LOS ANGELES (AP)—Pinch-hitter Jeremy Hermida drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, pinch-hitter Chris Coghlan homered in the eighth and the Florida Marlins kept rolling up the West Coast with a 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night.

All-Star Josh Johnson (9-2) pitched seven resilient innings as the Marlins followed up a three-game sweep in San Diego with a victory over the major league-leading Dodgers, whose five-game winning streak ended.
After Andre Ethier’s two-run double in the sixth tied it at 3 for Los Angeles, Cody Ross singled off reliever James McDonald (2-2) before Hermida drove him home with a single off Brent Leach.

In his first official start since July 12th in Arizona, Josh Johnson went 7 innings with 3 ER, 5 H, 0 BB and 4 K, making the menacing Dodgers lineup look like any other team when facing JJ. The bullpen, as has become routine as of late, followed him up with 1 hit and 1 walk in 2 innings of work and Leo Nunez once again recording the save.

On the offense, it looked way better than it did in San Diego. The Fish didn’t score a run until a Wes Helms double in the 5th inning to plate Bonifacio but they added two in the 6th, one in the 7th, and two in the 8th to win it 6-3. In the end every Marlins with an PA had a hit but Dan Uggla, with Bonifacio, Helms, and Paulino having multi-hit games. Chris Coghlan had a pinch hit home run in the 8th.

One interesting note: Hermida pinch hit for Carroll when Carroll’s 8th spot came up against a RHP. Dodger manager Joe Torre quickly countered with a LHP from the pen but Hermida was left in, as opposed to Fredi making a second pinch hitting move with Gaby Sanchez. Even more interesting was that Chris Coghlan, not Sanchez, was on deck to PH for Johnson, even though CC has hit .222/.323/.333 in 63 plate appearances vs LHP. With every decision made, it’s becoming more and more puzzling as to why the Marlins called up Gaby Sanchez in the first place.

Well then, now that all that is settled, it’s time for everyone’s favorite segment, the handing out of the Craig Counsell Hero of the Game Award!

Today’s winner is…

It’s a tie!

For keeping one of the top offenses in baseball to 3 runs, the first part of the award goes to Josh Johnson!

And for hitting a 2 out, PH single to bring in the go-ahead run in the 7th, the second part of the award goes to Jeremy Hermida!

You two share now.

Let’s hope the fans in San Diego last night didn’t go to the game expecting to see a display of offense. Then again, they are Padre fans, so they should know what they’re getting.

Last night was a classic Petco Park affair, with the Marlins beating the Padres 3-2, though the Marlins did have 14 baserunners, once again bringing to light the issue they seem to have in getting “big hits”.

On the pitching side, Volstad looked rocky at first, giving up 3 walks, 3 hits, and 1 run in the first 3 innings, but he strengthened up in the next 4 innings, allowing only 1 hit, 1 walk, and no runs.  The bullpen followed him up, allowing only 1 hit until Leo Nunez gave up his first home run since May 20th, while getting the save.

Now that all that’s out of the way, it’s time for everyone’s favorite segment, the handing out of the Craig Counsell Hero of the Game Award!

Today’s winner (due to lackluster play by the entire team) is…

Christopher Kenneth Volstad!

Yeah Chris, we feel the same way.

I swear, these night games are going to be the death of me. Or at the very least, I’m gonna lose my job.

Rick VandenHurk pitched six strong innings to earn his first win in more than a year, leading the Florida Marlins to a 3-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Monday night.

VandenHurk (1-0), making his first start since last July, allowed two runs and five hits, struck out four and walked two. He picked up his first victory since he pitched five innings in a 4-0 victory over Atlanta on June 22, 2008.

Hanley Ramirez homered for the Marlins, who put together a two-run rally in the seventh to snap a three-game skid. Leo Nunez pitched the ninth for his fifth save in eight chances to complete the combined five-hitter.

Vandenhurk looked great up until the 6th, when he gave up the back to back shots, though there were some hard hit balls. As always has been the case with him, he loses control as the game goes on. Still, nice to pick up a win, even if we tried as hard as we could to lose it.
In honor of the first victory in the history of this blog, I have the immense pleasure of introducing our Player of the Game award, known by it’s official name as the Craig Counsell Hero of the Game Award, the much prettier, more datable version of the Scott Olsen Mugshot Memorial Award.

This isn’t a game that had a lot of deserving nominees, so I’m going to go with the guy who went 0-4 but who nonetheless saved the game with a runner on 3rd in the 8th inning by picking Emilio Bonifacio’s throw in the dirt.

Hip Hip

JORGE!

Also, I’d like to start doing a little run down of the Marlins minor league affiliates various exploits, so here’s a little rundown of the team’s games tonight as well as the performances of notable prospects (Courtesy of Tealandblack.net):

GCL Marlins: DNP

Jamestown Jammers lost, 8-7
-Chase Austin (rd. 5): 2-5, run scored, 2 Ks (.279)
-Dustin Dickerson (rd. 6): 1-3, run scored, 1 BB (.316)

Greensboro Grasshoppers lost, 5-1
-Mattison: 2-4, run scored, 1 K (.240)
-Galloway: 2-4, 1 RBI, 1 K (.282)
-Smolinski: 1-3, (.260)
-Skipworth down to .199
-Koehler: 6 IP, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (3.09 ERA)
-Jennings: 1 IP, 3 K (2.85 ERA)

Jupiter Hammerheads lost 2-1 in 10 innings
-Burns: 2-5, 2 doubles, 1 K (.263)
-Mense: 2-4, 1 R (.232)
-Valentin: 1-2, 1 Double, 1 RBI, 2 BB (.244)
-Allison: 8.1 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (3.71)
-Harvey: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K (3.33)

Jacksonville was idle

New Orleans Zyphers lost, 3-1
-Maybin: 1-4 with a double, (.343)
-Lindsey: 1-2, 1 R, 2 BBs (.260)
-Sanchez: 0-4 (.284)
-De Aza: 2-4, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 K (.289)
-Collazo: 7 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (3.54)
-Mobley: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K (3.68)

Also have to post up this picture from the Times-Picayune of  Oklahoma RedHawks center fielder Julio Borbon absolutely robbing Gaby Sanchez of a home run tonight.

And speaking of the minors, starting pitcher Andrew Miller has been sent to AAA New Orleans. He was absolutely dreadful in his last few starts and seems to have lost the consistency his new delivery had brought him.