Ruggiano riding rare road homer streak

ATLANTA -- There is no place like the road for Justin Ruggiano.

For whatever reason, all 12 of the Marlins outfielder's home runs this season have come in visiting ballparks.

Having such a discrepancy is a rarity. According to STATS LLC and SABR, Ruggiano is doing something close to historic. Having all 12 of his home runs come on the road is tied for the fourth-most consecutive road home runs to begin a season all-time. Derrek Lee did it with the Marlins in 2000.

Ruggiano belted No. 12 on Wednesday night in Miami's 6-3 win over the Braves at Turner Field.

"I think the road ballparks are a little more fair to hit in," Ruggiano said.

While it has been all or nothing for Ruggiano, cavernous Marlins Park in general has been tougher to hit home runs for many.

As a team, the Marlins have homered more on the road. They have hit 17 home runs at Marlins Park, the fewest of any big league club in its own building. Conversely, they've connected 32 times on the road.

"Other than the obvious, the size of the ballpark, I don't know," manager Mike Redmond said. "But he hit two home runs in one game at San Francisco, and that ballpark is not easy to hit in either. I don't think much about it. I think it is one of those baseball things. It's fun to talk about. Why -- who knows?"

Redmond is very much aware of his players' numbers, at home and on the road.

"It's one of those things that is kind of a head-scratcher," Redmond said. "For whatever reason, he's hit all of his home runs on the road. I don't know why that it is."

The manager joked: "I guess I'll have to play him only on the road. That wouldn't be a lot of fun for him."