Another 16 minutes and tonight's baseball monstrosity would have gone down as the longest nine-inning affair in Marlins history. As it was, there was much bad baseball squeezed into three hours and 54 minutes, allowing Ozzie Guillen to comment accurately: "That's the worst game we've played all year. We've been playing pretty good baseball all year, all around. Today was very ugly and something you have to turn the page as quick as you can."
The sloppy Marlins were tagged for a season-high 14 runs by the Giants. Of the many malfunctions from which to choose, Guillen settled on the botched rundown in the sixth as the most significant of the bunch. "One little play changed the game -- the rundown," Guillen said. "I think he (catcher Brett Hayes) didn't let the ball go right away. It was our defense not doing their job."
Anibal Sanchez gave up five runs, ending his streak of allowing three runs or less at 16 straight games. The bullpen was no better. Ryan Webb gave up three runs and struggling left-hander Mike Dunn was tagged for four. Dunn, who now owns an ERA of 9.58, was demoted to Triple A New Orleans afterward for the second time this season.
"Dunn I can't figure out," Guillen said. "The kid's got a good arm. His breaking ball isn't working. His location isn't the greatest."
The Marlins, as is their custom, will wait until tomorrow to announce a corresponding move. But it's likely they'll bring back left-hander Dan Jennings from New Orleans. Jennings, in 15 appearances for the Zephyrs, has a 0.95 ERA and has struck out 17 while walking just two in 19 innings.
