Cincinnati @ Florida preview
Sun Life Stadium
Last Meeting ( Apr 14, 2010 ) Cincinnati 3, Florida 5
So goes Jorge Cantu, so go the Florida Marlins.
While Cantu has earned national attention by collecting a hit and driving in a run in the season’s first nine games - a major league record for the start of a season - the Marlins (5-4) are still only a game over .500.
The reason could be Florida’s defense, and the Marlins will look to improve its play as they wrap up their series with the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday.
Florida leads Major League Baseball with 12 errors this year - and none were more costly than Cantu’s on Tuesday night.
With one out in the top of the fourth inning and the Cincinnati Reds leading, 3-1, Scott Rolen reached on Cantu's error. It didn’t seem like much at the time, but two hitters later when Florida should have been out of the inning, Ryan Hanigan blasted a three-run shot to give the Reds a 6-1 advantage. Cincinnati would go on to a 10-8 win in 11 innings.
So Cantu is not only leading the National League in doubles (five) and second in RBIs (14), he is leading the worst fielding team in the majors in errors.
Still, the positives have outweighed the negatives for Cantu, who looks to be on his way to his third season of 100 or more RBIs.
Florida’s Josh Johnson, who was 15-5 in his All-Star season in 2009, has failed to last more than five innings in any of his starts this year. While Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez was able to save most of his bullpen in Wednesday night’s 5-3 victory against Cincinnati, he’d clearly like a longer performance from Johnson after losing two extra-inning games to the Reds.
The Florida manager’s worry about bullpen overuse, however, is nothing like the stress Cincinnati starter Aaron Harang is under.
Try 1-11 in his last 12 decisions.
Try 12-31 during the past two years.
Try allowing four home runs in two starts this season and a 6.15 career ERA against Florida.
Heck, Harang was even sick the last time he took to the mound on Saturday.
However, the 32-year-old right-hander managed a quality start that day, hurling 99 pitches in seven innings while allowing only four hits and three earned runs against the Chicago Cubs.
So while Johnson’s career 1.74 ERA against the Reds might appear more advantageous, as a strikeout pitcher he tends to throw more pitches.
And since both teams have called on relief pitchers 12 times in this series, Harang’s durability might make him the perfect choice to start for the Reds.
Unless, of course, he hangs a pitch into Cantu’s wheelhouse.