Padres vs. Marlins Game Preview (4/4/14)

Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Marlins kick off their series against the San Diego Padres tonight at 7:10 PM EST in Marlins Park. Miami looks to continue their winning ways by sending Tom Koehler to the hill to take on Eric Stults. The Marlins enter the game with a 3-1 record while the Padres currently sport a 1-2 mark. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Florida and broadcast on 940 AM WINZ.

For a complete series preview, be sure to check out this link. Also check out our interview with Friars on Base, the Fansided blog dedicated to the San Diego Padres.

Here are the statistics for the starting pitchers:

Tom Koehler:

Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Year	Age	Tm	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	ERA+	WHIP
2013	27	MIA	5	10	.333	4.41	29	23	2	0	0	0	143.0	140	72	70	14	54	2	92	5	0	7	601	88	1.357

Eric Stults:

Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Year	Age	Tm	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	ERA+	WHIP
2013	33	SDP	11	13	.458	3.93	33	33	0	2	0	0	203.2	219	97	89	18	40	2	131	2	1	2	857	87	1.272

This pitching matchup is intriguing considering that both starters are capable of throwing excellent games. Koehler was arguably the Marlins best pitcher during spring training, and Stults pitched well his last two starts of spring training. This game will likely come down to ability of either team to score runs. Fortunately for the Marlins, they have been doing that very successfully since the start of the season. The Padres have struggled in that category.

Starting Lineups:

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Christian Yelich gets the day off as the red-hot Reid Johnson takes his place. This change means that Hechavarria will lead off for the Fish, a spot that he has struggled with in the past. Baker will get the start at second base as manager Mike Redmond continues to employ a platoon strategy at the keystone position. Garrett Jones continues to get reps against lefties as he has acquitted himself nicely thus far.

Predictions:

I really like this pitching matchup for the Marlins. Miami has hit lefties well so far this season (Keep in mind Jorge De La Rosa and Brett Anderson) and I think that will continue against Stults and the Padres. Koehler has been lights out this spring and I believe that he will continue that as well. The Padres struggle to score runs and tonight will be no different. A solid outing by Koehler and a home run by Jeff Baker contribute to a 4-1 Marlins win!

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