Fish Bytes

Gutsy pinch-hit by Infante started Marlins rally

Hanley Ramirez will get most of the glory for putting an end to his 0-for-26 skid with the game-winning hit in Saturday's 3-2 come-from-behind win over the Diamondbacks. 

But none of it might have happened if not for a gutsy pinch-hit appearance and subsequent triple by Omar Infante to start the seventh. As Infante rounded second, he braced for the pain he was about to feel in his tight left hamstring as he stopped at third. But pain, Infante said afterward, is just a small price for a victory.

"It feels good [to get a win]," Infante said. "[But] I'm a little tight, too."

Manager Ozzie Guillen said before the game he wanted to sit Infante for two games because he didn't like the way he was moving on the field Friday. But with the Marlins down 2-0 and needing a lift, Guillen called on the team's leader in batting average to deliver. He did.

"I told Ozzie I don't want to be scared. I'm thinking a lot," Infante said. "I don't want to be out there if I'm 50, 60 percent. Sometimes I can go out there two days in a row and be fine. But I want to play 100 percent. I don't want to play 60 percent, 70 percent.

"I want to get there."

 

Troublesome hamstring continues to plague Infante

There aren't many Marlins hitting the ball as well as Omar Infante. The second baseman leads the team with a .315 batting average and five home runs. 

But he can't seem to stay healthy, and now Ozzie Guillen said Infante's troublesome hamstring is forcing him to sit yet again.

"Infante will say he's fine, but I saw him moving around and he wasn't moving around the way he wanted to," Guillen said Saturday. "Yesterday, he wanted to beat out an infield hit. But when you push, that's when you get hurt. Then, we're done for a little while. We'd rather deal with it little by little."

Guillen said Infante, who has already missed four games this season due to the hamstring, will rest tonight and Sunday. He hopes he'll be back for Monday's series finale against the Diamondbacks.

The Marlins, in the midst of franchise-worst slump at the plate with six runs over there last six games, don't appear to want to put Infante on the disabled list and just let the hamstring heal. As Guillen said, "I'd rather have him two days off than 15."

REYES: "I know if I get hot, everybody is going to get hot." 

> Shortstop Jose Reyes is back in the lineup today, but in a new spot -- second behind Emilio Bonifacio.

Reyes said batting second isn't a big deal and nothing will change with his approach at the plate.

"Second and leadoff is kind of the same -- I've got to get on base," Reyes said. "If Boni gets on, I'm going to let him steal. But nothing is going to change. I'm going to go to the plate with the same attitude, try to get on base and drive the machine."

Reyes, off to a career-worst start .205 batting average through his first 18 games, said his woes at the plate are not mechanical. He said he's just swinging at pitches outside of the zone.

"I don't think I'm too comfortable," said Reyes, who was given a day off Friday. "I have to move a little back in the home plate and let the ball come to me like I did in the past. That comes with time.

"Hopefully, I start coming around tonight. I know if I get hot, everybody is going to get hot."

Guillen said the move to No. 2 in the lineup is only temporary for Reyes.

"We did it for a reason," Guillen said. "Hopefully [Reyes will] see more fastballs, get more patient at the plate. Hopefully, we'll see Boni on base, try to keep the pressure on him to stay on base. Hopefully that works. When he starts swinging the bat better we'll move him back to where he belongs."

GUILLEN: "Stanton needs to swing at strikes."

> As for the homer-less Giancarlo Stanton who is sitting Saturday, Guillen said expectations might have been to high for him coming in.

"We're going to step off a little bit and let him play, see the results," Guillen said. "Before the season started, it was this kid is going to hit 60 home runs, drive in 130. When you're 21, 22 years old, there's not too many people that can handle that. I told him just play your game. You have two RBI, three RBIs, just move on. Right now we're trying to get him back on track. When he's on track, hopefully he'll keep it longer and stay with the program."

Guillen said Stanton's knee isn't a problem or the reason he's hitting just .234 with 5 RBI.

"You know what problem he has? He's not swinging at strikes," Guillen said. "Watching from the dugout, he's chasing bad pitches up and down. Nobody is that good. Not that many players are good enough to make contact on balls above your chest and balls under your knees. I think the last couple weeks he's chasing a lot of bad pitches and that's why he's put himself in trouble."

Reyes, Bonifacio flip flop at top as Guillen shakes up struggling Marlins lineup

Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen, looking to jump start an anemic offense that's produced just six runs and has hit .150 during a six-game losing streak, has shaken up the lineup a little heading into Saturday night's game against Arizona.

Jose Reyes, who hit .205 as the Marlins lead-off hitter over the team's first 18 games, has been flip-flopped with Emilio Bonifacio at the top. Reyes will hit in the second spot. He's hit there 47 times in his career, posting an average of .317 (58x183), eight doubles, three triples, two home runs and 10 RBI.

Second baseman Omar Infante, meanwhile, who collected one of the Marlins' three hits Friday, is sitting out. So, too, is Giancarlo Stanton, who is still looking for home run number 1 after a career-worst stretch of 93 at-bats. Greg Dobbs will start in his place in right.

THE LINEUP: 1. Emilio Bonifacio 2B; 2. Jose Reyes SS; 3. Hanley Ramirez 3B, 4. Logan Morrison LF; 5. Gaby Sanchez 1B; 6. Greg Dobbs RF; 7. Brett Hayes C; 8. Chris Coghlan CF; 9. Anibal Sanchez P.