Riddle making case to stay
Rookie shortstop is filling in nicely for hurt Hechavarria.
MIAMI — The Marlins are going to have a tough choice to make when Adeiny Hechavarria returns from the disa bl e d l i s t . Do t hey hand the shortstop’s job back to Hechavarria? Or will they allow J.T. Riddle to remain there?
I t ’s a qu e s t i o n f o r t h e future, as Hechavarria is still weeks away from returning from an oblique injury. But the rookie from Kentucky made another nice impression on Sunday when he drove in three runs with a double and home run in the Marlins’ 9-2 win over the Angels.
Riddle is hitting .258 with three homers and 13 RBI in only 25 games. He’s also played solidly in the field. On Sunday, manager Don Mattingly put him in the leadoff spot, and Riddle responded, coming up with a two-run homer in the fifth that put the Marlins on top and a RBI Marlins RHP Edinson Volquez (0-7, 4.82) vs. Phillies RHP Jeremy Hellickson (5-2, 4.28), 7:10 p.m. Marlins LHP Justin Nicolino (0-1, 5:40) vs. Phillies RHP Vince Velasquez (2-4, 5.55), 7:10 p.m. Marlins RHP Dan Straily (3-3, 3.83) vs. Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (2-2, 4.34), 1:10 p.m.
double in the sixth.
“It’s tough hitting up here, that’s for sure,” said Riddle, who received a postgame shaving cream pie from his teammates during a TV interview.
But even Riddle acknowledged that he’s pleased with how he’s done overall.
“(I’m) a lot more comfortable up here, of course,” Riddle said. “The more at-bats I get, and playing everyday, helps. You’re in there everyday, and you’re getting your four or five at-bats, so that’s kind of huge.”
M r. U n l u c k y : B r a d Ziegler has been arguably the unluckiest pitcher in the majors.
While Ziegler has a 6.75 ERA, allowing 27 hits and 11 walks in only 21 1/3 innings, he is accomplishing his goal of inducing ground balls.
Many, to his great frustration, are just finding holes for hits.
“I feel like, for the most part, I’ve pitched a lot better than my numbers would indicate,” Ziegler said. “But the bottom line is my results aren’t there, and this game is a results-based game. May’s been a disaster in a lot of ways.”
Among the 266 pitchers who have thrown at least 20 innings this season, Ziegler h a s t h e h i g h e s t r a t i o o f ground balls to fly balls in the majors: 2.50. He’s given up 50 ground balls against only 20 fly balls.
But hi s BABIP ( batting average on balls in play) is .355, which ranks 249th.
“My whole career I’ve had to learn to accept pitching to contact,” Ziegler said. “That’s the whole point of submarining. It’s not a strikeout style of pitching.”
Ziegler is hoping the law of averages works in his favor the rest of the way.
“This game typically finds a way of evening out,” Ziegler said.
“I think if that’s going to be the case, it’s going to be a really good last four months for me.”
Ziegler took a step in the right direction Sunday when, after hitting the first batter he faced with a pitch, he got a double-play grounder before closing out the sixth unscathed.
Volquez and 0-7: Edinson Volquez tries not to think about his 0-7 record.
“I don’t look at it,” Volquez said. “For me, I’m thinking I’m 0-0. That’s the mentality you have to have. You’re going to go crazy if you look at the numbers.”
Vol quez s t a r t s t oni g ht when the Marlins open a t hre e - g a me home s e r i e s against the Phillies. If he l o s e s h i s n e xt d e c i s i o n , he’ll become the first starting pitcher to begin his Marlins career by losing his first eight decisions.