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Starting pitcher Clay Hensley #32 (C) of the Florida Marlins is approached by pitching coach Randy St. Claire #51 during the fourth inning of the game aftering giving up seven runs in the game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on August 20, ...
The Marlins fell behind early again, sustaining their worst loss of the season and dropping to 12 games below .500 for the first time in 2011.
Starting pitcher Clay Hensley #32 (C) of the Florida Marlins is approached by pitching coach Randy St. Claire #51 during the fourth inning of the game aftering giving up seven runs in the game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on August 20, 2011 in San Diego, California.
SAN DIEGO -- The roof doesn?t collapse on Clay Hensley and the Marlins if the pitcher?s reach is an inch longer. Or if Greg Dobbs puts a little more zing into his throw. Or if Cameron Maybin is just a tiny tick slower.
Saturday night?s game doesn?t come undone on the Marlins in the first inning if any of those things occur. But they don?t. Maybin barely beat out an infield hit with two outs and, before the first is a wrap, the Padres have four runs.
Hensley?s San Diego homecoming turned into an instant meltdown as the Marlins lost yet again to the Padres 14-1 at Petco Park. The 13-run loss was the worst of the season for the Marlins, and it dropped them to 12 games below .500 for the first time.
The last-place Padres have won all six meetings against the Marlins this season, and in every one they have scored in the first inning. The Padres, one of the poorest-hitting clubs in the majors and the team with the fewest home runs, pounded a pair of home runs off Hensley following Maybin?s hit and drew off for an easy victory.
Hensley, who began his major-league career with the Padres and keeps his offseason home in the San Diego area, gave up seven runs and was knocked out in the fourth.
With more than 30 friends and family members looking on, Hensley provided them reason to cheer when he struck out the first two Padres batters he faced. But their joy became muted when Maybin dribbled a soft grounder to the right of the mound. Hensley reached down but couldn?t get quite low enough to glove the ball. Maybin beat Dobbs? throw, and the inning changed in a hurry.
After Jesus Guzman walked, Orlando Hudson hit a three-run homer to right, which was followed immediately by a Kyle Blanks home run to left. And just like that, it was 4-0.
Hensley, who was making his seventh start since coming off the disabled list in July and joining the rotation, gave up three more runs in the fourth. As a starter, Hensley is now 1-3 with a 7.36 ERA.
While Hensley was struggling, his counterpart ? Padres starter Aaron Harang ? held the Marlins scoreless until Jose Lopez homered with one out in the sixth. In his three outings before Saturday?s start, Harang had given up 31 hits and walked eight in only 15?2/3 innings. But the Marlins? lineup didn?t prove nearly as difficult, and he held them to two hits through the first five innings, though he also walked five during that stretch.
Second baseman Omar Infante returned to the lineup after spending time on the disabled list and went 0 for 4. Mike Stanton was also back in the lineup after a big-toe injury put him on the bench for the start of Friday?s game. He went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and was moving gingerly.
Hensley wasn?t the only Marlins pitcher the Padres punished. Burke Badenhop gave up three runs. Chris Hatcher was charged with four in just one inning of work.
Nick Hundley?s two-run homer off Hatcher in the sixth was the 1,000th home run hit at Petco, which opened in 2004. Hundley had as many hits (four) as the Marlins. The Marlins, whose worst previous loss this season was a 14-2 setback to the Phillies, have now lost 14 of their past 16 games.
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worst ever - then we can talk about that NY Mets team that lost over 100 games when it started out back in the 60's. Marlins do have a few good players, but a really poor farm system. Right now, the Braves have some really good prospects coming up. Look for the Braves to take over as the best upcoming team int he N.L. East when the Phillies get older.
Marlins owners remind me of a business owner who keeps buying companies to grow earnings...rollups...at some point you run out of companies to buy...and you crumble....can't keep hoping to pull rabbits out of hats with minor league players in the majors...looks like Marlins have hit the wall....
Instead of improving, they have dipped. If Hanley doesn't comeback were in for the first sub 70 win season since 1999. Wonder how big of an offseason the Marlin are going to have, gonna need to get some starters.
Philadelphia Phillies with such great season as; 1941 43-109, 1942 42-109, 1945 46-108' more recent you say? In 1972 Steve Carlton went 27-10 1.97ERA the team won 59 lost 97 they have a long love for for the art of loosing.
You got some really bad teams listed here. What about that Oriole team that lost over 20 games in a row to start the season off? Marlins need to trade away Ramirez to get prospects. At this point, no one is untouchable on this team. Will get worst before it gets better.
The Marlins have been bad all year. Their #1 pitcher has been down, their best player in Ramirez has struggled, and Stanton is not the star everyone thought he was going to be. Jack is not the answer tot his team. And Ozzie Gullien will not be the manager for 2012. After Opening Day next year, that new stadium will be a White Elephant for years to come.