Week in Review

Ricky Nolasco overcame some garish headware on Sunday afternoon.

Overview: The Marlins swept the Nationals and then took 2 of 3 from the Pirates.
Positives: The Fish are quietly sneaking up on the NL East, finishing the week a game out of first place. Josh Johnson and Hanley Ramirez were named to the NL All-Star team today, with Hanley named to the starting lineup for the second straight year. Dan Meyer and Leo Nunez have turned themselves into a decent closer committee, but these things tend not to end well. Hanley continues his tear, notching RBI in 11 of his last 12 games (he was given the day off today).
Negatives: Not to beat a dead horse, but these hats look terrible, and no, I will not let it go. Josh Johnson had a subpar outing against the Nats this week, only making it through 3 and 1/3, but managed to escape with only an earned run. Combined with brief outings from Sean West and Chris Volstad, this is not reassuring, as the strength of the starting rotation will likely determine the team's performance over the second half.
Highlight of the Week: Hanley was named to the starting lineup of the NL All-Star squad for the second year in a row, which is no small feat for a Marlin, since he can't depend on Fish fans stuffing the ballot boxes for him.
Line of the Week: Ricky Nolasco appears to be back to normal, check out his line from Sunday:

8 IP, 3H, 0ER, 2 BB, 12 K, 112 Pitches

This after going 8 innings on Monday. It seems his time in the minors served him well, and I couldn't be happier.

Looking Ahead: The Fish will take a seven-game West Coast road trip before the All-Star break, with three games in San Francisco and four in Arizona.


AP Photo/Alan Diaz