Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
There are a lot of stories surrounding the Miami Marlins. Most of those stories coming into the season were about the frustration that the fans felt at the treatment of their team by the team’s owner. As the season has gone on I believe that some of the bad blood has softened. A lot of that has to do with the way the fans can see the Marlins improving but most of that credit can actually go to Cuban sensation Jose Fernandez.
Fernandez busted onto the scene this season after spending a minute in the minor leagues and has been dominant since day one. That hasn’t happened all that often in the majors but when it does you always wait for the other shoe to drop. The scouting reports will make the rounds and then the young pitcher will get shelled while he tries to adjust to the intelligence of MLB hitters. That didn’t really happen with Fernandez however. If he was ever just going get taken to school it should have been on Monday when he was opposed by the smoking hot Los Angeles Dodgers.
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How shaky does 6 innings while giving up 4 hits and only 1 run sound? Add to that eight strikeouts and you have a guy that has shown the hottest team in baseball what he is capable of. Even Yasiel Puig, a new friend of Fernandez and fellow Cuban, was powerless against Fernandez. At one point Puig struck out with runners on first and third with the game still close. I don’t think it was possible for anyone to think that Fernandez was not the real deal before this game. Certainly, it should be impossible to see him as anything but the next great young pitcher after the game.
David Miller is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @davidmillerrant, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
