. In which case, next year will be Gregor Blanco time until Jordan Schafer (maybe in 2009) or Gorkys Hernandez (probably not in 2009) is ready.

23. Walt Davis Posted: July 23, 2008 at 04:25 PM (#2869739)

By booing him, you would also risk getting flogged by all the Gwinnett County cuties around you

Beer or tacos.

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Wednesday, July 23, 2008

MLB.com: VandenHurk leads Marlins’ one-hitter

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