Het debuut

Rick van den Hurk gooide eergisteren 4 2/3 innings in zijn debuut voor de Florida Marlins.

Dat is niet veel voor een startende werper. Na 4 2/3 innings sloeg de regen echter toe en werd het spel onderbroken. Ruim drie kwartier later werd er pas weer verder gespeeld en de pitchersarm van Van den Hurk was toen al afgekoeld.

Het was een prima debuut van Rick, want hij gooide vijf maal drie slag en kreeg maar 1 punt tegen.

Making his Major League debut, Rick Vanden Hurk was impressive in 4 2/3 innings, giving up one run on five hits with five strikeouts and three walks. Added to the rotation when Ricky Nolasco went on the disabled list on Monday because of elbow inflammation, Vanden Hurk's first outing was cut short by the first rain delay.

"I thought he did a great job," Gonzalez said of the rookie who hadn't pitched above Class A ball before Tuesday. "He was composed. He threw strikes. He did everything we asked him to do today."

The score was even at 1 during the first delay, but the Marlins grabbed a 2-1 lead in the fifth on Dan Uggla's sacrifice fly to right field off Claudio Vargas, who remained in the game one more inning after the delay. Vargas struck out nine in five innings, and the Marlins' run in the fifth was unearned.

The game was halted by the Marlins' first rain delay of the season with two outs in the top of the fifth inning. Crew chief Dana DeMuth signed for the tarp on a high-and-tight Vanden Hurk fastball to Bill Hall. When play resumed, Lee Gardner closed out the fifth, retiring Estrada on a groundout to first base with the bases loaded.

Promoted from Double-A Carolina on Monday, the 22-year-old got the call when Ricky Nolasco was placed on the disabled list with inflammation in his right elbow.

Vanden Hurk became the fifth player from Holland to appear in big league game. He's the first since Robert Eenhoorn closed his career in 1997.

Vanden Hurk's parents and sister made the long trip from the Netherlands to be at the game.

"That was awesome, it was good for me that they came over," Vanden Hurk said of having family present. "It settled me down a little bit. It makes you feel good."

Bron : MLB.com

Foto's: AP