No order to Marlins
Miami Marlins first-year manager Mike Redmond isn’t one to make out mock lineups while riding in a taxi, during dinner at a restaurant or in the middle of night.
“I try not to think about it all the time,” Redmond said, flashing a wry grin. “I’ve saved that fun for when I get to the ballpark.”
He uses the word “fun” facetiously. The Marlins rank last in the majors in runs, batting average, slugging percentage and homers, which is why they have the N.L.’s worst record.
They do lead the league in one category: Redmond has tried 38 batting orders in 40 games, which made Wednesday’s game against Cincinnati unusual, because the Marlins went with the same lineup for the second night in a row.
Slugger Giancarlo Stanton’s absence due to a hamstring injury has hurt continuity, and seven players have been tried in his cleanup spot. Five have batted leadoff, seven have hit second, and a whopping 11 players have batted in the No. 7 spot.
The only constant has been a lack of runs. The Marlins went into Wednesday night averaging 2.8 runs per game, lower than the franchise record set in 1994. It didn’t improve Wednesday as the Reds blanked the Marlins 4-0. The team batting average of .222 would also be a record.
Seven players in Wednesday’s lineup were hitting .240 or lower.
“We definitely have some guys that are struggling,” said Redmond, a former Gonzaga University and major league catcher. “We need guys to step up. It’s not something you need to tell them. They look up there on that big board and can see where they’re at. We know we’re capable of more offense than this.”
Aces square off
Justin Verlander and Yu Darvish will face each other tonight (5 p.m., MLB network) in Arlington, Texas, in one of the most enticing pitching showdowns of the season so far.
Darvish is the Rangers’ ace and baseball’s strikeout leader with 80. Verlander has led the A.L. in strikeouts three of the past four years for the Tigers.
Clearing the bases
The Dodgers no sooner got Zack Greinke back from the disabled list when Josh Beckett took his place there. Beckett went on the 15-day DL retroactive to Tuesday with a strained left groin. … Right-hander Carlos Zambrano has agreed to a minor league contract with the Phillies.