PHOENIX – Hanley Ramirez, the Marlins’ All Star shortstop, didn’t waste any time celebrating news of basketball star LeBron James’ decision to sign with the Miami Heat.
He flashed a “Welcome LeBron” sign for TV cameras in the Marlins dugout before the first pitch Thursday night. But once the game started, the James inspiration disappeared.
The Marlins got pounded 10-4 by a Diamondbacks team that started the day 21 games under .500 and with the league’s worst ERA (5.39).
A night after Josh Johnson tossed eight scoreless innings, Anibal Sanchez turned in a dud. He had his shortest start of the year, allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits in 4-plus innings.
Sanchez was pulled after facing two batters in the fifth inning and throwing 92 pitches.
“It was a very rough night for Anibal. He was pitching behind in the count. By the third inning he was close to 80 pitches so his tempo was very slow,” manager Edwin Rodriguez said.
“I’m pretty sure he will bounce back from that. But you could tell by the second inning his breaking ball wasn’t working. His sinker wasn’t sinking over the plate against left-handed hitters and they were taking advantage of that.”
Catcher Brett Hayes, hitting eighth, hit a two-run home run for the Marlins and was the only lineup starter with at least two hits. Mike Stanton, the No. 7 hitter, had a double and two pinch-hitters got hits: Mike Lamb tripled and Donnie Murphy doubled.
But the top six batters in Florida’s batting order combined to go 0-for-17 through the first seven innings. The finished 1-for-22.
Rodriguez singled out Ramirez, who went 0-for-4.
“We have to get more offense mainly from Hanley, in the middle of the order. We need more offense from Hanley,” Rodriguez said.
“Danny Uggla had been swinging the bat very well. The bottom part of the lineup had been swinging the bat really well. We need more offense from that top of the lineup.”
The Marlins made three errors in the game: Sanchez, third baseman Jorge Cantu, second baseman and Dan Uggla.
“It was a pretty bad overall game, let’s put it that way,” Rodriguez said.
Sanchez (7-6, 3.66) had pitched at least into the sixth inning in each of his previous 10 starts before Thursday. But he’s 2-4 with a 4.83 ERA over his last seven starts.
The game was played in front of the smallest crowd in Arizona franchise history: 16,664.
Leo Nunez shaken up in freak accident
Arizona had 15 hits, including one that roughed up closer Leo Nunez while he was sitting on a chair in the bullpen. Kelly Johnson tripled in the fourth inning on a ball that bounced off the bullpen gate in right field.
Right-fielder Mike Stanton took a leaping stab at the ball but crashed against the gate, which slammed into Nunez.
Nunez had been sitting on a chair facing the field on the other side of the gate, which he said initially slammed against his right ankle. He was limping slightly after the collission, but he would’ve been available to pitch if the Marlins needed him, Rodriguez said.
Trainer Sean Cunningham told Rodriguez there was no swelling on the ankle.
Tim Wood optioned
Relieverr Tim Wood was optioned to Class AAA New Orleans after allowing four runs (three earned) in the sixth inning, boosting his ERA to 5.53.
Left-hander Dan Meyer is expected to be re-called to take Wood’s spot.
