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07-18-2002, 09:56 AM
ATLANTA -- Dipping to yet another new season low, manager Jeff Torborg is ready to try anything to get the Marlins out of their rut.
Shaking up the batting order hasn't worked. Neither have closed-door meetings, and two more took place Wednesday. Even scrapping those bland, gray throwback 1982 Miami Marlins minor-league uniforms worn two straight days against the Mets at Shea Stadium couldn't reverse Florida's misfortunes.
Compounding an already widening drought was a trip to Atlanta to face the scorching-hot Braves at Turner Field.
Greg Maddux added more misery to the Marlins, combining on a seven-hit, 10-0 shutout in front of 40,292.
"We're deflated," Torborg said. "There is no doubt about it. You can't put a spin on it. We're down. We've been down a while."
The Marlins extended the longest active losing streak in the league to seven games, plummeting 14 1/2 games behind Atlanta in the NL East. On top of that, after the Phillies rallied past the Cubs, 4-3, in 10 innings, Florida finds itself a mere half-game ahead of Philadelphia for last place.
"You get to a low point and it starts to level off," Torborg said. "We might have been there for a while. That was not good."
Showing no mercy, the Braves overpowered the Marlins, collecting 16 hits and handing A.J. Burnett (8-7) his worst outing of the season.
Turning in his shortest stint thus far, the right-hander was tagged for seven runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. He had just one strikeout, marking the first time he's had fewer than three in 21 starts.
Burnett has not won in five starts, last tasting victory on June 20 at home against Cleveland.
"I missed too many spots," said Burnett, who walked three. "You've got to have that first strike. It was a tough game all around."
Burnett yielded singles to the first four batters he faced: Rafael Furcal, Matt Franco, Gary Sheffield and Chipper Jones. Four batters in, he trailed 2-0. The Braves scored three in the first, which was plenty of run support for Maddux (9-2).
The future Hall of Famer is now 15-5 lifetime against the Marlins.
"With him, you can't do that," Torborg said. "You can't give Greg three runs to work with early."
During the losing skid, the Marlins have been outscored 61-20. In six of the seven games, opponents have scored eight or more runs.
It's not just the arms that have struggled.
The bats have gone silent, too.
"This will sound like an excuse," Torborg said. "But we've run into some pretty good pitching. [Maddux] is a Hall of Famer. He's an artist."
For Florida, it has not been a pretty picture.
No Marlins runner advanced further than second base against Maddux, Kevin Gryboski or Albie Lopez.
Luis Castillo, Florida's hottest hitter, had an eight-game hitting streak snapped. The All-Star second baseman, who gained national attention by hitting in 35 straight games earlier, also saw his string of 27 successive road games with a hit come to an end.
"We've got to keep going," said center fielder Preston Wilson. "You can't worry about what's happened already. You think of every new opportunity as a chance to turn it around. You can't worry about what's happened the past couple of days. This game is over.
"I think if you're here in the big leagues there is a reason you are here. You have to always believe. You hit tough stretches. We're in a tough stretch. Nothing says we can't come out and score 10 runs tomorrow."
Tough task with left-hander Tom Glavine (11-5, 2.59 ERA) taking the hill.
"We're not swinging the bats real well," said Derrek Lee, who went 2-for-4. "We're not putting rallies together."
Overall, not much is going right.
"It's a whole different feeling when you win one," Torborg said. "Obviously, we've got our work cut out for us [against Glavine]."
Shaking up the batting order hasn't worked. Neither have closed-door meetings, and two more took place Wednesday. Even scrapping those bland, gray throwback 1982 Miami Marlins minor-league uniforms worn two straight days against the Mets at Shea Stadium couldn't reverse Florida's misfortunes.
Compounding an already widening drought was a trip to Atlanta to face the scorching-hot Braves at Turner Field.
Greg Maddux added more misery to the Marlins, combining on a seven-hit, 10-0 shutout in front of 40,292.
"We're deflated," Torborg said. "There is no doubt about it. You can't put a spin on it. We're down. We've been down a while."
The Marlins extended the longest active losing streak in the league to seven games, plummeting 14 1/2 games behind Atlanta in the NL East. On top of that, after the Phillies rallied past the Cubs, 4-3, in 10 innings, Florida finds itself a mere half-game ahead of Philadelphia for last place.
"You get to a low point and it starts to level off," Torborg said. "We might have been there for a while. That was not good."
Showing no mercy, the Braves overpowered the Marlins, collecting 16 hits and handing A.J. Burnett (8-7) his worst outing of the season.
Turning in his shortest stint thus far, the right-hander was tagged for seven runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. He had just one strikeout, marking the first time he's had fewer than three in 21 starts.
Burnett has not won in five starts, last tasting victory on June 20 at home against Cleveland.
"I missed too many spots," said Burnett, who walked three. "You've got to have that first strike. It was a tough game all around."
Burnett yielded singles to the first four batters he faced: Rafael Furcal, Matt Franco, Gary Sheffield and Chipper Jones. Four batters in, he trailed 2-0. The Braves scored three in the first, which was plenty of run support for Maddux (9-2).
The future Hall of Famer is now 15-5 lifetime against the Marlins.
"With him, you can't do that," Torborg said. "You can't give Greg three runs to work with early."
During the losing skid, the Marlins have been outscored 61-20. In six of the seven games, opponents have scored eight or more runs.
It's not just the arms that have struggled.
The bats have gone silent, too.
"This will sound like an excuse," Torborg said. "But we've run into some pretty good pitching. [Maddux] is a Hall of Famer. He's an artist."
For Florida, it has not been a pretty picture.
No Marlins runner advanced further than second base against Maddux, Kevin Gryboski or Albie Lopez.
Luis Castillo, Florida's hottest hitter, had an eight-game hitting streak snapped. The All-Star second baseman, who gained national attention by hitting in 35 straight games earlier, also saw his string of 27 successive road games with a hit come to an end.
"We've got to keep going," said center fielder Preston Wilson. "You can't worry about what's happened already. You think of every new opportunity as a chance to turn it around. You can't worry about what's happened the past couple of days. This game is over.
"I think if you're here in the big leagues there is a reason you are here. You have to always believe. You hit tough stretches. We're in a tough stretch. Nothing says we can't come out and score 10 runs tomorrow."
Tough task with left-hander Tom Glavine (11-5, 2.59 ERA) taking the hill.
"We're not swinging the bats real well," said Derrek Lee, who went 2-for-4. "We're not putting rallies together."
Overall, not much is going right.
"It's a whole different feeling when you win one," Torborg said. "Obviously, we've got our work cut out for us [against Glavine]."