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The Marlins Are on Fire

The top hitting team in the Major Leagues couldn’t slow down the surging Marlins on Friday night.

Rookie left-hander Scott Olsen helped make sure of that.

Tossing seven brilliant innings, with eight strikeouts, Olsen shut down a powerful Blue Jays attack and the Marlins were able to prevail, 3-1, at Dolphin Stadium.

Dan Uggla and Miguel Cabrera each homered, providing Olsen (6-3) with enough punch to collect his fourth straight victory. As a team, the Marlins have now won six straight and 16 of their last 22.

In a season where 18 rookies have already been used, many predicted a disastrous season for the youthful Marlins. And on May 21, when they were 11-31, it certainly seemed the squad was overmatched.

Now, they are 27-37, and a half-game behind the Nationals for fourth place in the National League East. While the Mets are comfortably pacing the division, the Marlins are only three games back in the loss column behind the second place Phillies.

“Bottom line, talent wins,” says the confident Olsen. “If you can get the most out of the talent that you have, you can win. If everybody plays up to their potential, and the pitching holds up, we’ll be alright.”

Toronto right-hander Ty Taubenheim (0-4) was solid for six innings, giving up three runs (with only one earned) on four hits. But the Marlins maximized their hits, as two were homers.

Olsen, a lanky left-hander, was effective on a night that he didn’t feel he was particularly strong. However, the rookie struck out Vernon Wells three times, getting him to chase sliders.

“Vernon Wells is a tough hitter,” Marlins manager Joe Girardi said. “I’ve seen him make a lot of loud noises when he’s at the plate over the years. Every time he comes up, you say, ‘Oh boy.’ He’s that type of player. He’s a great player. Ollie did a nice job on him.”

After Olsen was able to work out of the seventh, getting a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning, the Marlins bullpen stepped up.

In all, the Marlins used four rookie pitchers to keep the top run-scoring team in the Major Leagues to one run. Carlos Martinez worked out of the eighth, striking out Wells himself, and getting the help of catcher Matt Treanor, who threw out Russ Adams trying to steal third.

But Toronto threatened in the ninth. Logan Kensing retired the first two batters, but pinch-hitter Gregg Zaun managed a single.

Girardi then went with lefty reliever Taylor Tankersley to secure the final out. But left-handed batter Lyle Overbay singled and lefty Eric Hinske walked to load the bases. The game ended when Adams lifted a fly ball to right field.

The major difference between now and earlier in the season is the Marlins were unable to protect late leads, and their inexperience was telling in numerous crucial situations.

“We were in a lot of games early and we were finding ways to lose there at the end,” Girardi said. “Now we’re finding a way to win them at the end.”

In the fifth inning, the Marlins grabbed the lead on Uggla’s two-run homer to left-center off Taubenheim. Both runs were unearned because Treanor reached on Shea Hillenbrand’s error at third. Then with two outs, Uggla crushed a first-pitch offering for his 12th homer.

Cabrera belted his 10th home run, a solo shot in the sixth, giving the Marlins a 3-1 edge. It was the slugger’s first home run since May 30.

“It’s definitely fun,” Uggla said. “But it was fun the first month of the season. I was just as excited coming to the ballpark then as I am now. We’re young. We’re excited to be here.”

Even when they were losing on an almost nightly basis, Uggla said the team remained upbeat.

“I know that nobody in this locker room ever got down,” he said.

Faced with runners in scoring position in the first and second innings, Olsen was able to wiggle out of potential jams. But in the fourth inning, the Blue Jays got on the board when Troy Glaus went deep to left-center. The estimated 431-foot shot was his 20th, giving the veteran six seasons with at least 20 home runs.

But that’s the only run Olsen would allow.

“We can be real good,” Olsen said. “Everybody is young. Everybody, the word they say is ‘potential.’ Everybody has potential. Obviously, when you are in the big leagues, we should be reaching that potential. That’s fine, and if we do, you’re looking at quality, quality players in the future from this team.”

[FLORIDA MARLINS]