NewsBonifacio feeling it at plate for Marlins
Florida (42-40) vs. Pittsburgh (37-44), 1:10 p.m. ET
By David Villavicencio / MLB.com
07/04/09 10:58 PM ET
MIAMI -- Emilio Bonifacio became an Opening Day sensation when he picked up four hits, including an electrifying inside-the-park home run that earned him a standing ovation in his first game as a Marlin. After going through a rough offensive stretch that saw him struggle mightily, the 25-year-old has bounced back in a big way. Bonifacio matched his career high in hits with a 4-for-4 performance in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Pirates. Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez, impressed with his young infielder's recent offensive improvement, is pleased that he stepped up when his team needed him. "We gave [Bonifacio] an opportunity to lead off, with [Chris] Coghlan getting the off day against a lefty," Gonzalez said "He's swinging the bat and making things happen on the basepaths. It seems like these last couple of weeks he's been getting on base and using his speed. He's just been doing all the good things we hope to get from him." Bonifacio used his speed on Tuesday, leading off the game with a bunt single, and put the pressure on the Pirates' defense again his next time up by bunting for another hit. The speedy Dominican has been working on his bunting more than usual recently, knowing that, with his speed, the defense will be hard-pressed to throw him out if he lays down a good bunt. "I was just trying to put the bunts in the right spot," Bonifacio said. "I knew that, if I got them down where I wanted them, it would be difficult for them to stop me from getting on. I feel like I did a good job of putting the ball where I wanted." The Pirates infielders were not the only ones tested by Bonifacio's blazing speed. Florida's third baseman tripled in his last at-bat on Tuesday, reaching third easily; right fielder Delwyn Young could not come up with the ball soon enough to keep him at second. "I didn't know it was a triple from the start because when I saw where the ball went, I thought he was going to get to it and hold me to a double," Bonifacio said. "When I saw he couldn't get it in his glove, I just ran harder to make sure I got to third." Bonifacio's confidence never wavered, despite a long slump. Instead, his recent hot-hitting stretch has made him feel better about his offensive game. "I feel very comfortable at the plate right now," Bonifacio said. "I'm trying not to think too much about things, because I'd just be putting extra pressure on myself. Instead, I'm just going out there with the mind-set of doing whatever I can to help my team win games and keep us in the race." Pitching matchupFLA: RHP Ricky Nolasco (5-6, 5.99 ERA)
Nolasco picked up his fifth win of the season after throwing eight innings in which he held Washington to two runs on four hits while striking out eight and walking none. The Nationals hit several balls hard off Nolasco early, including a Ryan Zimmerman solo homer in the second, but the right-hander settled into a groove. After a rocky second inning, Nolasco got stronger as the game went on, allowing just one runner to reach base and retiring 10 in a row between the fourth and seventh innings. PIT: RHP Ross Ohlendorf (7-6, 4.41 ERA)
Ohlendorf delivered what he described as his most complete performance of the season his last time out on Tuesday, when he tossed seven scoreless innings against the Cubs while striking out a career-best eight. He was able to rely heavily on his slider, a pitch that Ohlendorf has tended to overthrow at times this season. That slider helped the effectiveness of his fastball, which in turn allowed Ohlendorf to be more efficient than he has been most of the year. One of Ohlendorf's best starts this season came against the Marlins back on April 20, when he pitched seven shutout innings and allowed two hits. Tidbits
Hanley Ramirez's home run in the first inning of Saturday's game was his sixth over the last 12 games. The shortstop has blasted two grand slams over that span. ... Dan Meyer picked up his second save of the season on Saturday night as Leo Nunez was unavailable, due to a stiff neck. The right-hander woke up Saturday feeling the tension in his neck but hopes to be available on Sunday. ... Kiko Calero made his first rehab appearance on Saturday night for Class A Jupiter. The right-hander struck out one batter while throwing a scoreless inning for the Hammerheads. Calero hopes to rejoin the Marlins in Arizona for their final series before the All-Star break. ... The Marlins' win on Saturday was their first over the Pirates since April 22, 2008. Florida had dropped five in a row to Pittsburgh prior to Saturday's 5-3 victory. Tickets
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• Monday: Marlins (Sean West, 3-2, 4.06) at Giants (Matt Cain, 9-2, 2.48), 10:15 p.m. ET
• Tuesday: Marlins (Josh Johnson, 7-1, 2.76) at Giants (Barry Zito, 4-8, 4.82), 10:15 p.m. ET
• Wednesday: Marlins (Chris Volstad, 5-8, 4.85) at Giants (Ryan Sadowski, 2-0, 0.00), 3:45 p.m. ET
David Villavicencio is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
