At the start of the week, Jack McKeon and Jeff (Steve) Conine said that the Fish would need to go 10-2 over their final 12 games in order to make the playoffs. On Tuesday night, the Fish went out and promptly lost the first game. Last night they went out and dropped game number two.
This just makes things simpler from here on out: the Fish need to go 10-0 the rest of the way. If they don't... well, prepare to start hearing new stuff from the Fish about how if the stars and the moon align.
Things were most definitely out of alignment last night. Look at some of the names that played for the Fish last night:
-
Mike Lowell at second base-- coming soon
- Joe Dillon -- playing second
- Alex Gonzalez -- a sighting. But he only pinch-ran
- Robert Andino -- your starter at shortstop
- Mike Mordecai -- also getting some time at short
- Matt Treanor -- only because LoDuca couldn't gut it out for the full nine. We don't blame you Paulie. Most of us would have taken the whole night (or week) off
- Jason Vargas -- we love ya' kid, but you weren't in the 2005 playoff push plans
- Jeremy Hermida -- see Vargas' comment
- Josh Willingham -- a slightly less harsh version of Vargas' comment
- Randy Messenger -- first option out of the pen.
- Ron Villone -- anyone want to head down to city hall or the county clerk's office (wherever) to petition to have his name changed to Villian?
- Paul Quantrill -- sadly it is not 1997 or 2003. Not only were those good years for the Fish, they were good for Quantrill too.
In case you're still deluding yourself (despite all the injuries), the Marlins aren't in this race anymore. Teams that are still making a playoff push don't play any of those guys last night - let alone all of them.
That said, there's hope tonight as Dontrelle Willis takes the hill for the Fish. Just don't bother to look at who the other guys are starting.
Side note: The Astros and Phillies play day games today.