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MIAMI -- The Miami Marlins were savoring a rare victory, thanks to pitcher Jose Fernandezs latest gem. A team official attempted to engage the rookie in a discussion as highlights of his performance began showing on the clubhouse television. Mesmerized, Fernandez walked away from the conversation and toward the TV. "Come on, dude," the Marlins official grumbled. "Hey, I want to see this, bro," Fernandez replied. For the 20-year-old Cuban defector, its all new -- pitching in the majors, winning games, seeing himself on TV. When hes not on the mound, he often hangs over the dugout railing, captivated by the action and cheering on a team with the worst record in the majors. If Fernandez acts as though hes trying to enjoy every moment, he is. "I keep saying, Im here, and I want to have fun," he said. While fun has been in short supply for the Marlins, Fernandez is making their season more bearable. The precocious right-hander is 4-3, remarkable considering the rest of the pitching staff began the week a combined 17-44. Heading into Wednesdays start at Arizona, Fernandez ranks among the top three rookies in the majors in ERA (3.11) , strikeouts per inning (77 in 72 1-3) and opposing batting average (.210). Such statistics are all the more impressive because he doesnt turn 21 until July 31. Fernandez became the first pitcher under 21 to allow less than two runs and less than four hits in each of his first two career starts since 1965. And in his most recent outing, Fernandez became the first pitcher under 21 to strike out 10 or more since Felix Hernandez with Seattle in 2007. "Hes similar to Felix when he was younger," two-time Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay said. "He has that presence and that kind of stuff. If he continues to develop, he could be one of those guys." Fernandez smiles when such praise is relayed to him, but then he smiles much of the time, mindful of how far he has come. The 90 miles from Cuba to Florida is a long way. "It has been pretty hard for me to get here -- not to the big leagues, but to the United States," he said. "Living in Cuba for 15 years taught me a lot. Life over there is pretty tough. Im incredibly blessed to be in the United States." Fernandezs first three attempts to defect were foiled, and the youngster spent several months in prison. Finally he escaped the island by boat with his mother, and when she fell into the Yucatan Channel, he jumped in and pulled her out. They made it to Mexico and eventually reunited in Tampa, Fla., with his father, who had escaped from Cuba two years earlier. At Tampa Alonso High School, Fernandez began hearing he was destined for greatness. He learned to speak fluent English while contemplating stardom and plotting a persona. "Its great to be humble," he said, sounding like a country song. "People will love you more in the long run. I dont want to be just a good pitcher. I want to be a great example on the field." The hype about Fernandez has been justified. He went 30-3 in three prep seasons, helped his team win two state titles and was taken by the Marlins with the 14th overall pick in the 2011 draft. He went 14-2 with a 2.02 ERA in 27 minor-league starts, none above Single-A, and cracked the Marlins rotation with a strong spring. "He has the ability to execute pitches like only a handful of guys Ive ever seen," Miami manager Mike Redmond said. At 6-foot-2 and 242 pounds, Fernandez is physically mature for his age, and his repertoire is also advanced. Many of his strikeouts come on a slider or curve, which hell throw even on a 3-2 count, and this year he added an effective changeup to go with his fastball, which is consistently in the mid-90s and peaks at 98 mph. "Hes so polished for a young pitcher," Redmond said. "Its amazing how good his secondary pitches are." The Marlins have been careful with the youngsters workload, and theyll likely limit him to no more than 170 innings this year. But he wants to be a workhorse and was pleased to throw a career-high 107 pitches to beat the high-scoring Cardinals in his most recent start, especially after giving up two runs in the first inning. "I compete my butt off," he said. "It doesnt matter who Im facing. It could be the best hitter in the world; it could be my mom. I compete and compete and compete and compete, and thats what everybody is going to get out of me every time." Was it a thrill to beat the Cardinals? Heck, it was a thrill just to meet them. "One of the special moments in the game: The first time I went up to hit, Yadier Molina was catching," Fernandez said. "I look up to that guy. When they won the World Series, I saw him catch and I said, Man, I wish one day I could shake his hand. "So I said, Man, its a pleasure to be playing against you. He said, No, its my pleasure. It was great to get to pitch against him." And perhaps someday Molina will tell his grandkids about the first time he met Jose Fernandez. USA Soccer Gear . Defenceman Yannick Weber scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and the Canucks breathed a sigh of relief with a 2-1 win on Saturday night. USA Soccer Pro Shop .C. at the helm of the top team in the Eastern Conference. His tenure as the GM in Vancouver was all too brief. Though he led the Canucks to what was then a franchise record-shattering campaign in just his second season, Nonis was gone and replaced one year later. https://www.cheapusasoccer.com/ . Robinson finished with 17 points, all but two in the second half, and Lawson had 14 after halftime and finished with a game-high 11 assists as the Nuggets handed Dallas its first home loss in eight games this season. J.J. Hickson led Denver with 22, and Kenneth Faried added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Custom USA Soccer Jerseys . The 29-year-old Baines has established himself as one of the top attacking full backs in the country and was the subject of two bids from United during the last off-season. Everton manager Roberto Martinez says that keeping Baines at the club is a "massive boost and exciting for the future" because he brings "maturity and football knowledge in a very specialized position on the pitch" and an "infectious and positive influence to the rest of the squad. Wholesale USA Soccer Jerseys . -- Playing time has been limited for Maxim Tissot this season, so the Montreal Impact defender made the most of his first scoring opportunity on Saturday. Editors note: The 2016-2017 college basketball season will be the Year of the Freshmen, featuring what could be the best class weve ever seen. Over the next two weeks we will get familiar with the best of the best, examining who they are and where each of the top 10 prospects in the 2016 ESPN 100 came from.Frank Jackson rose quickly up the 2016 rankings after a stellar spring and summer on the AAU circuit -- and became one of thee most sought-after prospects in the class once he decommitted from BYU in November 2014.dddddddddddd Right as his senior season began, Jackson committed to Duke -- and once Derryck Thornton Jr. transferred in April, having Jackson on the team became that much more important for coach Mike Krzyzewski. ' ' '