Follow up on Anibal Sanchez

Here's a follow up story, as it appeared on Marlins.com, regarding Anibal's near no hitter.
________________________________________________________


Faster fastball key to Anibal's dominance
Pitch in 93-95-mph range helps Sanchez one-hit Rockies

MIAMI -- Dexter Fowler ended up foiling Anibal Sanchez's no-hit bid on Friday night with a broken-bat single to lead off the ninth inning.

Initially, Sanchez felt his quest for a second career no-hitter was about to end in the eighth inning.

With two outs in the eighth inning, Jose Lopez slapped a soft liner up the middle, but it was flagged down by Omar Infante just on the grass in center field.

"I thought that was it," Sanchez said on Saturday.

Sanchez ended up with a one-hitter as the Marlins beat the Rockies, 4-1, at Sun Life Stadium.

The lone hit came on Sanchez's 116th pitch, when Fowler singled to right. The broken-bat hit came on a 94-mph fastball.

A major reason why Sanchez flirted with making history is because his fastball was regularly in the 93-95-mph range, the hardest he's thrown in years.

"Yesterday, the ball was coming in heavy," catcher John Buck said of Sanchez's fastball. "It had that extra [zip]. When you're throwing a good slider, throwing a good slider, then all of a sudden you get that good fastball, and it's 95."

Sanchez struck out nine and finished with 123 pitches.

With his fastball working, it made his off-speed pitches more effective.

"I threw hard, and that's why I threw so many fastballs," said Sanchez, who no-hit Arizona in 2006. "I was ahead in the count a lot and I used my fastball. I was throwing my breaking pitches in the right spots and the right situations."

The Marlins have flirted a couple of times with a no-hitter this year. Josh Johnson went 7 1/3 innings without allowing a hit in Atlanta before Freddie Freeman doubled in the eighth.

Buck caught both games, and says he wasn't caught up in the moment.

"Even with JJ, I didn't really become conscious of it -- that there is a no-hitter -- until the sixth or seventh inning, because I'm so engulfed in every at-bat," Buck said. "I'm aware of how well he is throwing, rather than if we have no hits or a shutout going. I'm probably more aware of runs, because that's how you call a game, by how many runs are on the board."

_________________________________________________________



Out Train The Game!

Adam

Marlins' Sanchez tosses Gem!

Tonight (April 22, 2011) I was fortunate to be at the game as Anibal turned in an outstanding performance!! Just look at that intensity.

He took a no hitter into the 9th inning before giving up a broken bat, "seeing-eye" single to lead-off hitter Dexter Fowler.

Not only did Anibal toss a 1-hitter, he dropped down a suicide squeeze, made an incredible defensive play, lowered his ERA from 5.51 to 3.55, and set a new career high of 9Ks.



Every inning that went by I reflected about everything that went into our off-season training program; designed for night's like tonight. Designed to take his body well beyond 9 innings worth of work. Every 8000# truck pushes, versa-climber, tire sprints, ropes, functional field work went into his 123 pitch, 9 inning complete game shutout.

Strength, Power and Endurance. Tonight he had it all.

The strength & conditioning that the fans don't see in the offseason they saw tonight! Congrats Anibal!


Out Train The Game!

Adam

431 foot SLAM

In addition to his single and double, Ramon Hernandez blasted a 431 ft upper deck, 5th inning Grand Slam-finishing 3 for 4, BB, and 4 RBI's. The hardest hit to come by, triple, kept him from hitting for the cycle. But what a Great day for him.


Out train the game! Go hard in the yard.


Adam