BOSTON -- Hot as blue blazes in Boston, where the "feels like" temperature was 95 hot ones a moment ago. Perhaps it's time they put a roof on Fenway?
Ozzie Guillen used most of his pre-game chat with media talking about how he still believed in his players even though the team is in a June nosedive. Guillen said there's a natural "tendency to change lineups" when things aren't going well but that, from experience, it doesn't work.
"I'm going to stick with the guys," Guillen said. "I'm going to believe in them. I'm going to make the same lineup if I can to make sure they know I'm behind them. We're know we're not performing. It's not a secret for anybody on this ballclub. I think everybody that wears this uniform knows we're not performing."
But even Guillen said he's mystified how things have turned south so quickly.
"It surprises me how good you can be one month and then so bad," he said. "I think everybody here has talent. Everybody here has done it before. And I think everybody will come out of this. We've got talent. We're good. We're not playing good."
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Most of the finger-pointing during the slide has been on the offense, or lack thereof. The Marlins, this month, have scored the fewest runs of any team in the majors. But the pitching hasn't exactly been stout as evidenced by a hefty staff ERA of 5.49 this month.
"April and May we were really good," said pitching coach Randy St. Claire. "It hasn't been good since. About the last week of May was when it started getting some hiccups in there."
The 5.49 ERA ranks 14th of the 16 N.L. teams, but is a full run higher than the team just ahead of them, the Phillies. Only the Rockies (5.49) and Astros (6.86) rank lower. Last month, the Marlins ranked fifth in the N.L. with a 3.57 ERA.
"When you look at most of the pitches we're getting hurt on are pitches up in the zone," St. Claire said. "Right now we're making too many mistakes. I've talked to them about it. Whether they feel like they have to throw zeroes up (due to the lack of offense), I don't know. But you can't feel that way."
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Lineups:
Marlins: 1. Reyes, ss; 2. Ramirez, 3b; 3. Stanton, rf; 4. Morrison, lf; 5. Ruggiano, cf; 6. Infante, 2b; 7. Kearns, dh; 8. Sanchez, 1b; 9. Buck, c. Pitching: Nolasco
Red Sox: 1. Nava, lf; 2. Kalish, cf; 3. Gonzalez, 1b; 4. Ortiz, dh; 5. Ross, rf; 6. Saltalamacchia, c; 7. Youkilis, 3b; 8. Aviles, ss; 9 Punto, 2b. Pitching: Doubront.
