Fish Bytes

Guillen blasts pitchers in clubhouse rant

   MILWAUKEE -- After Heath Bell ruined one of the biggest comebacks in Marlins franchise history when he gave up a game-ending homer to Aramis Ramirez, manager Ozzie Guillen went off in a profanity-laced rant inside the clubhouse. But Guillen didn't direct his anger at Bell. He railed on the other pitchers, most likely intended to deflect some of the criticism away from his embattled closer.

   “Make sure Miami people don’t (expletive) Bell,” Guillen said angrily to reporters, but loud enough for players, including Bell and starting pitcher Anibal Sanchez, in the hushed clubhouse to hear. “Bell gave up two runs. How about the rest of the (expletives) 10 or 12 runs they scored? That’s why this (expletive) game is not (expletive) fair. It’s Ozzie talking (expletive)? No. It’s Ozzie talking the truth, about how (expletive) we were before that (expletive) inning. Put that (expletive) down!”

   Bell accepted blame, saying he let his teammates down after they managed to rally from a 9-2 deficit in the seventh to send the game into extra innings. The Marlins, even without Giancarlo Stanton and Hanley Ramirez in the lineup, clubbed five homers and scored a season-high 12 runs. Before Tuesday, they were the only team in the majors that hadn't scored double-digit runs. But it all went to waste in a 10th-inning collapse by Bell, who now has five blown saves.

    Here's what Guillen had to say immediately after the jarring loss, but before he went on a tirade inside the clubhouse:

Giancarlo Stanton, Hanley Ramirez are late lineup scratches

    MILWAUKEE -- The Marlins have posted three different lineup cards this morning due to the late scratches of, first, Giancarlo Stanton and, just a moment ago, Hanley Ramirez.

    Both are complaining of sore knees.

    Stanton, who has not missed a game since April 22, isn't playing due to overall fatigue and a sore right knee. He said he expects to play Wednesday and take part in next week's All-Star festivities, including the Home Run Derby.

    "I was really fatigued yesterday, so I thought I'd wake up this morning and see how I felt, and I was still a little sore," Stanton said. "I was dragging a little bit yesterday."

    Said manager Ozzie Guillen: "I don't want to take any chances. It's an early game after a night game. He can pinch-hit if we need him, and tomorrow we'll see how it is."

    Guillen said he was surprised that Stanton has required more time off during the season after battling a knee problem in spring training.

    "We've been lucky, to be honest with you," Guillen said. "I thought it was going to be worse. When we left spring training, I thought we were going to be kind of like LoMo was...we give LoMo a lot of rest here and there. But when he says it's a little sore, then you have to be careful."

    As for Ramirez, Guillen said: “He’s been sore for the last couple of days. Today, he started swinging and was sore. I would rather give him a day off than lose him for 15, 20 days.”

    It is an extremely hot day here in Milwaukee, as it is in other parts of the country, with the temperature expected to soar to 100 degrees.

    Lineups:

    Marlins: 1. Jose Reyes, ss; 2. Donovan Solano, 3b; 3. Greg Dobbs, rf; 4. Logan Morrison, lf; 5. Justin Ruggiano, cf; 6. Omar Infante, 2b; 7. Gaby Sanchez, 1b; 8. John Buck, c; 9. Anibal Sanchez, p.

    Brewers: 1. Carlos Gomez, cf; 2. Norichika Aoki, rf; 3. Ryan Braun, lf; 4. Aramis Ramirez, 3b; 5. Corey Hart, 1b; 6. Rickie Weeks, 2b; 7. Cody Ransom, ss; 8. Martin Maldonado, c; 9. Marco Estrada, p.