Marlins’ bats come alive to lead 7-3 victory

The Fish completed a full 180 degree turn after last nights loss to the Rockies. Offense was key in this win for the Fish. Pablo López pitched a good game and the team as a whole came together. The young players looked much more focus and the veterans helped lay the foundation for tonights victory.

Pablo López: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 K

Tyler Anderson: 5.0 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

López was rolling through the first two innings without issue. He was sequencing well making sure there were pitches at the top and the bottom of the zone. When he was able to paint the bottom of the zone he could barely be touched. His speed ranged between 80 and 96 mph adding another dimension to his game. There were points where it seemed like he was not putting the ball where he was supposed to, but he clamped down and kept going.

One of the shaky moments for López was during the third inning. He started off the inning giving up a single, hitting a batter, and balking. Both runners would end up scoring, but López stopped the bleeding there. The sixth inning would be the next time the Rockies would score. After giving up the lead off single López was taken out after 88 pitches. Tyler Kinley came in and struck out the side, but not before the Rockies drove in the man on base.

The Fish's bullpen played a strong role in tonights game. Tyler Anderson struck out the side in the eighth inning. Adam Conley and Sergio Romo would also contribute to tonights win. Drew Steckenrider finished up the game in the ninth, making quick work of the Rockies. The starting rotation will be the key this season for the Fish, but many times the bullpen will be needed to cover innings.

The Fish had an explosive amount of offense tonight. The Marlins are not a power team, their success will come when they can hit in bunches. That is exactly what happened tonight when they produced 16 hits. The offense was anchored by the veterans tonight, both Miguel Rojas and Martín Prado each had three hits. Curtis Granderson also produced a fantastic squeeze bunt that allowed Lewis Brinson to score. Brinson had two hits while scoring twice. Chad Wallach drew a walk, two hits, and scored once.

The Marlins swung the bat great and ran the base paths well. Their defense was much better tonight and it showed. Brinson made a fantastic catch in the ninth inning to keep things rolling. Smart baseball is fun to watch and these kids gave it their all. Tomorrow will be the final game in the series, a chance for the Fish to tie things up.

Rockies vs. Marlins box score (MLB.com)

Fish Picks answer key

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