As heartbreaking as Thursday's 4-3 loss was for Marlins starter Kevin Slowey because he let a 3-1 lead get away from him and failed to pick up his first win since Sept. 18, 2010, there was a positive.
He threw a season-high 112 pitches over six innings of three-run, five-hit ball and felt good afterward.
"For a pitcher like me who has come back from some injuries to know my manager and my pitching coach have faith in me that my pitches 105 to 112 are still going to be competitive it's a great thing," said Slowey, who didn't pitch all of 2012 because of a fractured rib and missed the rest of the 2011 season with an abdominal strain.
"I felt like I was still commanding the ball where I wanted to. The [game-tying home run] pitch to [Nate] Schierholtz just didn't execute it in where I wanted it. But those next couple batters I was able to continue to let it go. I didn't feel winded or exhausted."
Marlins manager Mike Redmond said he felt "totally confident" having Slowey continue to work in the sixth even though his pitch count was high. Slowey hadn't thrown more than 93 pitches in a game this season before Thursday.
"We need to get this guy a win," Redmond said. "He's pitched his butt off. He deserves it."
BIG HEAT FAN
Turns out the Heat jersey with the No. 1 hanging in the Marlins' clubhouse doesn't belong to Chris Bosh. It belongs to veteran left-fielder and longtime Heat fan Juan Pierre, who said he received it as a gift from the Heat during his bachelor party three years ago at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Pierre said he's had the jersey hung close to his baseball locker since he got it and brings it out during the playoffs. But he won't wear it.
"I wouldn't wear it with shorts and kick it," Pierre said. "Once you get past 30 you cant' wear jerseys. That's just the rule. You pass 30 years old you can't wear it. When I became a man I had to put those away."
FRIDAY'S LINEUPS
> Marlins (5-17): 1. Juan Pierre LF, 2. Placido Polanco 3B, 3. Giancarlo Stanton RF, 4. Joe Mahoney 1B, 5. Donovan Solano 2B, 6. Rob Brantly C, 7. Chris Coghlan CF, 8. Chris Valaika SS, 9. Wade LeBlanc LHP.
> Cubs (7-14): 1. Dave Sappelt CF, 2. Starlin Castro SS, 3. Anthony Rizzo 1B, 4. Alfonso Soriano LF, 5. Wellington Castillo C, 6. Scott Hairston RF, 7. Cody Ransom 3B, 8. Darwin Barney 2B, 9. Scott Feldman RHP.
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