RHP Aniburke Sanchenhop
Is it me, or does it seem as though the Marlins' bats enjoy going into a collective coma whenever we get a quality performance from a starter (see: Friday and Sunday vs. Mets)? And when a starter decides to have a dismal performance on the mound *cough* Miller&Sanchez *cough*, the wood springs to life like an ADHD-afflicted six-year-old who has just ingested several bottles of 5-hour energy.
OK, maybe that doesn't happen every time, but it feels like it. Last night was a case in point, as Ani Sanchez could barely manage three innings, and the Fish scored 10 runs. Dan Uggla connected on his 100th home run, making MLB history as the fastest second baseman to reach that milestone. Cody Ross blasted his second grand salami of the season. Even Brettley Carroll got in on the action, going 2-for-4 and capitalizing on a rare opportunity to start in RF.
Then again, half of the runs scored in last night's game came after the second starter of the night took the mound. Burke Badenhop tossed five scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and one walk to the Brew Crew. The Hopper and his terrific start--er, relief appearance were definitely one of the highlights in a game chock full of them. After his performance last night, I heard several references to Burke as the "unsung hero" of the pitching staff. Um, clearly you haven't been reading HLD&S, people. We've been singing at the top of our lungs for quite some time. Call it Hopper: The Musical. Our throats hurt.
If Badenhop will be called on to put in the equivalent of a quality start whenever Sanchez or Miller pitches, I guess I no longer need to worry about campaigning for his spot in the rotation (although it might be fun to see Sanchy sent to the 'pen to "battle through" a couple innings after the Hopper takes care of business through five or six). From here on out I don't think we should look at it as long relief. Let's just call it "starter by committee."
Fun fact: No one on the Marlins pitching staff has more wins this season than Burke Badenhop. True story.
That's a pretty surprising stat that I bet hardly anyone ever thinks about. The Hopper has as many wins as JJ. I think we should call Hopper "Starter B" instead. He's waiting until one of the starters messes up and swoops in for the win. Too bad he wasn't there for Sean West tonight, and too bad Penn is not Hopper.
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Love the name and pic!
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