While the Indians have rudely stolen their thunder, the Florida Marlins are playing better baseball than you might think, and on Monday night they rallied past the St. Louis Cardinals and won 6-5, pushing their record to 18-9.
Marlins Vs. Cardinals: Mike Stanton, Gaby Sanchez Power Florida To Victory
Chris Volstad started for the Marlins and allowed five runs in five innings without recording a strikeout. He surrendered a pair of RBI singles in the first, and got ripped by Lance Berkman for a three-run homer in the third. It was Berkman's ninth home run of the young season.
But while Volstad was having a rough go, the Marlins' batters were picking him up. In the top of the third, Gaby Sanchez came up with two outs and the bases loaded, worked a 2-2 count against Kyle Lohse, and then blasted a pitch deep to left field for a grand slam that put the Marlins up 4-2.
And though the Cardinals took the lead back a few minutes later on Berkman’s shot, Mike Stanton took Lohse deep to left in the fifth to tie things up. The two home runs allowed by Lohse doubled his season total coming into the game.
After Stanton's homer, the game remained even until the top of the eighth, when Stanton led off with a triple against Mitchell Boggs and scored on Greg Dobbs' sac fly. No further damage would be done, but it was all the Marlins' bullpen would need, as Clay Hensley and Leo Nunez sealed the deal, Nunez picking up his tenth save in as many chances.
For the Marlins, it was their 11th come-from-behind win of the year. For the Cardinals, it was a tough game to stomach on the same day they learned they'll be without regular third baseman David Freese for nine to 12 weeks due to a broken hand.
The series continues on Tuesday, with Anibal Sanchez opposing Kyle McClellan.
For more on the Marlins and Cardinals, please visit team blogs Fish Stripes and Viva El Birdos.
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