Marlins Display Contagious Hitting

Players, managers, and hitting coaches spew out a baseball cliche that hitting is contagious whenever a player, or the entire team, goes on a hitting streak that lasts for a month.

The Marlins are making this cliche look good by getting 10 or more hits per game these days. Last night, they extended their double-digit hit streak to 14 games by cranking out 11 hits in their 6-2 victory over the Astros at Minute Maid Park.

It wasn't long ago when fans would question the ability of several Marlins players when it came to hitting a baseball. In the first few months of the season, fans would often see them strike out or strand the runners on base in a tight game.

This is no longer an issue, and the improvement in the team's hitting is the reason why the Marlins are winning games frequently. That has put them in a position to compete for the division and the Wild Card.

The Marlins relied on Hanley Ramirez and Jorge Cantu to get hits and score runs when the team struggled to hit before the All-Star Break.

That's no longer the case, as Dan Uggla, Emilio Bonifacio, Chris Coghlan, Cody Ross and Jeremy Hermida have been playing well for the last five weeks.

Uggla stands out when one looks at who has underachieved for the Marlins. He struck out often, and he could not hit a ball that would land past the infield earlier this season. Manager Fredi Gonzalez moved Uggla up and down the lineup in an attempt to jump-start him.

Since the Marlins returned from the West Coast trip last month, Uggla has started to hit the ball well. And lately, he is hitting home runs.

Uggla is known to be streaky, so the Marlins hope he can continue to hit for power for the next few weeks.

Bonifacio has been up and down, which is to be expected for a player that is playing every day for the first time in his career. Despite the acquisition of Nick Johnson, Gonzalez finds a way to give Bonifacio playing time, and Bonifacio takes advantage of it by getting base hits.

Coghlan has been a revelation in August. After hacking at every pitch for most of the season, he finally figured out how to hit the ball around the field. And now, he expects to get base hits when he is at the plate.

He understands the importance of having a good eye for where the pitch will land in the catcher's mitt, and that he can't be swinging at balls that are clearly out of the strike zone.

Coghlan recently set a Marlins record for most consecutive multi-hit games at eight  against the Phillies, and he couldn't say that last month.

Like Uggla, Ross can be streaky. Ross started the season hot by hitting home runs, but then he went into a slump that lasted a month.

Since then, he has been the team's consistent hitter. He's hitting every day, it seems. Ross has not relied on the long ball to contribute, as he instead has been relying on bloop hits.

Hermida looked like he was going to be a bench player with the way he performed in June by being an automatic out. Since then, he earned his way in the lineup by producing hits.

There's something to be said about baseball being a long season for hitters. During a course of the season, guys go through slumps.

It's a matter of how much a slump can affect a hitter. 

One thing about the Marlins is they play with a reckless attitude. These players don't let anything bother them, as they go out there and play instead of thinking about their mistakes.

For a young team, it's a good thing. Why should they be scared about making a mistake? It's hard to be successful by playing that way.

The Marlins have been showing improvements during their at-bats too. Hitting coach Jim Presley and Gonzalez are happy not to see guys holding the bat in their shoulder after the third strike, or guys hitting at bad pitches.

With everyone playing well, Ramirez and Cantu don't have to deal with the pressure of having to produce every game. And as a result, it makes their job easy, and they continue to play well with everyone contributing.

The Marlins will eventually end their streak of double-digit hits, and tonight could be a good bet. It's hard to muster up 10 or more hits in a game to begin with so good things will come to an end.

It doesn't mean the guys will stop hitting though.

When guys are hot, they stay hot.