First pitch is set at 4:05 PM ET at Petco Park. Ricky Nolasco will be the starting pitcher for Miami. In his last start, which was a win against the Giants in San Francisco, he allowed 1 run on 7 hits with 1 strikeout and a walk in 7 innings. Joe Wieland will get the start for San Diego. Wieland is still looking for his first major league win. He’s currently 0-4 with an ERA of 4.91.

In the last 5 years, Ricky Nolasco is 3-2 with a 5.82 ERA with a WHIP of 1.38 and 36 strikeouts against the San Diego Padres. While Joe Wieland has never face the Marlins in his career.

Notes:

• With a win today, the Marlins could sweep the Padres and return to .500.
• Stanton hit his fifth homer on Saturday in the ninth, extending his hitting streak to eight games.
• Heath Bell has been removed from closer role for a few days.

The game will be televised on Fox Sports Florida, but if you can’t watch it, hear it on the radio at XPRS 1090, WAXY 790, WAQI 710 (Spanish).

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With a bullpen depleted due to overuse recently and closer Heath Bell getting demoted, Miami manager Ozzie Guillen was counting on Buehrle to pitch deep in the game, and he delivered.

Buehrle (2-4) allowed one run and five hits with two walks and three strikeouts in a game that lasted 2 hours, 18 minutes one day after the teams played a 12-inning game that lasted 4:45.

Buehrle, one of the Marlins’ key offseason free-agent signings, threw his first complete game since Oct. 2, 2010, with the Chicago White Sox. Buehrle was coming off his shortest start of the season, a five-inning stint in a 9-5 loss against Arizona.

Omar Infante, who doubled in the go-ahead run in Friday’s 9-8 win in 12 innings, had two RBIs with a double and a sacrifice fly.

Giancarlo Stanton hit a solo homer in the ninth and Hanley Ramirez, who came into the game hitting just .198, had three hits.

Dobbs’ pinch hit single in a two-run eighth inning put the Marlins ahead.

Jose Reyes led off the inning with a walk and Emilio Bonifacio followed with an infield single. After Dale Thayer replaced Clayton Richard, Ramirez reached on a fielder’s choice, Dobbs pinch hit forAustin Kearns and singled to center for a 2-1 lead.

Infante then hit a sacrifice fly.

Richard (1-4) gave up three runs and nine hits over seven innings. The left-hander struck out seven and walked three.

After two of the NL’s lowest-scoring teams combined for 17 runs on 24 hits on Friday night, the clubs reverted to their previous form.

Ramirez led off the Marlins’ fourth with a one-out single but was thrown out going to third base on Kearns’ single. Infante followed with a run-scoring double.

Chase Headley tied the score in the sixth on an RBI single that scored Jesus Guzman, who doubled.

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With a 5-0 lead and Josh Johnson on the mound, it was looking like an easier win for the Fish as they stretched out their legs on this road trip while hoping to give the bullpen a rest. At the end of this 12 inning marathon, the Marlins had tossed away two leads and used up 6 relievers to get their fourth straight. Truly a Pyrrhic victory.

What emerges are some concerns – is Josh Johnson truly healthy? His command is very much off as he left pitches over the plate and watched his 5-0 lead evaporate in just 2.2 innings when he was pulled from the game.

“You’re up, 5-0, and JJ is on the mound, you feel good about yourself,” Guillen said. “I just wonder if he’s not feeling good. He says he feels good, but command is not there. A lot of bad pitches. With two strikes, keeping the ball up. Right now, what’s killing him is he doesn’t have any command of his pitches.”

Then there is Heath Bell. His season seems to be very bumpy and there are questions circulating about whether or not he will keep the closer role through the weekend, let alone for the rest of the season. His problems also can be attributed to location as he has walked 10 batters already versus only 6 strikeouts. Hitters are hitting .308 from the left side and over .400 from the right side.

But it was Omar Infante who, again, comes up with a big hit to give the Marlins back the lead in the 12th inning which was the eventual game winner. Steve Cishek, also, has emerged as a possible candidate to replace Bell if his struggles continue. Getting the 9-8 win, the Marlins were able to get their 4th straight win, but more questions loom on the horizon about two of their big arms.

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This episode focuses on Ozzie’s return to the Marlins and what kind of reaction awaits him. Watch for yourself:

Check out more Marlins’ videos and coverage on our YouTube channel.

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At that point, it was looking like ugly loss #7 in a row was rearing its ugly head. No one would have predicted what happened next – that Sanchez would retire the next 16 DBacks in a row, striking out 14 of them. Sanchez would become only the third Marlin to ever strike out 14+ batters in a game (Ricky Nolasco with 16 back in 2009 against the Braves, and AJ Burnett would K 14 twice).

All of a sudden, in a blink of an eye, Sanchez became unhittable again.

It was the same with the Marlins’ bats. They couldn’t get anything to get past the infield. Everything was hit right at someone and when they did get a hit, it came with usually 2 outs and no real threat. Ian Kennedy did a great job spreading out the hits and lightening any potential damage. Then Jose Reyes drove in a run followed by a solo shot into the Longball Lagoon from Logan Morrison. All of a sudden, the game was tied 2-2.

It took an open base at 1st, and an intentional walk, but eventually it fell to Hanley Ramirez to try and knock home the game winning run. And in the blink of an eye, Hanley did just that – he drove Mike Stanton home to steal the Marlins’ first win since the Cub series, snapping a 6 game losing streak.

Today the Marlins will go for the series win at 1:00pm against the Diamondbacks.

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Over the course of this 6 game losing streak, the Marlins are hitting .151 with a 2-26 clip with runners in scoring position.

The good news? The problem is pretty much isolated to the offense. The pitching and the defense is right there and keeping the Marlins in games. The lack of offense is killing their production in the win column.

The remedies are many – from shifting lineups to sitting guys to trying to get back to fundamentals. Whatever it may be, it is up to Ozzie Guillen as he looks to prove why he was brought in here to make this team, and this franchise, take the leap to the next level. Yet even Ozzie hasn’t quite lit off the fireworks and continues to keep his comments subdued.

Expect some accountability to settle in. Now is the time when veteran leaders step up and that would point the way for Greg Dobbs and Omar Infante to take the reigns here. This team is really pretty young and not established, so any ceiling of projection at this point, is trying to forecast production and see this team do things that, quite frankly, they haven’t done yet. So, patience, Marlins fans. Patience.

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It seems that the list price of the tickets may be scaring potential buyers off. If a season ticket package is purchased, you actually can save money on the face value of the tickets. For example, tickets that are typically $45-35 seem to be going for about $25 when you purchase a 20 game package.

Perhaps it is the parking situation that might be scaring people off? If you purchase tickets you can also purchase the parking package at about $15 per game. Still, getting in and out of those parking garages has not entirely been ironed out. There is an exit route plan but if you don’t want to get caught in that loop, you can always head over to Magic City Casino. For $5 per person you can park your car and ride in their air conditioned coach bus to the game, where they will drop you off and pick you up afterwards.

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Yes, what he said was a mistake, but probably taken a bit more out of context than anything. Besides, if Cuban Americans are so up in arms over Castro, what better situation could they have asked for than a prominent Hispanic figure shining a light on an issue that is important to them?

Sure, Ozzie has gotten himself into hot water. And yes it is probably a very strong miscalculation on his part to praise Castro, in any shape or form, while going to work 81 days of the year in Hialeah, Miami, the epicenter of all things Cuban. It is the nerve center for the consciousness of Cuba and its relations to America. But that is just Ozzie being Ozzie, isn’t it? Isn’t that what we all should expect?

Yet consider if Guillen toed the standard party line, and was not supportive of Castro’s regime. That wouldn’t be news. Probably would be cut from his interview. Instead, because he gave Castro a light endorsement, saying he admired the dictator for staying in power for so long. Guillen stressed there was a bit of a misunderstanding, as it seems likely that he wouldn’t be supportive of his crimes against humanity but instead be more likely to admire the ability to have such a dominance over Cuba for so long. Cuban Americans should take note – it is impressive, although for the wrong reasons. It is a testament to how backwards things in Cuba are.

Now, consider how much this story is being discussed. It has reached a national level not only giving prominent exposure to Guillen and the Marlins, but also to the very issue of the political situation in Cuba. What is America’s foreign policy stance towards Cuba? Is it helpful? What exactly is going on in Cuba? In light of the recent world developments of the Arab Spring, Kony 2012 debacle, and the economic problems of Europe (and Greece), there is a need to create awareness on such issues.

They say there is no such thing as bad PR, and well, whoever said that are right. Guillen was brought into Miami to help usher in a new era of baseball. The people of Miami are talking about baseball, but also are talking about their new manager as if he has an obligation to support their wishes politically as well. To people outside of Miami, this may not be anything more than Ozzie being Ozzie, but then again to those same people they might not understand the diversity of Hispanics living here in the United States. Ozzie Guillen’s comments illustrate this to the rest of the country while also bringing into sharp contrast the diversity of Hispanic America. They may share the same language, but by no means do they share the ideas politically. Hispanics are very diverse, unique, and have a lot to offer the fabric of the American quilt.

There are those calling for Ozzie to be fired and there are those, Cuban Americans actually, who are supportive of Ozzie the player. They know his personality and understand the spirit of his comments even if they don’t agree with a positive depiction of Castro. Ozzie has apologized for his comments and is legitimately sorry for what he said. He may not have realized that his new community would react so strongly to something that may have passed under the radar back in Chicago. There, a strong Mexican population predominates whereas here in Miami, a stronger Carribean and South American population exists – namely the Cuban community which is based where he is now.

Ultimately, Ozzie will rectify this situation by focusing on managing games and winning games. He will probably develop a little more of a buffer when it comes to politics and his comments in the media. That said, we should all emphasize and protect the right to free speech because that is a fundamental right that we as Americans share. We may not agree with you, but we support your right to say it. We may not agree with Ozzie Guillen’s comments, but he has every right to say what he thinks. We also have the right to use his comments as a springboard to a greater discussion about Cuba’s political system and their effects on our fellow countrymen who live here and their relatives who are still back in Cuba. What Ozzie did was create awareness about the plight of Cuba and in shining a light on it, forces us to face this topic and have a conversation about it.

In the end, Cuban Americans should be excited about this opportunity and should also utilize this situation to try and bring some attention to it. The Marlins, if they play this right, can also put themselves in the heart of the conversation and take on a greater role within the community – not just being a baseball team based in Hialeah, but also being a public venue for their community while also illustrating its passion and its heart.

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Witness the retraction of the roof at Miami Marlins Park on Opening Night 2012

We are heading down from Broward County on arguably one of the busiest sports days in South Florida history. The Marlins are christening their new stadium while the Heat are also playing the Oklahoma City Thunder, vying for a playoff spot. Even more historical is the fact that both games are on ESPN. It seemed that ESPN had a blackout policy towards both franchises – my how things change.

Even more unbelievable, in fact, is that it’s the Marlins who are pushing the Heat to ESPN2.

Several parking garages surround the new park, but we think better of this strategy. Maybe not such a good idea on a dry run with a packed house and thinking better of it, we opt to head on over to Magic City Casino to hitch a ride. For $5, you can park and ride in an air-conditioned tour bus and arrive, rock star style, at the foot of the new stadium.

Architecturally, it reminds one of the American Airlines Arena – sleek, modern, turbine of a wave crest spun into the ground with soaring glass and promenades. The atmosphere is one only South Florida could provide, luscious percussion and horns thumping to the steamy Latin-inspired beats that are all too familiar to the area. This is an event, you are being told, no punches pulled here. It doesn’t feel contrived, but you do realize that you are being persuaded to join the party. You are compelled, drawn in, seduced. With a slender finger and a wag, you proceed up to the gate, hand over your glossy ticket, get scanned and admitted. You are handed a shiny new lanyard to put your ticket in, for safe keeping, and off you go ascending the stair case or escalators up to the promenade.

Immediately you feel out of place because, in years’ past when you attended a Marlins game, you felt really out of place. You were watching baseball in a football stadium. Now, you can’t take your eyes off the game as you can literally see the field from every nook and cranny while waiting in line for beer, peanuts, and cracker jack. And there were lines.

Once you get to your seat, there is another surprise awaiting you which will make a huge difference for baseball fans here in Miami – you are actually oriented towards home plate. At Joe Robbie/Sun Life/Landshark, you had to screw your neck to get a glimpse of the game as all of the lines were meant for football, not baseball. Not so at the new park where everyone is facing home plate where indeed, all the action of the game is centered.

The atmosphere is very colorful, yet subdued. The drab green wall runs the length of the outfield and mirrors the color of the grass. Yet soaring above the left center field area is the much discussed Red Grooms commission. The very essence of the piece is compelling – it is a multimedia spin, literally, on the event of a home run for the south Florida fans of the Miami Marlins. There are mechanized flamingos and marlins which spin around almost like straight out of some kind of county fair shooting game. Take aim, boys, it screams, daring anyone to take on the challenge of enlivening the crowd with one swing of the bat. Now you can quite literally shake the place.

Then there’s the roof. The very heart of this issue about baseball in south Florida. This one simple feature will redefine the market and make Miami a baseball haven. Or so the hope is. What’s the big deal, after all? The ancient Romans had retractable roof technology – they hired sailors to unfurl sails over the crowds gathered at the Coliseum to witness gladiator blood sport. Why shouldn’t we, us advanced civilized folk, have anything less? Now we do and the roof was pealed back in about 10 minutes. Complete with fireworks and a flyover, the 8 tons of concrete and steel revealed the sky to the crowd in dramatic fashion.

There was a game to be played, too. In fact, in some ways, it was a relief to get to it – to sort through all of the celebrations and pre-game hype. The Marlins were doing more than just playing a game, they were setting a tone. No, they were invoking a call for a new tradition in Miami, a new rite of summer that will begin with the rolling back of the ceiling to show us the sky. An interior blessed with the art of modern masters to help us see things in new ways. The team, the game, all seem to be less the focus and a bit more of the ingredients. The purist will rue the interchanges between innings with dance teams, loud music, cutaways on the jumbotron, and racing sea life around the outfield wall. Yet this is where things are – a soup to be stirred and enjoyed by a diverse community. Some will come for the baseball, some will come as a curiosity, some will come for the event. All will leave impacted and that is what this ownership team is hoping for – new life into the heart of the city. The football past has given way to a baseball renaissance.

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Meanwhile, the Marlins were closing out their 2011 season by losing to the Nationals in their last ever game at the cavernous Joe Robbie-turned-Sun Life Stadium. Yet, you could feel more of a buzz about the Marlins going forward.

A couple of weeks ago the Braves were heading to the postseason while riding the coattails of two ex-Marlins in Dan Uggla and skipper Fredi Gonzalez. It was looking bleak as the Fish were squandering what looked like a promising start to the season into an injury-riddled, listless movement that seemed to show the Marlins were not going anywhere soon.

With Ozzie Guillen’s return to Miami, and getting to inaugurate the new home for the Marlins in downtown Miami, all of that has changed. I have to admit, it was looking like another mistake by the Marlins in that clearly they hired the right manager but for the wrong team. I was starting to wonder if we had been wrong about Fredi and with Joe Girardi leading his team into the playoffs again, it was feeling a bit like rejection at the high school prom.

Funny how perspectives and fortunes can change literally overnight. Now where would you rather be: faced with explaining a huge collapse or asking questions to Ozzie Guillen about the direction of his new ballclub?

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