:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60554407/20130721_kdl_aq2_580.0.0.0.jpg)
Coming off of their first series victory of the 2014 season, the Miami Marlins are set to take on the San Diego Padres in the first game of a three game set on Friday night. Tom Koehler will make his first start of the 2014 season, and will be followed by Jose Fernandez and Nathan Eovaldi.
Pitching Matchup
| PROJ ERA | FIP | ERA | MARLINS | ROCKIES | ERA | FIP | PROJ ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.61 | 4.74 | --- | Koehler | Stults | --- | 3.65 |
3.77 |
Koehler won the fifth spot in spring training and is expected to be more consistent after his experience in Miami's rotation last season. When he falls behind in counts, Koehler's lack of velocity often gets him in trouble. Much like we saw with Henderson Alvarez on Wednesday, if Koehler struggles, he will be pulled early. Considering the preseason praise from scouts and his baseball past, he should have a solid season.
Stuluts is the fourth lefty the Marlins have faced this week, and is a nice arm in the Padres' rotation who struggles with command at times.
Lineups
| PROJ WOBA | WOBA | MARLINS | PADRES | WOBA | PROJ WOBA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ..273 | .449 | Adeiny Hechavarria | Everth Cabrera | .347 | .295 | |
| .304 | .216 | Jeff Baker | Will Venable | .247 | .315 | |
| .382 | .497 | Giancarlo Stanton | Chase Headley | .075 | .330 | |
| .309 | .600 | Casey McGehee | Seth Smith | .754 | .315 | |
| .321 | .228 | Garrett Jones |
| .151 | .318 | |
| .320 | .185 | Jarrod Saltalamacchia | Jedd Gyorko | .115 | .319 | |
| .318 | .537 | Marcell Ozuna | Chris Denorfia | .181 | .312 | |
| .286 | .657 | Reed Johnson | Yasmani Grandal | -- | .377 |
Facing another left-handed pitcher in Stults, Manager Mike Redmond once again adjusted his lineup. Since he is off to a hot start, Adeiny Hechavarria is in the leadoff spot, and Jeff Baker is in the two hole as he was in the first two games of the year.
Casey McGehee is hitting cleanup and will be followed Garrett Jones, who went 1 for 8 against lefties in the opening series. Reed Johnson gets the start in left field replacing Christian Yelich.
Notes
-How will Koehler fare in his first start of the season? If Miami's offense scores early, it will be interesting to see if Koehler can hold onto a lead, which he didn't have frequently last year.
-Reed Johnson is making an appearance in the lineup after a solid spring. Should he have success, he may see more time in the lineup against lefties.
-What will Adeiny Hechavarria look like leading off? He struggled in the two spot last season, but is off to a quick start offensively
Bold Prediction: Padres def. Marlins 5-3