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06-14-2002, 05:27 AM
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Marlins should know whether they are contenders or pretenders in the National League East by the All-Star break.
The schedule favors the Marlins, who play 20 of their next 23 games at home and do not leave the state of Florida until July 12 when they play at Wrigley Field. Their lone trip before that is three games at Tampa Bay.
With Preston Wilson breaking out of an 0-for-26 skid Wednesday with three hits, including two home runs, the Marlins polished off the Royals 13-5 to complete a 5-3 trip to Kansas City, Minnesota and Philadelphia.
"I'm really happy with the trip," Marlins manager Jeff Torborg said.
Now comes what appears to be the soft part of the Marlins' schedule. Their next 16 games are against clubs under .500, including six with the Devil Rays and three with the Tigers, the two teams with the worst records in the American League.
"When you play at home against sub-.500 teams, those are the teams you have to beat," said right-hander Ryan Dempster, who gave up four runs in six innings to beat the Royals Wednesday. "Those are the teams the Braves and Mets beat up, sub-.500 teams.
"I think being a team as good as we are, it is big for us to have a good homestand."
Dempster gave up two hits and walked two in the first inning, but allowed just one run.
"To get out of the first inning with one run got my confidence back," Dempster said. "It's a nice cushion when you've got a 9-1 lead (going into the bottom of the fifth). That made the game easier."
The Marlins are 17-4 in final games of series and have won each of their past six road series finales.
"We'll just have to have a plane waiting for us every single day in Florida, so we'll fly somewhere like it will be a get-away day and we'll be fine," Dempster quipped.
Dempster knew the importance of beating the Royals, who are 13 games below .500, to end this trip.
"Instead of being a game below .500, we're a game above .500," Dempster said. "We get to go home with a winning note. This was big for us."
After this stretch with some lightweights, the Marlins should know if they are ready to do battle with the heavyweights.
"We know where we stand," Dempster said. "We're right there in the thick of things. Hopefully, the season will come down to September. It is still a long ways away. We've got a lot of games left with the Braves and Mets."
For those games with the Braves and Mets to take on an added significance in September, the Marlins need to take care of business in the next 23 games.
"These are the teams you have to beat," Dempster said. "You have to take two-out-of-three from them. If you don't do that, you're not going to give yourself much of a chance. They are good teams, don't get me wrong."
The Marlins are 15-12 at Pro Player Stadium, where they are hitting .272 and the pitching staff has a 4.18 earned run average. They are 18-20 on the road.
"We're home for a good stretch," said first baseman Derrek Lee, who doubled, scored a run and drove in a run in the victory over the Royals. "We normally play well at home, so you have to make a move.
"We've got Detroit and Tampa. Those guys aren't playing that well right now. We've got to take advantage of it. Now is as good a time as any. We've been hovering around .500, but .500 ball is not where you want to be. You've got to be 10 or 11 games over .500 if you want to get in the playoffs. We've got to make a run.
"You want to be in striking distance at the All-Star break. We have pitchers (Brad Penny and Josh Beckett) hurt. We need to get those guys back. You don't want to be in a position where you are not able to reach the top team."
Wilson, who was batting in the eighth hole for the first time since 1999, hit solo home runs in the second and third and singled home another run in the four-run fifth inning.
"I wasn't surprised to be hitting eighth," Wilson said. "When you're 0-for-26, I'm surprised I wasn't batting 12th. Hopefully I'll earn my way back up the lineup."
And the Marlins hope to earn legitimate contender status during the next month.
"I wouldn't say it is a make or break homestand, but it is a great opportunity for us," Wilson said. "We are at home and in our environment. It is a good opportunity to win some games and help us out.
"This team just keeps going. We seem never to get down even after a bad day. It seems like we have the shortest memory in baseball.
"You just can't go out there and expect it to happen. You've still got to go out and play good baseball and pitch well and get the timely hitting. You can't take anybody for granted."
The Marlins can take for granted that Luis Castillo is going to get at least one hit a day. He stroked two more singles Wednesday to extend his hitting streak to 28 games.
Alan Eskew is a contributor to
The schedule favors the Marlins, who play 20 of their next 23 games at home and do not leave the state of Florida until July 12 when they play at Wrigley Field. Their lone trip before that is three games at Tampa Bay.
With Preston Wilson breaking out of an 0-for-26 skid Wednesday with three hits, including two home runs, the Marlins polished off the Royals 13-5 to complete a 5-3 trip to Kansas City, Minnesota and Philadelphia.
"I'm really happy with the trip," Marlins manager Jeff Torborg said.
Now comes what appears to be the soft part of the Marlins' schedule. Their next 16 games are against clubs under .500, including six with the Devil Rays and three with the Tigers, the two teams with the worst records in the American League.
"When you play at home against sub-.500 teams, those are the teams you have to beat," said right-hander Ryan Dempster, who gave up four runs in six innings to beat the Royals Wednesday. "Those are the teams the Braves and Mets beat up, sub-.500 teams.
"I think being a team as good as we are, it is big for us to have a good homestand."
Dempster gave up two hits and walked two in the first inning, but allowed just one run.
"To get out of the first inning with one run got my confidence back," Dempster said. "It's a nice cushion when you've got a 9-1 lead (going into the bottom of the fifth). That made the game easier."
The Marlins are 17-4 in final games of series and have won each of their past six road series finales.
"We'll just have to have a plane waiting for us every single day in Florida, so we'll fly somewhere like it will be a get-away day and we'll be fine," Dempster quipped.
Dempster knew the importance of beating the Royals, who are 13 games below .500, to end this trip.
"Instead of being a game below .500, we're a game above .500," Dempster said. "We get to go home with a winning note. This was big for us."
After this stretch with some lightweights, the Marlins should know if they are ready to do battle with the heavyweights.
"We know where we stand," Dempster said. "We're right there in the thick of things. Hopefully, the season will come down to September. It is still a long ways away. We've got a lot of games left with the Braves and Mets."
For those games with the Braves and Mets to take on an added significance in September, the Marlins need to take care of business in the next 23 games.
"These are the teams you have to beat," Dempster said. "You have to take two-out-of-three from them. If you don't do that, you're not going to give yourself much of a chance. They are good teams, don't get me wrong."
The Marlins are 15-12 at Pro Player Stadium, where they are hitting .272 and the pitching staff has a 4.18 earned run average. They are 18-20 on the road.
"We're home for a good stretch," said first baseman Derrek Lee, who doubled, scored a run and drove in a run in the victory over the Royals. "We normally play well at home, so you have to make a move.
"We've got Detroit and Tampa. Those guys aren't playing that well right now. We've got to take advantage of it. Now is as good a time as any. We've been hovering around .500, but .500 ball is not where you want to be. You've got to be 10 or 11 games over .500 if you want to get in the playoffs. We've got to make a run.
"You want to be in striking distance at the All-Star break. We have pitchers (Brad Penny and Josh Beckett) hurt. We need to get those guys back. You don't want to be in a position where you are not able to reach the top team."
Wilson, who was batting in the eighth hole for the first time since 1999, hit solo home runs in the second and third and singled home another run in the four-run fifth inning.
"I wasn't surprised to be hitting eighth," Wilson said. "When you're 0-for-26, I'm surprised I wasn't batting 12th. Hopefully I'll earn my way back up the lineup."
And the Marlins hope to earn legitimate contender status during the next month.
"I wouldn't say it is a make or break homestand, but it is a great opportunity for us," Wilson said. "We are at home and in our environment. It is a good opportunity to win some games and help us out.
"This team just keeps going. We seem never to get down even after a bad day. It seems like we have the shortest memory in baseball.
"You just can't go out there and expect it to happen. You've still got to go out and play good baseball and pitch well and get the timely hitting. You can't take anybody for granted."
The Marlins can take for granted that Luis Castillo is going to get at least one hit a day. He stroked two more singles Wednesday to extend his hitting streak to 28 games.
Alan Eskew is a contributor to