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The Miami Marlins have opened the 2014 season with a pair of wins thanks to quality pitching and timely hitting, and will look to begin the year 3-0 in tonight's third game of the four game series with the Colorado Rockies. Henderson Alvarez will be on the mound for the Marlins, with Jordan Lyles pitching for the Rockies.
Pitching Matchup
| PROJ ERA | FIP | ERA | MARLINS | ROCKIES | ERA | FIP | PROJ ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.94 | --- | --- | Alvarez | Lyles | --- | --- |
5.18 |
Henderson Alvarez ended the 2013 season on a positive note, pitching a no-hitter in late October. Alvarez, like last night's starter Nathan Eovaldi, began last season on the disabled list, so the fact that he is making his debut in April is beneficial alone. After Jose Fernandez and Eovaldi, Alvarez is expected to be a solid number three guy. When he has command of his fastball and offspeed pitches, he can be dominate, as we saw when the 2013 regular season concluded.
Lyles is the only right handed pitcher the Marlins will see against the Rockies.
Lineup
| PROJ WOBA | WOBA | MARLINS | ROCKIES | wOBA | PROJ WOBA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .328 | .244 | Christian Yelich | Charlie Blackmon | .180 | .319 |
| .304 | --- | Derek Dietrich | Michael Cuddyer | .388 | .361 |
| .382 | .275 | Giancarlo Stanton | Carlos Gonzalez | .632 | .377 |
| .321 | .200 | Garrett Jones | Troy Tulowitzki | .162 | .383 |
| .309 | .525 | Casey McGehee | Justin Morneau | .451 | .347 |
| .320 | .314 | Jarrod Saltalamacchia | Nolan Arenado | --- | .329 |
| .318 | .752 | Marcell Ozuna | Jordan Pacheco | --- | .300 |
| .273 | .387 | Adeiny Hechavarria | DJ LeMahieu | .129 | .305 |
After facing a pair of lefties to open the year, the Marlins have changed a few things in anticipation of facing the right-handed Jordan Lyles. Derek Dietrich, instead of Jeff Baker, will play second base, and Garrett Jones will hit cleanup behind Giancarlo Stanton. McGehee is off to a hot start, but Jones hits right-handed pitching very well.
For the Rockies, Charlie Blackmon replaces Drew Stubbs in the leadoff spot. Jordan Pachecho will catch Lyles in his first start of the season.
Notes
-It will be interesting to see how Alvarez starts 2014, considering the way he performed in his final start last year. A no-hitter may not be likely, but a quality start following the performances of Fernandez and Eovaldi will likely be sufficient.
-Derek Dietrich wasn't Miami's initial plan at second base, and it is worth watching how he performs in his first game of 2014.
-Michael may be in and out of the game on account of work.
-Ichthyomancy is a great way to get involved in our Fish Stripes community! The game is officially underway, and you can read the rules here.
Bold Prediction: Marlins def. Rockies 6-4