MIAMI — Aaron Harang had not pitched at Marlins Park until a month ago, when the Braves veteran gave up a career-high nine runs and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings of a 9-3 loss.
Afterward, he was among the Braves who wondered if the Marlins might be stealing signs and relaying them to Miami hitters. Harang had struck out 11 while allowing one run in six innings against the Marlins a week before in Atlanta, and entered that April 30 start with a 0.83 ERA and .143 opponents’ average in his first five games of the season.
He’ll face the Marlins again Sunday in a series finale at Marlins Park.
“I’ve just got to make sure I’m executing my pitches and moving the ball around the zone and trying to keep them off-balance,” Harang said. “I think that’s the biggest thing. I just go out and prepare like I normally do, take the mound on Sunday and do what I’ve been doing.”
In five starts since he has a 3.68 ERA and .316 opponents’ average – not anywhere near the torrid pace he set in his first five starts, but solid. He allowed two earned runs in six innings four times in his past five starts.
Harang said he’s no longer dwelling on what happened a month ago in his first start at Marlins Park.
“I quit even thinking about it,” he said. “I’ve got a fast memory when it comes to stuff like that, you just try and forget about it as fast as you can and move on to your next start. Obviously we’ll go back and watch how I pitched those guys when we were in Atlanta and make the comparisons and see were things could have gone wrong, and I’ll make those adjustments and go out there and pitch like I have been.”
