While the rest of the lineup has been inconsistent, there has been one constant for the Marlins lately: shortstop Hanley Ramirez.
Ramirez doubled in the first inning Wednesday, giving him a 10-game hitting streak. He finished 2-for-4 and is now hitting a team-high .361, which apparently answers the preseason question of whether he can hit from the No. 3 hole. "I think that's not even a question anymore. I hope not," manager Fredi Gonzalez said before Wednesday's game. "I think we've passed that, don't you think?"
Ramirez is batting .373 (44-for-118) this year from the third spot in the batting order. Last year, he hit mostly leadoff, where he'd batted since his rookie season of 2006. But in 16 games batting third in 2008, he hit .268 (15-for-56), raising questions over his ability to hit well in that spot over a full season.
"It's been a lot of fun watching him," teammate Cody Ross said. "He's been on a tear."
BREWERS 8, MARLINS 6: Allowing the leadoff runner to reach base and score in each of the first three innings was bad enough, especially since the Marlins had staked Ricky Nolasco an early 3-0 lead. Turns out, that was nothing compared to what Nolasco did in the only inning that started off right for him. He allowed five runs in the fourth inning, all after retiring the first two batters. The man who won 15 games last year is now 2-4 with a 7.78 ERA.
