Whatchoo talkin' bout, Willis?

Baseball Betting Lines

07/20/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Gary Coleman certainly couldn't do the job, nor could Todd Bridges on whatever substance he used to abuse. But Florida Marlins ace Dontrelle Willis isn't giving his teammates or the world of baseball much to talk about these days.

Willis is going through some 'Diff'rent Strokes' of his own lately on the mound and the Marlins are hurting because of it. Once regarded as one of the dominant pitchers in the majors, Willis has fallen off the charts like the previously-mentioned sitcom when the red-headed, country-singing Sam McKinney (Danny Cooksey) made his debut on the show.

How annoying was that kid?

Anyway, Willis doesn't seem to strike the fear in opposing batters much like the "Gooch" did to Arnold Drummond (Coleman) and his buddies. The tilted-brim wearing Willis has been bullied on the hill and hasn't won since a May 29 performance against the Chicago Cubs in which he allowed four runs in seven innings of a 9-4 win at Wrigley Field.

Since the win at historic Wrigley, Willis has gone 0-6 with a 5.72 earned run average and three no decisions over nine starts -- the longest winless streak of his young career. The last time he lost six straight decisions was from April 25 - May 29 of the 2006 season.

"We've got to get him right, and obviously, he's not right," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said on the team's website. "Whether it's mechanics, or whatever it may be, the No. 1 thing is to get him straightened out, not only for him, but for us as a team."

The D-Train hasn't been able to stay on track, lasting less than four innings over his previous two starts, and the reason could be an injured left forearm. The southpaw tweaked his forearm in a start against the Chicago White Sox on June 19. He pitched just one inning and gave up four runs on three hits, matching the shortest start of his career.

The Oakland, CA native also has yet to post a victory in front of his home crowd since defeating the Atlanta Braves at Dolphin Stadium on April 23.

Florida's all-time leader in wins with 65, Willis has never missed a start due to injury and has stated the forearm is fine. He always keeps a team-first approach, however, no matter how good or bad he is doing on the mound.

"I just owe it to my team, to stay there and cheer them on," Willis said on the website. "Just because I'm having a rough time doesn't mean I should pout around, and be a nuisance. That's not what I'm about. I pride myself on being a leader, regardless of how I am doing."

He has the respect of his teammates and peers, but the 25-year-old must find a way to get back in the win column or Florida will continue to suffer. Even though the ballclub is 8-6 in July, imagine how much better the Marlins could be if Willis was able to break out of his current rut.

Willis is scheduled to pitch next Monday at Arizona and is 7-9 with a 5.13 ERA in 21 starts this season. If he can rebound how Bridges (Willis Drummond) did in reality, life would be more pleasant for baseball in South Beach.

OLSEN RETURNS FROM SUSPENSION

Marlins starting pitcher Scott Olsen was handed a two-game suspension without pay by the team this week for a confrontation in a win over Washington on Sunday.

The 23-year-old Olsen, who is 7-7 with a 5.15 ERA in 20 starts this season, was involved in a confrontation with teammate and starting pitcher Sergio Mitre in the tunnel heading towards the clubhouse.

Olsen, known for having a quick temper, allegedly ticked off Mitre and other teammates for tossing his jersey towards a trainer after pitching five innings of two-run ball against the Nationals. Olsen was then reportedly pinned to the wall by Mitre before the two were separated.

Olsen, who is 1-1 with a 6.94 ERA in three July starts, threw a bullpen session on Wednesday -- just two days before his scheduled start against the Cincinnati Reds.

"I just didn't throw as much, didn't throw as many pitches," confided Olsen on the team's website. "We still got everything out of it that we would have gotten out of it, it was just a lighter load."

WHO'S HOT

Shortstop and 2006 NL Rookie of the Year Hanley Ramirez is hitting .386 over his last 10 games with 17 hits and eight RBI.

Starting pitcher Sergio Mitre has won two straight starts and owns a 2.45 earned run average over that span. He has lasted at least six innings in each of his last six trips to the mound.

WHO'S NOT

Besides starting pitcher Dontrelle Willis, second baseman Dan Uggla has been suffering through a tough month. Uggla is batting only .143 this month with just seven hits over his previous 49 at-bats.

Uggla did not play in Wednesday's 6-0 loss against St. Louis, and was held out of the starting lineup for the first time this season.

"It's more of the mental aspect of it, kind of stay relaxed," Uggla said on the team's website. "That's about it. Physically, I feel great. That's the thing about slumps, when you get your pitch, you miss it."

ON DECK

Florida is 3-3 so far on a 10-game homestand and will close out the stretch with four games versus Cincinnati at Dolphin Stadium.

The Marlins, who sit 7 1/2 games off the NL East lead, are 20-28 as the host this season and will begin a seven-game road trip to Arizona and San Francisco next week.