Zarate's quick ascent
Imagine my surprise when, listening to the Phillies-Marlins game last night, I heard that Mauro Zarate was taking the mound for Florida in the fifth inning. My immediate thought: "Wait, wasn't this guy pitching in Greensboro just last year? And not very well, at that." Well, it was apparently his big-league debut.
He gave up a homer to Ryan Howard -- his 32nd -- and plunked Aaron Rowand while giving up three runs in the sixth inning.
Zarate actually fared better for the Grasshoppers than I'd remembered: 3-5, 3.19 ERA, 80 strikeouts in 79 innings. He was really tearing it up this year in the minors, with a 2.42 ERA in Jupiter, 1.40 at Double-A Carolina and 0.96 in Albuquerque. And there's your promotion.
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A quick follow-up: Daniel Barone, who pitched for the Grasshoppers in 2005 and '06, will make his major-league debut as the Marlins starter tonight against the division-leading Mets at Shea Stadium. Any help Barone can give the Phillies is appreciated.
Posted on August 10, 2007 3:19 PM