Fredi Gonzalez was less than pleased with the Marlins performance last night.
Even Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez was uncharacteristically curt with the media afterward, cutting his postgame interview short after being asked about a botched play when Dan Uggla, who walked to lead off the ninth, was caught stealing. When Gonzalez was asked about Uggla, he said, ''Sanchy pitched a terrific game,'' referring to Anibal Sanchez, who pitched well enough to win but took his second loss in three starts. Gonzalez then said, ``That's it.''
Fredi isn't going to dress down the players in the Media, that is not his style. But when he doesn't even offer a word of support or the "in a long season this sometimes happens" defense, he is pissed. And at the end of the game, it looked liked he was fuming. The good news for Fredi is that he wasn't alone, all Marlins fans were. Now, we will never know what was said in the locker room after the game, unless a player leaks it. But I can assure you something was said.
Uggla said he thought he saw a sign but was wrong. ''It shouldn't have happened, but it did happen,'' Uggla said. ``Obviously, that's not the right thing to do at that time. It's on me. I should have realized I didn't see what I thought I saw.''
You know Danny, if the imaginary sign doesn't make any sense, it probably didn't happen.
Wes Helms missed a hit-and-run sign in the sixth, and Uggla was thrown out at second on a play in which replays indicated he was safe. Helms also was distraught over his mistake. But the Marlins didn't lose because of the two mental errors. They simply could not drive in runs on a night when their leadoff man Hanley Ramirez reached base four times but scored only once. The Marlins' No. 2 through No. 6 hitters went 2 for 18.
The Marlins signs can't be that complicated. Geez.
And then the kicker.
The boos came in the eighth, when the Marlins left what was would have been the tying run at third base. Ramirez led off with a single and raced to third when Cardinals outfielder Rick Ankiel misplayed the ball, then overthrew second base.
But, trailing 3-2, the next three batters couldn't get the ball past a drawn-in infield with Kyle McClellan on the mound. Jeremy Hermida grounded out to short, Josh Willingham struck out looking, and Mike Jacobs flew out to left.
Did you know Hermida has only one sacrifice fly this season and only five in his career? It's not that he is impotent at the plate when a runner is on third with less than 2 outs, in his 16 PA this season in that situation, he has 6 hits but also 3 strikeouts. But if the team really, really needs to get a run perhaps they could teach him to bunt and squeeze the runner in. Because unless he gets a hit, it ain't happening.
Last night, had it not been for Pineiro uncorking a wild pitch in the 1st, I can almost guarantee that Hanley would've been stranded at third twice, while standing on the base with less than 2 outs.
I'm not much for booing your favorite team, but last night I completely understood it. Who knew you could get jet lag flying all the way in from New York.
Simply, Pathetic.