Kyle Chapman Marlins

Ok, gang. It is Tuesday afternoon around 3:45pm. According to the recording on the Kyle Chapman weather line (713) 271-0203, the K.C. games that were supposed to be played on Monday night (last night, 11/4) will be played on Friday night, 11/8 at the same times. The games that were supposed to be played on Tuesday night (tonight), will be played either on Saturday afternoon or Saturday night. Stay tuned for further details. Finally, there will be a Marlins practice at Dromgooles on Hillcroft from 7:00pm to 8:00pm tonight (Tuesday, 11/5). What this means is that your Marlins schedule for this week is as follows: Tuesday (today), practice Dromgooles 7-8pm. Wednesday, nothing. Thursday, game as scheduled against the Rockies at 6pm. Friday, 11/8, we will play the Pirates at 8pm. Saturday, 11/9, we will play the Astros at a time to be announced. Whew... fun, fun, fun.

In one of the stranger games played this season-- fitting for Halloween night-- the Marlins scored 7 unearned runs in a wild 7th inning to finally subdue the Cubs 9-1. The Marlins put up a run in the first inning on a Trey Hibbert walk, a Grant Haynes double and a Daniel Rothenberg triple. Two runs would have scored in the inning but for a running snafu at third base. The Cubs countered with one unearned run in the bottom of the first off of starter, Pat Brosch, on a single, a stolen base, a passed ball and a fielder's choice. After Pat held the Cubs scoreless in the second inning, the Marlins tallied another run in the third inning on a passed ball. That's where the score was stuck-- 2-1, through the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings. The Cubs received strong pitching from starter, Jeremy Schafer, who lasted four innings. The Marlins countered with two strong innings by starter Pat Brosch, two strong innings by the eventual game winner, Grant Haynes, two strong innings by Daniel Rothenberg, who earned a hold for his effort, and a 3-up, 3-down 7th inning pitched by closer, Jared Rothenberg. No save was awarded because Jared came in with an 8 run lead in the 7th inning. John Mardirosian pitched two good innings of relief until the game went KABLOOIE in the Marlins' half of the seventh inning. The Marlins converted six walks, one hit by pitch, three passed balls, four wild pitches, two errors and a partridge in a pear tree into 7 big unearned runs to finally blow the game wide open. The win brings the Marlins record up to 11-1 with six games remaining in the season. The Marlins face a tough week ahead with a game against the Dodgers at 2pm on Saturday, and games against the Pirates, Astros and Rockies on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday of next week. On Saturday, the Marlins will be without the services of Daniel Rothenberg, who will be in Richmond, Texas, pitching for the 14 year old tournament team, and Trey Hibbert, who will be participating in a wonderful family event. Let's all rally around the Marlins so that we go into the season-ending tournament Marlin tough. That's all for now. This is Big Daddy Tuna saying, muhhahahahahahahaaa.... Happy Halloween!!!!

What started out a nailbiter ended up a manicure. The K.C. Marlins put up five big runs in the fifth inning to seal a 12-5 victory over the determined Cubs. With the Marlins' pitching staff severely limited by playing three games in three days, starting pitcher Pat Brosch held the Cubs to one run in each of the first two innings on two walks, three hits, striking out four. Josh Hidalgo earned a hold by limiting the Cubs batters to three runs (two earned) on two walks, three hits, striking out three. Trey Hibbert returned to fine pitching form, dispatching the Cubs in the 6th inning on 11 pitches, giving up only a deep Cody Stoots double to center field that ultimately did not result in any Cubs' runs being scored. Defensively, Michael Leach sparkled in the outfield, limiting two Cubs' batters to singles by getting the ball back into the infield quickly. The story was quite different on the Marlins' offensive side of the scorebook. The Marlins scratched out four first inning runs on a Trey Hibbert double, a Ben Wendt single, a third-to-home fielder's choice by Grant Haynes, a Daniel Rothenberg single, a Pat Brosch single, a Jared Rothenberg single, and a Josh Hidalgo groundball that was misplayed by the Cubs into the fourth run of the inning. Ben, Grant, Daniel and Pat all scored runs in the first inning, and Josh and Pat drove in two of those runs. The Marlins added two more runs in the third inning when, with two outs, Grant Haynes reached first base on an error by the first baseman and Daniel Rothenberg muscled the first Jeremy Schafer pitch over the 270 sign in left field for a run and two runs batted in. The Marlins tallied another run in the fourth inning when Josh Hidalgo struck out with one out, but reached first when the catcher missed the third strike. Chris O'Shea launched a line drive single into right centerfield. Hidalgo, who reached third on O'Shea's hit, scored on a C.J. O'Connell grounder to second base. The floodgates opened in the fifth inning when Ben Wendt reached first on a fielder's choice with one out, Grant Haynes singled, Daniel Rothenberg was intentionally walked for the second time this season, and Pat Brosch made the Cubs pay with a triple to left centerfield. Three runs scored on Brosch's blast. Jared Rothenberg walked (and later scored on a wild pitch), and Trey Hibbert, who was pinch running for Pat at third base, scored on Brian Barker's single. All told, the Marlins' offense banged out seven singles, two doubles, a triple and a home run, and collected two walks. With this outstanding effort, the Marlins ran their season record up to 10-1, and returned to their winning ways under interim manager Ken Brosch. The Marlins' regular manager, Glenn Somethingoranother could not be reached for comment on the teams' outstanding effort in his absence. The Marlins have now won the season series with the Pirates, Cardinals, Cubs and Dodgers, and can do the same to the Rockies next week if they continue to play up to their terrific potential. Congratulations on an excellent team effort.

From the "you-just-knew-it-was-going-to-happen-one-of-these-days" department, the K.C. Astros pounded out 11 hits to filet our hometown Phish by the score of 6-3 at K.C. field in beautiful Bayland Park. Daniel Rothenberg started the game, holding the potent Astros offense to just three hits, one walk and one unearned run in three innings of work. The Marlins bats took Daniel off of the hook in by scoring three runs in the third inning. The Marlins scored when C.J. O'Connell was hit by a pitch and later scored, Michael Leach walked and later scored, Brian Barker reached on an error by the Astro second baseman and later scored, Grant Haynes walked, and Daniel Rothenberg singled in two runs. Other than a first inning single by Grant Haynes and a fifth inning single by Ben Wendt, that was all the offense that the Marlins could muster. On the pitching side, Trey Hibbert, who hadn't assumed the mound in about the past two weeks, had a tough time in the 4th inning. The Astros scored four runs, highlighted by back-to-back doubles by Mark Robicheau and Karl Pringle, and a three run blast to left-center field by Nanbi Deekee. Josh Hidalgo pitched a scoreless fifth inning giving up 2 hits and striking out one. The Marlins, who were strapped for pitching due to three games in three days, sent rookie pitcher Jared Rothenberg to the mound in the 6th and 7th innings in his K.C. Pony league debut. In the 6th, Jared gave up two walks, a single to Karl Pringle and a thunderous double to Aaron Dushkin to tally an insurance run for the Astros. Remarkably, with all that, the 'stros only scored one run that inning. Jared got a huge hand from big brother Daniel, who threw out Chris St. Aubin trying to score from third base on a fly out to center field. Catcher, Trey Hibbert did a great job receiving the throw and slapping the tag onto St. Aubin just before he reached the plate. Jared gave up one single in the 7th inning, but no runs, while striking out the side to end the inning. There's no rest for the weary, with the Marlins scheduled to face the well-rested Cubs tomorrow (Friday) night at 8pm. Be there or, well, don't be there. That's all for now. This is Big Daddy Tuna saying, "We may have lost, but we are much better looking than the Astros any day!!!"

They don't make 'em any closer than this one. The Marlins used three pitchers and despite some spotty fielding, managed to subdue the extremely tough Pirates 7-6 before a crowd of 37 at K.C. field on Wednesday night. Grant Haynes pitched four strong innings to pick up his third win of the season. Pat Brosch came in to pitch the fifth inning, and right about then, the Marlins decided to use their gloves to keep their hands warm rather than for fielding purposes. Four errors, one hit and one walk later, the Pirates had pulled within one run. Trey Hibbert put on a magnificent display of hitting, going 3-3 with two singles and a double. The double was likely the most clutch hit of the season so far, in that it turned into the game's winning run. Daniel Rothenberg came on to pitch the 7th inning and after a weak single up the middle, managed to shut down the Pirates for his second save of the season. On the hitting side, the Phish began the game by continuing their wimpy hitting ways from Saturday's one-hit performance against the Cardinals. Marlins batters appeared to be hypnotized by Pirate starting pitcher Griffin Taylor. Through 3 innings, Taylor gave up only one hit and no runs. In the fourth, however, the ceiling caved in. Marlins batters remembered that their bats are something more than dugout decorations, striking for five big runs on six hits. By winning their first nine games, the Marlins have guaranteed themselves no worse than a .500 winning percentage this season. By beating the Pirates for the second time, the Phish won the season series against them. The Phish strap on their fins again at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday) night against the tough Astros. Players should be at the field by 5:00pm for batting practice. That is all for now. This is Big Daddy Tuna signing off.