Miami Marlins Play First Game

The Miami Marlins played their first regular season game at their new stadium Marlins Park and lost to the defending world champion St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 on Wednesday night. The team was formally known as the Florida Marlins and played at a football-oriented stadium in Miami Gardens from 1993 until 2011. In addition, the Marlins were wearing new colors and letters on their uniforms and caps. It was the debut of new Miami manager Ozzie Guillen, who once led the Chicago White Sox to their first World Series title in 88 years back in 2005. Muhammad Ali, former three-time heavyweight boxing champion of the world, handed out the first ball prior to the game. The Redbirds jumped on the Marlins in the first inning to take the early lead. Lance Berkman knocked a double into left-center field to advance Carlos Beltran to third base. They both scored when David Freese hit a two-run single off Josh Johnson to right field for a Cardinals 2-0 lead. St. Louis extended the margin in the second inning as David Descalso came in from second on a single up the middle by Rafael Furcal. Kyle Lohse retired the first ten Miami batters until Emilio Bonifacio was hit by a pitch in the fourth inning. Harley Ramirez then grounded into a double play to finish off the frame. Miami pitcher Josh Johnson left after six innings as he gave up three runs on ten hits and struck out four Cardinals. In his first game with the Marlins, new shortstop Jose Reyes broke up the no-hitter with none out in the seventh innning when he singled through the right side. In the eighth inning, Freese scored from third on a sacrifice by Descalso to increase the Cardinals lead to 4-0. The Marlins finally broke the shutout in the eighth. John Buck hit a double into the right-center field gap to score Omar Infante from first base. Buck hit a grand slam home run against last year on opening day against the New York Mets. Lohse was pulled after 7 1/3 innings and gave up one run on two hits.

Logan Morrison wore uniform number 5 that was unretired by the Miami Marlins in February. The number was retired by the Florida Marlins and former owner H. Wayne Huizenga prior to the first game in franchise history in April 1993. The number was retired for Carl Barger, who was the Marlins first team president. He passed away at the baseball winter meetings in December 1992.