Fish Cap: Miami Marlins 5, Kansas City Royals 2

Jacob Turner's Control Issues

In Miami's impressive victory over the red-hot Kansas City Royals, one the only main issues that the team dealt with hinged the right arm of Jacob Turner. While he has been extremely solid since his debut in May, Turner has struggled mightily when it comes to controlling his pitches over the plate (3.71 BB/9). That issue continued during Wednesday afternoon's game as Turner's control issues were clearly apparent as he walked 25% (6 out of 25) of the batters that he went up against in his five inning performance.

Surprisingly, Turner was able to keep Kansas City's offense in check despite the control issues as they were only 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. While his overall performance was sketchy, Turner's performance in this afternoon's game is positive for the simple fact that he kept the Royals from really blowing the game open in the first few innings which was helpful as the afternoon wore on.

Unsung Heroes Lead Miami's Offense

One of the big stories surrounding the Miami Marlins since the All-Star break has been the continued struggles of outfielder Justin Ruggiano. Going into Wednesday's game, Ruggiano was hitless in his last 41 at-bats and it seemed that his only supporter was manager Mike Redmond who started him at right field to rest Giancarlo Stanton. That support and opportunity appeared to have paid off as Ruggiano had one of the most productive performances in his Marlins career by hitting 3-for-4 with a single RBI.

With Giancarlo Stanton sitting out, key members of Miami's offensive platoon stepped up to the plate (pun intended) and produced for the winning team. The top of the lineup duo of Donovan Solano and Kansas City native Logan Morrison were the main leaders of the team's offensive attack in the 7th and 9th inning. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of their solid offensive performance late in the game is the fact that it came against one of the best bullpen arms in the game (Luke Hochevar).

In a season that could prove that the Marlins were one of the worst offenses in the history of the MLB, today's game is going to be an extremely small bright spot on an otherwise awful season.

Bullpen Continues To Thrive

With Jacob Turner battling control issues and having a relatively short outing, Miami's bullpen was asked to keep Kansas City's offense in check as the Marlins batters were looking to grab an advantage. The trio of Dan Jennings, AJ Ramos and closer Steve Cishek were close to perfect in their 4 inning performance. Besides a few exceptions, this bullpen has been extremely solid and efficient since the All-Star break which has been a key component in the team's semi-success.

After defeating Kansas City in the three game series, Miami will go back home to face off against the San Francisco Giants in a three game series that will start on Friday.

Source: FanGraphs