Marlins optimistic about postseason chances
MIAMI — Before the Florida Marlins’ most recent game, Jack McKeon and Jeff Conine crossed paths in the locker room and greeted each other wrongly but warmly.
“Hey, Jim,” McKeon said.
“Hi, Bill,” Conine replied.
In his second season as the Marlins’ manager, the 73-year-old McKeon still mangles the names of his players, sometimes intentionally and always to their amusement. Thanks in large part to his Stengelesque personality and “let’s have fun” philosophy, the Florida clubhouse again ranks as perhaps the merriest in baseball.
But in the standings, the defending World Series champions aren’t doing so well. With a 55-55 record, they’re a season-worst eight games behind first-place Atlanta in the N.L. East, and 5 1/2 back in the wild-card race, trailing four teams.
“I wouldn’t say our backs are against the wall,” center fielder Juan Pierre said. “But they’re pretty close to it.”
After failing to take advantage of a soft stretch in the schedule, Florida next plays three games against the St. Louis Cardinals, who own the best record in the major leagues.
“That’s good,” McKeon said. “We like to see them when they come in hot. They’re due to cool off. Hopefully it’ll be here.”
The Marlins want to believe the stage is set for another improbable title run. Last year they came from behind in the wild-card race and closed with a 32-14 spurt, postseason included.
But their deficit’s more daunting this time. On Aug. 10, 2003, the Marlins were tied for the wild-card lead. Now they need a 36-16 finish to match last year’s 91-71 record.
“We’re very upbeat,” pitcher Dontrelle Willis said. “It can come down to the last week, so anything’s possible, especially in this locker room. We definitely know how to come from behind, so we’re going to claw our way back until they say we can’t do it anymore.”
It helps that the Marlins have games remaining against all of the teams they’re chasing in the wild-card race. They play Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Diego and the Chicago Cubs a total of 19 times.
They also have six games left against Atlanta, but the Braves surged ahead in the division by winning 31 of their past 40 games. During the same stretch, the Marlins struggled against the N.L.’s last-place teams, losing 11 in a row to Arizona, Montreal and Pittsburgh over the span of a month.
“We can only blame ourselves,” Conine said. “We played so poorly for quite a while.”
One reason for Fish fans to be encouraged: Deals that brought in five players just before the trade deadline are already paying dividends. Guillermo Mota has provided welcome relief pitching, Ismael Valdez threw six shutouts innings in his first start, and catcher Paul Lo Duca — “Do Luca” to McKeon — is batting .500 with eight RBIs in 18 at-bats.
“We’re a much better club than we were before,” McKeon said.
The Marlins rank 12th in the N.L. in runs and 10th in ERA. World Series MVP Josh Beckett and hard-throwing A.J. Burnett are a combined 6-12, and catcher Ivan Rodriguez — batting .343 with 67 RBIs for Detroit — has been sorely missed.
Nevertheless, Lo Duca said, the Marlins retain a championship aura.
“There’s something to be said for people who know how to win,” Lo Duca said.