If there is a word to sum up the feeling of this youthful squad that continues to come of age, it is "believe."
"Just believe -- that's the main word right there," Marlins infielder Jorge Cantu said.
Cantu certainly has reason for optimism, especially after he remains one of the most consistent players on the team. In the 12th inning on Saturday afternoon, Cantu delivered the decisive two-out RBI double that lifted the Marlins to a 3-2 win over the Cubs in front of a stunned Wrigley Field gathering of 41,471.
After pulling off their 30th comeback win of the season, the Marlins have now taken two of three in the four-game set at Wrigley Field. On back-to-back days, Florida prevailed by a 3-2 score.
In both contests, Jeremy Hermida stepped up with some big hits. Hermida enjoyed his second career multi-homer game. But it was the 24-year-old's two-out double in the 12th inning off Chad Gaudin that set up Cantu's double, which came on a 2-2 pitch.
Kevin Gregg worked a perfect 12th inning for his 22nd save, and second save of the series. Florida is now 8-5 in extra innings.
"This team is hungry," said Cantu, who had been 0-for-5 with three strikeouts before collecting his 60th RBI. "This team is hungry to keep winning. I think everybody here wants to take it to the next level. That means the postseason. Everybody is excited about it."
The Marlins are managing to win at a time when their offense has struggled to collect hits and score runs.
All series, the Marlins have struggled with runners in scoring position. As a team, they were 1-for-25 with runners in scoring position in the series until Cantu's double in the 12th.
Making contact also was a chore on Saturday, as the Marlins combined to strike out a season-most 20 times, including four in extra innings. Heading into the game, the aggressive-swinging Florida squad had struck out as many as 16 times. Both of those games, however, lasted nine innings.
Despite the strikeouts, and playing under adverse conditions with a sellout crowd chanting for the home team, the Marlins remained locked in, regardless of the situation.
"You should feel that atmosphere in the dugout," Cantu said. "It's like, 'OK, come on. If not this inning, then the next inning.'"
The Marlins forced extra innings on Hermida's eighth-inning home run, his second shot of the game and third in the series.
Back in the starting lineup after delivering the game-winning, pinch-hit home run on Friday, Hermida has homered in five of his last eight games.
"Sometimes they come in bunches," Hermida said. "I had a spell this year where it felt like I hadn't hit one in like two months."
Winning two straight in a well-played series is boosting the morale of the team.
"This is as close to a playoff-like atmosphere as we've had all year," Hermida said. "To come into Wrigley Field, in a pretty hostile environment, it proves to us -- not only us, because I think we already knew it -- but it proves to people that we are for real, that we can play with these guys, and we can play with anybody in the National League."
Gregg echoed those remarks.
"You're seeing guys who are focused," Gregg said. "There is a light at the end of the tunnel. When you're competing against good teams, you're excited. Everybody is excited. You're wanting to win against a good club."
In the third inning, Hermida went deep off Rich Harden, who struck out 10 in five innings. And in the eighth inning, after fouling off four straight pitches, the 24-year-old homered to right, pulling the Marlins even at 2 off Sean Marshall.
Five of Hermida's last seven hits have been home runs. The eighth-inning home run enabled rookie right-hander Chris Volstad to settle for a no-decision. The 21-year-old, making his third big league start, gave up two runs on six hits with six strikeouts in six innings.
The outing was another sign that Volstad, the 16th overall pick in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, has a promising future.
Volstad surrendered an RBI single and a home run to Aramis Ramirez. Otherwise, the rookie kept the Marlins in the ballgame.
"Wrigley Field, sold-out crowd on a Saturday afternoon, it was huge," Volstad said of the atmosphere. "I was pumped."
Ramirez's homer was the first time all season that Volstad has been taken deep, in either the Minor Leagues or the big leagues.
Volstad threw 91 innings at Double-A Carolina, before he was called up. The blast came at 19 1/3 innings of his MLB tenure.
There was some controversy in the bottom of the ninth inning after a terrific back-handed stop and throw by Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez robbed Mark DeRosa of an infield hit. DeRosa slid head-first on the bang-bang play and first-base umpire Rob Drake called him out. Outraged, Cubs first-base coach Matt Sinatro screamed at Drake and was immediately ejected. Cubs manager Lou Piniella came out and had some words, and he also was ejected by Drake. As the arguing ensued, fans tossed debris on the field, causing the game to be held up a few extra minutes.
The game was delayed roughly 15 minutes in the Cubs' half of the second inning when home-plate umpire Gerry Davis suffered an injury during an at-bat when Harden was attempting a sacrifice bunt.
Bruce Dreckman replaced Davis, and during the wait both teams returned to the dugout.
"[Harden] was pulling the bat back, right in my face," Marlins catcher John Baker said. "The pitch before, he tipped the bunt, and it hit me right in the face. It hit me in the facemask first.
"I couldn't see the ball. I think I was worried about my safety, and it happened to hit Gerry right in the mask -- right square on the chin. You worry about the umpires, they are putting themselves in harm's way. You never want to see a player, fan or an umpire leaving [because of injury]."
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