Marlins 2nd Win is the 2nd Walkoff

I don't know if I can take a season full of walk off wins, but hey, the first two this season for our boys in Teal have been just that - exciting.

The first hero was Robert Andino, a shortstop prospect that I have been writing off ever since we drafted him. But he is emerging as not just another slick-fielding prospect but one with, gulp, a bat. I still can't believe I am saying that.

Tonight's hero, however, was Mike Jacobs. The 3rd year 1st baseman has been hitting the ball very well all season but tonight finally broke through - and he knew it. Big Jake has always had a kind of swagger to me, a kind of gunslinger assurance that kind of reminds me a bit of Will Clark. Not the cocky gunslinger type so much, but his smooth lefty swing. Well tonight, after he got a nice pitch from Franky O (I am not going to try and spell the Pirates' relievers name...), he dropped his bat head about belt high and watched the ball sail into the right field bleachers for the Marlins 2nd win of the season - which, incidentally, was their 2nd walk off of the night.

You could tell it was gone, too. Jacobs spit a minor rainstorm out of his mouth after he hit it and started his trot around the bases. Immediately, the bench cleared, tossing helmets and gloves back toward the dugout as the win was ensured, and gave Jacobs his victorious beat down at home plate.

And he escaped without getting a cream pie in the face.

So, the Marlins will face the Pirates for 2 more games to close out the series. Perhaps the most exciting thing after all won't be the Brett Michael's concert after the game tomorrow night. And that is how it should be - your Marlins are playing gritty and fun baseball. Now, it is just about making it more consistent and who knows how things will progress for this team this 2008 season.