Acting manager Joey Cora said Friday's 11-inning walkoff victory over the Astros was such a nailbiter that suspended manager Ozzie Guillen developed head pains because he was helpless to do anything about it.
"He said it was a headache watching the game," Cora said. "It went 11 innings and there was nothing he could do about it. He wasn't there. just watching. It's tough on him. He sounded better. But, like I said, it's tough for him not to be here with the guys."
Cora would not say where Guillen watched the game but that he's anxious to return. Guillen has two more games remaining on his five-game suspension, and he'll be eligible to return on Tuesday when the Marlins open a three-game set against the Chicago Cubs.
"He wants to be here. Badly," Cora said. "He's really looking forward to being with the boys in the new ballpark. He hasn't been in the new ballpark that much. We've got a new toy. He's got a new toy and he can't play with it yet. Tuesday he's going to get to play at least three games in a row for real. He'll get to manage his team in his new ballpark, his new toy, and he'll enjoy it."
Cora said Friday's victory was "emotional for everybody because of what they've been through."
"One thing we're going to suggest to Mr. Loria is I don't think there are going to be that many home runs hit in this ballpark, so if he's planning on using that thing (the home run sculpture), maybe it would be better to (turn) it on when we win games instead of only (when the Marlins hit) home runs," Cora said. There's a good possibility we'll win more games than (hit) home runs, the way it's playing now."
_______________________________________________________
Omar Infante isn't in tonight's lineup due to a slight groin injury. Infante and Cora said it is nothing major, but both decided it would be better to sit Infante for one game rather than risk aggravating it even further. Donnie Murphy will start tonight at second.
"He's available, but we don't want to take any chances," Cora said. "Hopefully, tomorrow he'll start. If it was September in the middle of the pennant race, he would definitely be out there."
____________________________________________________________
Heath Bell experienced a pitching first on Friday: walking three consecutive batters on just 13 pitches.
"After I threw 13 balls, they were booing me pretty bad, like my days in New York," Bell said of the crowd. "And then I threw a strike and it was like we won the World Series. The biggest challenge for me this season is to win over the crowd. I gave them a taste of badness last night."
Bell said he didn't think he was missing the strike zone by that much, but he refused to give in to Houston's young and relatively unfamiliar hitters by throwing a meatball down the middle of the plate.
"If you want me to throw it down the middle, I could," Bell said. "But I didn't want them to hit a home run (with a pitch) down the middle with a young kid. I think young kids are looking for right down the middle. We haven't faced them a whole lot and they're all brand new -- they're the second youngest team in the big leagues right behind the Royals -- so you don't have a lot of history with them. You don't know what they're looking for in certain situations."
Bell said he used every pitch in his arsenal, but to no avail. He got out of the bases-loaded jam when he got Carlos Lee to bounce out on a check swing.
"I was very fortunate he swung at a bad pitch," Bell said. "It was frustrating for me. It's almost like I should have had (catcher John) Buck come out and say, 'This is how you throw a strike.'"
Commented Cora: "Obviously we were a little bit concerned. But he got through it. He's a veteran. He knows what he's doing out there. So we let him go. He threw a zero. That's what he gets paid for."
____________________________________________
Tonight's lineups (the roof and windows are presently open):
Marlins: 1. Reyes, ss; 2. Bonifacio, cf; 3. Ramirez, 3b; 4. Morrison, lf; 5. Sanchez, 1b; 6. Coghlan, rf; 7. Murphy, 2b; 8. Hayes, c; 9. Zambrano, p.
Astros: 1. Schafer, cf; 2. Lowrie, ss; 3. Martinez, lf; 4. Lee, 1b; 5. Bogusevic, rf; 6. Johnson, 3b; 7. Snyder, c; 8. Altuve, 2b; 9. Norris, p
Umpires: HP -- Dana DeMuth; 1B -- Kerwin Danley; 2B -- Doug Eddings; 3B -- Paul Nauert.
