CUBS
Marlins rise from depths
Send Cubs to 16th defeat in 20 games
MARLINS 9, CUBS 1
By Paul Sullivan
Tribune staff reporter
Published May 23, 2006
MIAMI -- Rookie left-hander Sean Marshall may have benefited
more than any other Cub by the trade of three pitching prospects to Florida
last December for center fielder Juan Pierre.
One of those prospects, right-hander Ricky Nolasco, could have moved into the
Cubs' injury-plagued rotation this spring had he not been dealt, blocking the
way for Marshall's comet-like ascension from Double A to the big leagues.
But in Monday night's matchup against Marshall, Nolasco showed the Cubs they
may have given up on him too soon.
Nolasco threw seven innings of one-run ball in Florida's 9-1 win, helping the
Marlins snap a seven-game losing streak and spoiling Pierre's homecoming.
Not only did Nolasco outpitch Marshall, allowing one run on four hits, he also
homered and drove in two runs to rub it in the Cubs' faces.
Renyel Pinto, another Cubs prospect in the Pierre deal, and ex-Cubs reliever
Todd Wellemeyer finished it out for the Marlins, who are managed by ex-Cub Joe
Girardi.
Girardi's beleaguered team has split four games with the Cubs, despite having
a 9-29 mark against everyone else. The Cubs have lost 16th of their last 20,
falling to 18-26.
"It was a bad night," manager Dusty Baker said.
The low point of the game, and perhaps of the post-Derrek Lee funk, was
Marshall giving up a fourth-inning home run to Nolasco, a former teammate of
his in the Cubs' system.
Nolasco has outhomered Pierre 1-0, while both have two RBIs. He's 3-1 in his
young career, with two of those wins coming against the Cubs.
Marshall, meanwhile, allowed seven runs on seven hits and four walks in 3 1/3
innings, after throwing six shutout innings in his last start against
Washington. Before that, he gave up nine runs in 3 2/3 innings to San
Francisco.
"I left pitches up again, and I got punished for them," Marshall
said, blaming it on a mechanical problem.
Marshall has already thrown 47 2/3 innings in nine starts, after throwing a
combined 94 innings in 16 starts last year in Class A and Double A. Whether
his arm is getting taxed is something the Cubs may soon have to address.
With an already overworked bullpen and with Kerry Wood pitching Tuesday,
coming off shoulder soreness after his first start, bringing in the relief
corps in the fourth inning was the last thing Baker needed Monday.
"We had a ton of walks," Baker said of the seven free passes.
Pierre's homecoming drew only 9,462 to Dolphin Stadium. One of the local
reporters asked Pierre if he felt any sympathy for the Marlins, who entered
with an 11-31 record.
"What we're going through over here, I don't feel for nobody right
now," Pierre replied.
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psullivan@tribune.com
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