Starter Javier Vazquez and reliever Ryan Webb got their lunches handed to them by the Mets over the weekend. Vazquez pitched 2 1/3 innings in which he gave up six hits (2 homers) and he walked 5 batters as he allowed 4 earned runs and took the loss. Ryan Webb wasn’t much better in the two games he worked in as he gave up 4 hits and 3 earned runs in only 1 inning pitched. Webb also took one of the losses for the Marlins. Vazquez & Webb are much better than they showed over the weekend, so I look for them both to be much better the next time out.

27-year old righty Ricky Nolasco is a much better pitcher than he is showing so far this season for the Marlins. He has started 12 games for the Marlins this season and he is 5-4 with a 4.60 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. Nolasco has given up 81 hits (11 homers) in only 74 1/3 innings this season as he isn’t missing too many bats. But he has lessened the damage by showing great control as he has only walked 15 batters so far this season. The Marlins need Nolasco to step up because he should be the best starting pitcher on the team but he isn’t right now.

Dontrelle Willis, Scott Olsen and Sergio Mitre have all pitched like crap in the 2nd half of the season.  The D-Train has started 13 games since the All-Star Break and he is 2-8 with a 6.30 ERA and a 1.79 WHIP.  In 74.1 innings, Willis has allowed 105 hits, walked 28 batters and whiffed 51.  It seems as if Willis just took his first season making the big bucks off!  He has started 32 games this season and he is 9-15 with a 5.34 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP.  Scott Olsen is also having a rough 2nd half of the season.  In his 12 starts since the All-Star Break, Olsen is 3-7 with a 7.43 ERA and a 1.90 WHIP.  In 63 innings, Olsen has allowed 90 hits, 16 homers, walked 30 batters and whiffed 46.  Olsen has now started 31 games this season and he is 9-14 with a 6.06 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP.  Sergio Mitre has proven that his first half success was a fluke.  In 12 starts since the All-Star Game, Mitre is 2-4 with a 7.27 ERA and a 1.81 WHIP.  In 60.2 innings, Mitre has allowed 88 hits, walked 22 batters and whiffed 25.  For the season, Mitre has started 27 games and he is 5-8 with a 4.65 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP.  The Marlins are now 65-86 on the season which has them in last place in the National League West, 18.5 games behind the Mets and 3 games behind the Nationals for 4th place.

The Marlins have decided to shut down Rick VandenHurk due to the his workload this season.  This will also save his confidence which couldn’t be too high after all of the beatings he has endured this season.  VandenHurk pitched in 18 games (17 starts) and he was 4-6 with a 6.83 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP.  In 81.2 innings this season he has allowed 94 hits, 15 homers, walked 48 batters and whiffed 82.  VandenHurk does have good stuff but the Marlins rushed him to the big leagues.  Look for him to be much better next season if the Marlins need him to start for them.  Rookie lefty Chris Seddon will take VandenHurk’s spot in the starting rotation.  He has pitched in 2 games for the Marlins this season and he hasn’t allowed an earned run in 2 innings allowing only 1 hit while whiffing 3 batters.  I would be amazed if he pitched well for the Marlins seeing how the pitching starved Devil Rays never thought him worthy of a shot at the major leagues.

The Marlins felt great heading into the 2007 season with a starting rotation of Dontrelle Willis, Scott Olsen, Josh Johnson, Anibal Sanchez and Ricky Nolasco.  After all all five of those guys won at least 10 games in the 2006 season.  Those five guys started 128 games for the Marlins in 2006 and they compiled a 57-43 record with a 3.78 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP.  So the Marlins had high hopes and the return they got from them has been awful in 2007.  The “Big Five” has started 60 games this season for the Marlins and they were 18-25 with a 5.31 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP!  Were Sanchez, Nolasco and Johnson overworked last season or are they merely brittle?  Only time will tell.