Top of lineup making noise as Marlins reel off victories
MIAMI -- Miami Marlins third baseman Martin Prado has played 10 big-league seasons with four organizations. He knows the grind of a 162-game schedule.
So when the Marlins opened a surprisingly bad 3-11, he didn't panic. Neither did his teammates inside the clubhouse. Not when media and fans began to question the hype surrounding the club.
"I think somebody asked me about this three weeks ago and I had no comment because sometimes people predict a bad season in two weeks, and I'm not about that," Prado said. "I feel like everybody is getting together, we're all going in the same direction. We're not panicking. We're just going out there and having fun, and everybody's doing their part and that's all there is."
Thanks to the top of the lineup -- Dee Gordon and Prado combined to reach base 10 times in 10 plate appearances -- the Marlins climbed back to .500 for the first time since the opener with a 7-0 win over the Phillies on Saturday afternoon.
Prado's three-run homer in the second inning gave Miami a 3-0 lead. He also drove in a run with a double in the sixth.
Gordon, who leads the majors in both hits (44) and average (.440), collected his sixth consecutive multi-hit game.
"Ride him while he's hot," said righty Dan Haren, who earned the victory with six shutout innings.
Added Prado: "It's fun to watch to be honest with you. It's fun to watch. I don't want to talk too much about it. I just want to keep it the way it is. We need him. He's playing hard. It doesn't matter if he hit a groundball or right at it. He's always running hard. You want to have those kind of guys that give everything they have. This is what this team's about."
Each night, it's a different hero.
On Friday, Marcell Ozuna went 4 for 4 with the walk-off RBI double. On Saturday, both Prado and Gordon took control of the game.
Miami has won nine of 10. Its lone loss during that span came on a blown save. The Marlins have won four straight series since a four-game sweep in New York to the Mets.
Gordon, who deflects credit and attention to himself, said the ballclub has gotten comfortable with each other. Players are pulling for each other as a team. That initial period is over and now the Marlins find themselves closer in both the National League East and wild-card standings... with six months to go.
"I think we were having fun when we were losing, too, but couldn't have as much fun because you'd get in trouble," Gordon said. "Guys (are) playing awesome. Just got to continue to do it."
You can follow Christina De Nicola on Twitter @CDeNicola13 or email her at cdenicola13@gmail.com.
