The Miami Marlins fell to the Detroit Tigers 5-4, despite a strong start from Dan Straily on Saturday.
Straily was magnificent in this one, and it was the closest thing to a regular season game thus far. Not only did Straily give Miami five innings of work, but he even hit for himself. With the season nearing, teams have begun to abandon the designated hitter slot.
Straily ended up allowing one run on three hits, while walking none and striking out six. The loss was tagged to Kelvin Marte, after he allowed a pair of runs to Detroit in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Miguel Rojas had a big day, going 3-3 to lift his spring average to .444. With Martin Prado out of action for the foreseeable future, Rojas should have an opportunity for extra playing time. The versatile reserve could also see some starts at third base when the season begins, if Prado is not ready to go.
Most of Miami's lineup was filled with players that are expected to begin the year in the minor leaguers. Derek Dietrich started at third base and went 0-2. Dietrich is another candidate for third base during Prado's absence, and he can play other positions much like Rojas.
The Marlins will play two games on Sunday in their first split-squad situation of the spring. Part of the team will be in Jupiter hosting the Washington Nationals. The rest of the team will be in Port St. Lucie to take on the New York Mets. Both games are set to begin a little after 1:00 p.m.
