Lineup Shuffle: Hanley Hits Third

Is this a good idea? Well, only if the Marlins are planning to play Alfredo Amezaga everyday at center.

Fredi Gonzalez adapted his lineup to suit his current situation - which is losing Josh Willingham to the 15 day DL (retroactive to Sunday) and nursing along a banged up Mike Jacobs who is having problems with an irritable finger. (Jacobs received cortisone treatment on the finger and is cleared to play, returning last night to the lineup.)

So what did the lineup look like? Amezaga lead off followed by Jeremy Hermida, Hanley Ramirez, Mike Jacobs, Dan Uggla, Luis Gonzalez, Jorge Cantu and then the pitcher spot.

The Marlins put 6 runs on the board last night, so it seems it shook things up. Four of those runs, however, came from one man - Dan Uggla - who crushed 2 pitches for home runs last night. But here is what does work also - hitting Hermida second.

Hermida is a patient hitter who can work the count. He is also a dynamic enough hitter to be able to do what a #2 needs to do - adapt. He can work the count and get on base if he needs to or he can drive in a run if the lead off hitter gets on. As a lefty, you could also squeeze a runner with a bunt or possibly put a hit and run on as he will be coming out of the left-handed box which can by more time. More importantly, Hermida looked comfortable in the 2nd slot going 3 for 4 last night. He has the ability to drive in runs and put the ball in play, which means more action at the top of the lineup for the Marlins, too.

Uggla also looked like the same hitter in the 6th spot as he was in the 2nd spot. Which he admitted in a post game interview last night. So, if Uggla is going to have the same hitting approach, why put him back at the #2 spot?

This was also a chance for Hanley to become more of a run producer instead of a table setter. Despite his excellent on-base percentage, Ramirez also has excellent numbers that project to good run production. With the Marlins missing Josh Willingham at the moment and testing Mike Jacobs' health, they needed some kind of protection in the middle of the order, something they may have lacked in the Dodgers' series. Although I think Hanley is better suited to hitting first, as he is a potent weapon, we can try (again) to see him at the third spot as long as Willingham is out.

Also, it was interesting to finally see Amezaga lead off. The guy is a scrapper and makes pitchers work. What better person to have lead off than some one like that? The problem is, he is not an everyday player and when he isn't in the lineup, who will lead off?

For now, it seems Fredi is experimenting. It paid off last night against the Dodgers but Hanley still is showing signs of being in a slump (which doesn't matter where he hits right now).

Marlins: The Best Team You Will Never See

"We can't even get on SportsCenter. We swept the [Nationals], and we couldn't even get on SportsCenter. That's amazing."

Mike Jacobs is right. Marlin fans have long cried conspiracy over the national coverage of the major league franchise, and this fan in particular has always believed it. What the Marlins did last night was practically unbelievable.

They were down three runs to ace Roy Oswalt, who has struggled to start the season but was finally looking like he was getting back on track. The Marlins, without warning, went on an offensive binge and launched 8 runs in the 3rd and 4th innings to take this game over.

Jorge Cantu, emerging as a capable third baseman and trying to replace, in some fashion, the departed Miguel Cabrera bombed the top of the train tracks with his home run. It then bounced out of the park onto Crawford Street.

Hermida, on a 3-2 count facing a 3-nil score on Oswalt, tied up the game with one swing.

The Marlins are 7-3 with a $21M dollar payroll. The next closet team in payroll? The Tampa Bay Rays with $35M.

The way the Marlins are playing is scary good. They have won 4 in a row, swept the Nationals in DC and now overcame the Astros best pitcher to steal a game and blow it open. Oswalt's season is now being doubted internally and the Marlins bats, of all teams, are the ones creating this anxiety for Astro fans.

And this team can't get on any highlight reels. Why?