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?

Part II would be even more miraculous. The Marlins have lost 11 straight and are 1-18 this month. A team that started off the season hot and looking like a contender has now sunk like a brick within the NL East. Looking more like the Mets than the Phillies, the Marlins are a desperate team faced with a series of injuries, but even still not playing sound baseball. The 80 year old McKeon will try his magic again, but it would seem that just getting this team to play good baseball again will be enough of a challenge. Edwin Rodriguez resigned after the Marlins racked up their 10th straight loss and what seemed like a promising find for the Fish after the Fredi Gonzalez fiasco has turned into something rotten.

Recently, Hanley Ramirez was quoted as backing Rodriguez as his coach, “He’s going to be here forever. I’m on his side. I’ve got his back to the death.” Although admirable, it turned out to be the kiss of death as Rodriguez resigned shortly thereafter. Rodriguez only went as far as to state that it was in the best interest of the Marlins to resign, but one would question his competitiveness if that was the case. If anyone knows Rodriguez, he is not a guy who would quit easily – so there remains to be seen what the true circumstances of his exit are.

Then the bad news: the Marlins give back a run in the top of the 10th to lose the game. To add Tabasco to the wound, Gaby Sanchez was up with runners on first and second but was called out on a questionable pitch to end the game.

The Marlins have now lost seven in a row; six of them by one run. It’s a frustrating run for the Fish but they are showing signs of coming out of their slide. They will need to keep stringing hits together to find a way just to claw out a win.

Brian Sabean, apparently drinking from the same punch bowl as Barry Bonds, seems to be incapable of masking his rage.

“[Cousins] chose to be a hero in my mind, and if that’s his flash of fame, then that’s as good as it’s gonna get, pal,” Sabean said. “We’ll have a long memory. We’ve talked to [former catcher Mike] Matheny on how this game works. You can’t be that out-and-out overly aggressive; let’s put it that way. I’ll put it as politically as I can state it. There is no love lost, and there shouldn’t be.”

Have people just flat out lost their minds? I guess in asking that question, the answer is implied. If Posey blocked the plate and Cousins got injured, I am sure we would be having a different discussion. Let’s not forget – Posey has equipment on and although it is not intended to sustain a hit, the kind that would make an NFL linebacker jealous, it was a clean play AND a part of the game.

A couple of Padres catchers, Nick Hundley and Rob Johnson, both come in and support Cousins and denounce Sabean’s remarks:

“For a general manager to go as far as he did with those comments is unacceptable and disrespectful to guys who play the game hard,” said Johnson. “Those comments were totally uncalled for. I thought it was a great baseball play. As catchers, we sign up for that. I respect Cousins. I tip my cap to him. He didn’t go out of his way to injure Posey. I’ve been cleaned out before. It’s part of the game.”

An article on Baseball Prospectus details the hypocritical nature of Giants’ GM Brian Sabean.

By the way, with a name like Buster, you would think the guy wasn’t made of glass and could take a hit. Sorry San Fran, thems the brakes. Stop whining.

And now reports are circulating that Cousins is actually getting death threats. Really? A bunch of granola-eating, Birkenstock wearing hippies out in San Francisco are going to hunt down and kill Scott Cousins? Well, maybe Giant’s fans and their masters are a little sensitive these days after that cowardly beating in LA that put a fan into a coma. Then again, maybe something as ridiculous as rage over your team and threats with violence would be something they would champion against.

Logan Morrison is stepping up for his threatened teammate. ”I hope [Sabean] apologizes, because what he said was wildly inappropriate and wildly unprofessional, and it really shows ignorance on his part…When has he played in the big leagues? When has he played in the minor leagues?” Morrison said. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but he’s never been in a situation like that. It’s terrible.”

“Why would you wish anything like that on anybody?” Morrison continued. “He’s getting death threats from people. This is his hometown, San Francisco. He’s worried about his family and his friends that are there. And now (Sabean) is going to make comments like that? It’s ignorant, it’s inappropriate and he has no idea what the hell he’s talking about.”

Here is the Giants official statement released today:

“This is a very emotional time for the Giants organization and our fans,” the team said in the statement. “We lost for the season one of our best players to a serious injury, and we are doing everything we can to support Buster Posey through this very difficult time. We appreciate Scott Cousins’ outreach to Buster Posey and to the Giants organization.

“Brian Sabean’s comments yesterday were said out of frustration and out of true concern for Buster and were not meant to vilify Scott Cousins. Brian has been in contact with Florida Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest to clarify his comments and to assure him that there is no ill-will toward the player. He has also reached out to Scott Cousins directly.”

Giants are losing face on this one. Fans are taking note and siding with the Marlins on this one, believe it or not:

@tbchat: I am no means a Marlins fan, but I hope that they crush the Giants the rest of the season.

#SFGiants continuing to whine about #Marlins Cousins hit on Posey. Clean hit, going %100, this is part of competition:http://nyti.ms/k3HmTM

So, Scott. We got your back.

Injuries happen. This is why there are insurance policies and why nothing is guaranteed in sports. No win is guaranteed, and no career is.

Scott Cousin’s slide into home that busted up Buster Posey is a part of the game. It was a hard slide, but because the rules call for a tag to be placed on the runner, who is not forced to run, the runner has the right to avoid the tag. If he can slide around it, like Omar Infante did earlier in the season, he would. If he can knock the ball out of the catcher’s grasp, he would.

Yes, the catcher is not equipped to take a hit like a linebacker – but neither is the runner equipped to give a knock out hit like a linebacker either. Scott Cousins was just doing his job and, unfortunately, that isn’t good enough for San Francisco fans, soft-bellied members of the media, and Buster Posey’s nearest and dearest. Then again, this is the risk these guys take when the put on the tools of ignorance.

Peter Rose came out in support of Scott Cousins. That might not be the ringing endorsement most would look for, but it does say something – that maybe modern professional sports has gotten a bit too soft anyway. Sure, concussions are a real danger and have documented long term effects – very often with horrific consequences. The NFL is covering up most of these issues. Yet in this situation, there was no concussion – just a freak twist and pop of the leg. This could happen running down a fly ball in the outfield as it sometimes did on old astroturf fields back in the 80′s.

Whether or not you think athletes are too soft or not is moot. The rules stipulate that a runner must be tagged out when he is not forced to run, and a force play is only in effect when a runner must advance. There is no reason to change the rule not because “this is the way it’s always been done” but because it is the rule. It makes no sense to have a force out at home when the runner doesn’t have to advance. Probably one of the most ridiculous things you heard from the media was calling for a rule change – when clearly, they don’t understand the reason why the game is played this way in the first place.

But Posey had his subdued axe to grind against Cousins, who is being villified and singled out by the media. “I just think a play like that is something that’s got to be looked at by MLB and (the union). I feel fortunate that I’ve just got a torn-up leg. As a catcher you’re left in a very exposed position. You’re trying to catch the ball and the guy is bearing down on you as hard as he can. I feel fortunate not to come away with a neck injury or a spinal injury.” Read more of Posey’s thoughts.

James Harrison plays a violent game and dishes out violent hits routinely. He gets fined by the NFL for it. But he is loaded up with pads and hits guys who play encased in padding in a sport where they expect to get hit. Catchers should expect the same when there is a play at the plate – and do. If Scott Cousins tried to ballet in there, and got tagged out, he would face heat for that but certainly not as much national media attention. The good news for Cousins is, he doesn’t regret the play – and he shouldn’t. It’s a part of the game. Giants fans, you are not a group to talk about excessive force.

Sanchez was spectacular, striking out 9, and helping push his team forward with another win over their cheeky NL East rivals. Meanwhile the Braves, who had been silently climbing up to meet the Marlins, lost today.

The lone run on offense in this game came from wunderkind Mike Stanton who blasted his 7th home run. Fish take the first two gams in this series and will look to bring out the brooms tomorrow.

The Fish were looking for vengeance, dropping two of three against the Nats while on their homestand back in Miami. Yet these aren’t last year’s Natinals, they play tough and don’t quit. The Marlins jumped out to a 3-0 lead with two outs in the first, coming on back to back home runs from Gaby Sanchez and John Buck but the Nationals bounced back.

The game would take a turn for the dramatic as Logan Morrison would hit a home run, breaking the 4-4 deadlock on his first day back from the DL. Yet, it wasn’t to be as the Fish and Nats would remain tied at 5 until the 11th where Infante would weasel his way home to provide the game winning run. Clearly the ball beat him, but Infante slid around catcher Ramos’ tag to give the Marlins the lift.

Center fielder Bernadina was able to snag a snow cone catch that saved possibly two runs which would have given the Marlins the win in regulation.

Read more:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/marlins-reinstate-javier-vazquez-from-bereavement-list-logan-morrison-from-disabled-list/2011/05/13/AFothx2G_story.html

There is more pub for the Fish, too, as even ESPN is touting this game as a matchup of marquee starters. Josh Johnson will square off against Roy Halladay in a duel that could likely be a post-season matchup as well. In Johnson, the Marlins have their best ace on the mound sporting his 1.68 ERA. Yet there is a lot of admiration between the two pitchers.

Johnson reportedly followed Halladay around last season at the All Star game trying to learn as much about his approach as he can. This is one of the comforting things about JJ – he has a humility to him that never means he is above learning something new.

Even though this is an NL East deathmatch, and a rivalry to boot, the respect between these two pitchers is admirable. The defending NL Cy Young Award winner will do his best to top his 5-1 record on the season and keep the Marlins bats quiet. Meanwhile, the Marlins will stand behind their ace to get a chance to get back in this series.

First pitch is at 7:10pm tonight. The Marlins have lost 7 straight games to the Phillies here in Miami, and Halladay has an 18-1 record against NL East teams since making the switch from the AL.

Edwin Rodriguez thinks this is just the beginning for Gaby – he is a fine hitter and is going to start getting attention. For Sanchez, he is just happy to help his team out and finds great satisfaction in being a part of this lineup. “I feel like we have a great hitting lineup. It’s one of those things that we have to do whatever we can do, to get guys on, move them over to second and third and get them in.”

Congrats to Gaby Sanchez for his first career player of the week honors. Read More.