Bullpen To Blame For Marlins Downfall

The Florida Marlins are 3-6 on their current tour of their NL East rivals.  However, they could just as easily be 7-2.  A hit here, a run there, and all of a sudden, the Marlins are in their first free-fall of the season (and who would’ve guessed it would come in June?).

Streaks like this happen to every team throughout the year, but three things make this current malaise even tougher to swallow: (1) The bumps in the road are happening against division foes, who the Fish have to face several more times this season; one in which the division will likely be up for grabs until September; (2) The games have all been very close, won and lost in the late innings; and (3) It has been the strength of the team, the bullpen, that has let the team down.

This isn’t a bad streak where you can lay the blame on one person; just about each member of the bullpen has blown a game during this stretch.  But with the starters consistently failing to get into even the 6th inning, there is little recourse but to keep plugging away and sending the relievers to the mound.

Walks have been the main issue, a problem that has seemingly been ongoing through the years for the Marlins.  Even their most effective reliever, Renyel Pinto, has given up 22 free passes in 35 innings.

One move was made last night to try to remedy the situation, as Taylor Tankersley was sent to AAA.  But a constant shuttling of players from AAA to the Majors isn’t the answer either.  The only way to get things fixed is, to paraphrase a great REO Speedwagon song, “Ride(ing) The Storm Out.”