The long ball blasts the Fish past the Nats

[Nick Turok]

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[Guest Leo Armbrister]

The Marlins biggest problem during this post All Star game slump has been the team's inability to score runs. Sure there has been pitching lapses but teams have to score more than two runs a night to win. When a team gives its starter a three or four run lead that pitcher can pitch a lot differently than he can with a one run lead. Situational hitting has been awful. Our batters swing at to many pitches out of the strike zone, and our base running has been poor. We don't steal bases, we get picked off and we miss opportunities to tag up and take third base on long ball outs to right field. If our hitting can come around we can make a run at the playoffs. However we have dug ourselves a big hole.

[Ely Sussman]

The lack of SB has been jarring for a team that puts so many runners on first base. 29th in MLB with only 10 steals since the All-Star break despite having plenty of opportunities.