wrigley phantom
07-24-2007, 12:05 PM
PHOENIX -- There were some encouraging signs in Dontrelle Willis' outing on Monday night at Arizona. But the end result has become way too familiar for the D-Train.
Orlando Hudson belted a two-run homer, drove in three and scored the decisive run in the Diamondbacks' 4-3 win over the Marlins in front of 19,620 at Chase Field.
The setback was the seventh straight loss for Willis (7-10), who had never dropped more than six consecutive decisions.
Still, it wasn't a totally lost night for Willis, who last won on May 29 at the Chicago Cubs. The 25-year-old left-hander, working with catcher Matt Treanor behind the plate for the first time this season, worked 6 2/3 innings for his longest start since going seven in a loss to Pittsburgh on June 26.
The past two outings were particularly rough, as he didn't make it as far as four innings.
The biggest adjustment Willis said he made between starts was just going back to having fun and pitching.
"To be honest, I pretty much just said, 'Forget it.' I just toed the rubber and I had a good mind-set today, and said, 'Let the chips fall where they may.' Today, the game was fun, as far as mentally and physically," said Willis, now 1-4 lifetime against Arizona. "But mentally, I was having fun out there today."
Arizona's comeback snapped Florida's three-game winning streak.
Miguel Cabrera went 2-for-4 and extended his hitting streak to 13 straight games, a Marlins' season high. It also matched the slugger's career best string, previously turned in from July 18-Aug. 1, 2005.
Cabrera was shaken up in the third inning when he fouled a ball off his left foot. He remained in the game, but labored when he ran the rest of the game.
The ball chipped off the top of Cabrera's foot, and he was icing his foot afterwards.
"Knowing him, he will be ready to go tomorrow," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He had another hit or two after that, so he will get treatment, come early and he will be in there tomorrow."
Not expected back for another day or so is shortstop Hanley Ramirez, who suffered a mild dislocation of his left shoulder in the first inning on Sunday. Ramirez had his shoulder examined on Monday morning by Dr. Dan Kanell, the team physician, in South Florida. He arrived in Arizona about game time, and received treatment all night.
The earliest Ramirez may return is Wednesday.
The Diamondbacks grabbed a 4-3 lead in the sixth on RBI singles from Hudson and Chris Snyder. Chris Young lofted a leadoff double that was inches away from being caught on a sliding attempt by Todd Linden in right field. Hudson tied the game at 3 with his flare to right. With two outs, Snyder singled sharply to left. The speedy Hudson scored without a play.
"I thought I threw the ball good," Willis said. "I had good command, but they just had some timely hits. They just did a good job getting hits when they had to. I felt I did a good job making adjustments from my last start, just working in the 'pen. We were there all the way to the end."
Going deep for the second-straight game, Mike Jacobs' solo shot in the sixth inning regained the lead for Florida. The 426-foot drive to right-center was his eighth of the season and third off a lefty pitcher.
Willis was handed a two-run lead before he threw a pitch. Jacobs and Cody Ross each had two-out RBI singles, giving the Marlins an early advantage.
While Diamondbacks starter Doug Davis (7-10) gave up three hits and two runs in the first inning, he settled and allowed two hits and one more run over his next 5 2/3 innings. The left-hander struck out eight and walked two in his solid 6 2/3 inning outing.
Jose Valverde worked the ninth for his 31st save.
In the third inning, the Diamondbacks tied it on Hudson's two-out, two-run homer off Willis. Augie Ojeda opened the inning with an infield single, and he was sacrificed to second by Davis. Hudson blasted his eighth homer of the season, taking a full-count pitch 421 feet to center.
"Other than one pitch he got up to Hudson, he made some nice pitches," Gonzalez said of Willis. "They hit two balls into right field, Young and Hudson. Other than that, I thought he pitched really well.
"His confidence is good. My confidence in him is good. He got us deep into the ballgame, and he gave us an opportunity to win the ballgame."
Orlando Hudson belted a two-run homer, drove in three and scored the decisive run in the Diamondbacks' 4-3 win over the Marlins in front of 19,620 at Chase Field.
The setback was the seventh straight loss for Willis (7-10), who had never dropped more than six consecutive decisions.
Still, it wasn't a totally lost night for Willis, who last won on May 29 at the Chicago Cubs. The 25-year-old left-hander, working with catcher Matt Treanor behind the plate for the first time this season, worked 6 2/3 innings for his longest start since going seven in a loss to Pittsburgh on June 26.
The past two outings were particularly rough, as he didn't make it as far as four innings.
The biggest adjustment Willis said he made between starts was just going back to having fun and pitching.
"To be honest, I pretty much just said, 'Forget it.' I just toed the rubber and I had a good mind-set today, and said, 'Let the chips fall where they may.' Today, the game was fun, as far as mentally and physically," said Willis, now 1-4 lifetime against Arizona. "But mentally, I was having fun out there today."
Arizona's comeback snapped Florida's three-game winning streak.
Miguel Cabrera went 2-for-4 and extended his hitting streak to 13 straight games, a Marlins' season high. It also matched the slugger's career best string, previously turned in from July 18-Aug. 1, 2005.
Cabrera was shaken up in the third inning when he fouled a ball off his left foot. He remained in the game, but labored when he ran the rest of the game.
The ball chipped off the top of Cabrera's foot, and he was icing his foot afterwards.
"Knowing him, he will be ready to go tomorrow," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He had another hit or two after that, so he will get treatment, come early and he will be in there tomorrow."
Not expected back for another day or so is shortstop Hanley Ramirez, who suffered a mild dislocation of his left shoulder in the first inning on Sunday. Ramirez had his shoulder examined on Monday morning by Dr. Dan Kanell, the team physician, in South Florida. He arrived in Arizona about game time, and received treatment all night.
The earliest Ramirez may return is Wednesday.
The Diamondbacks grabbed a 4-3 lead in the sixth on RBI singles from Hudson and Chris Snyder. Chris Young lofted a leadoff double that was inches away from being caught on a sliding attempt by Todd Linden in right field. Hudson tied the game at 3 with his flare to right. With two outs, Snyder singled sharply to left. The speedy Hudson scored without a play.
"I thought I threw the ball good," Willis said. "I had good command, but they just had some timely hits. They just did a good job getting hits when they had to. I felt I did a good job making adjustments from my last start, just working in the 'pen. We were there all the way to the end."
Going deep for the second-straight game, Mike Jacobs' solo shot in the sixth inning regained the lead for Florida. The 426-foot drive to right-center was his eighth of the season and third off a lefty pitcher.
Willis was handed a two-run lead before he threw a pitch. Jacobs and Cody Ross each had two-out RBI singles, giving the Marlins an early advantage.
While Diamondbacks starter Doug Davis (7-10) gave up three hits and two runs in the first inning, he settled and allowed two hits and one more run over his next 5 2/3 innings. The left-hander struck out eight and walked two in his solid 6 2/3 inning outing.
Jose Valverde worked the ninth for his 31st save.
In the third inning, the Diamondbacks tied it on Hudson's two-out, two-run homer off Willis. Augie Ojeda opened the inning with an infield single, and he was sacrificed to second by Davis. Hudson blasted his eighth homer of the season, taking a full-count pitch 421 feet to center.
"Other than one pitch he got up to Hudson, he made some nice pitches," Gonzalez said of Willis. "They hit two balls into right field, Young and Hudson. Other than that, I thought he pitched really well.
"His confidence is good. My confidence in him is good. He got us deep into the ballgame, and he gave us an opportunity to win the ballgame."