By James Bailey
It has been a season of adjustments for Ricky Nolasco, so it shouldn’t be too shocking that the Marlins righthander was able to rewrite the script just six days after the Astros handed him his worst start of the year. Last Wednesday, Houston scorched Nolasco for 10 runs in 3.1 innings. Tuesday night things started off on a similar track, with Carlos Lee driving a two-run homer in the bottom of the first.
This time, however, Nolasco recovered, holding the Astros scoreless the rest of the way. In his first complete game of the season, he retired 23 straight hitters, not allowing a hit between the first and ninth innings. The 26-year-old walked none and struck out 10, reaching double digits in K’s for the third time this year.
The effort was good for his ninth win of 2009 and proved that last week’s meltdown was a blip and not a reversion to his woeful April and May form. Florida’s ace in 2008, when he went 15-8 with a 3.52 ERA, Nolasco was sent to Triple-A New Orleans on May 23 after surrendering eight runs in back-to-back starts. The twin poundings had ballooned his ERA to 9.07 and the Marlins wanted to give him a chance to clear his head.
It worked. In two Triple-A starts Nolasco posted a 2.40 ERA, striking out 12 and allowing just 15 base runners in 15 innings. He returned to the big leagues on June 7, allowing three runs, two earned, in seven innings against the Giants. Though he dropped the decision against San Francisco, Nolasco recorded his second quality start of the season. It was a sign of good things to come.
Since his return, Nolasco has been a completely different pitcher than the guy who couldn’t get anyone out the first two months. The contrast in his numbers is stark, and remember, the “after” includes last week’s 10-run beating.
| GS | QS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | W-L | ERA | |
| Before | 9 | 1 | 43.2 | 66 | 46 | 44 | 8 | 13 | 37 | 2-5 | 9.07 |
| After | 14 | 10 | 92.2 | 74 | 38 | 35 | 9 | 19 | 99 | 7-3 | 3.40 |
After a hot start, the Fish faded badly in May, slumping to 9-20 on the month as Nolasco was hardly the only Marlin to struggle. But the team rebounded with a 17-11 June to start creeping back into contention. They are now 64-55 on the season, or 55-35 if you subtract out May. Since the All-Star break they’re only half a game behind the Phillies (18-11, vs Philadelphia’s 19-11). They’re now just 4 ½ games behind in the NL East, and two behind the Rockies for the wild-card slot.
If Nolasco keeps rolling, Florida has a legitimate shot at reaching the postseason, something most observers wouldn’t have imagined after the club shed most of its veteran players in a cost-cutting effort last fall. Gone in a period of two weeks were first baseman Mike Jacobs, outfielder Josh Willingham, starter Scott Olsen, and closer Kevin Gregg. Fortunately, they held onto Nolasco–though many fans were probably wishing he’d been dealt away earlier in the year.
