May 18, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Tom Koehler (34) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Marlins starter Tom Koehler put on a great show in his third career start on Saturday night, but the bats were too cold to pull out a win as the Miami Marlins lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks 1-0.

Koehler pitched six strong innings, allowing just three hits while striking out seven and walking two. Unfortunately, one of those hits was a 387 foot leadoff home run to Gerardo Parra, which would end up being the only run scored in the game. According to Elias Sports Bureau, it was the first game since September 14, 1993, in which a leadoff home run on the first pitch of the game was the only run scored in the game. In that game two decades ago, the Pittsburgh Pirates beat – who else? – the Florida Marlins.

Diamondbacks starter Brandon McCarthy went the distance to win his first major league start since suffering a scary head injury last season while with the Oakland Athletics. McCarthy suffered a skull fracture and required season-ending surgery in September of last year. In addition to being his first win this season, the game was also his third career shutout. McCarthy needed just 99 pitches to mow down the Marlins and gave up just three hits, while walking two and striking out five. Derek Dietrich, Adeiny Hechavarria, Marcell Ozuna, and Chris Coghlan were the only Marlins to reach base against McCarthy.

Up next: The Marlins will try to stop their losing streak at seven games and take the third game of the series against Arizona. Ricky Nolasco will face off against Wade Miley. The Marlins are now 11-32, their worst start ever through 43 games.

May 18, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Tom Koehler (34) reacts after giving a home run to Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Gerardo Parra (not pictured) during the first inning at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

One of the reasons that I love baseball is the variety of outcomes and styles that it provides fans. Fans of pitching can see a start by a power pitcher like Jose Fernandez and breakdown how he did it. But there is more than one way to skin a cat, so to speak, the way that Jose Fernandez dominated the Phillies a couple of weeks ago is entirely different from the way that Tom Koehler handled an impressive Arizona Diamondbacks lineup tonight. Koehler looked to be in for a rough night as Gerardo Parra hit a grooved fastball at 94 mph out on the first pitch of the game. But Koehler settled down went 6 IP, allowing that single run off the Parra dinger, with 2 walks and 7 strikeouts on 99 pitches–68 of them strikes.

The age-old adage, is to “get ahead early,” that is to say to throw first pitch strikes. Koehler faced 23 batters in 6 innings, he threw ten first pitch strikes, and had three one-pitch at-bats; the homer to Parra, and two groundouts one by Miguel Montero and the other by A.J. Pollock,13 of the 23 batters he faced had 0-1 count, homered, or were retired on the first pitch. The results of Koehler’s plate appearances follows.

What is particularly interesting to me in that chart are not only the 7 strikeouts but the strikeouts that came on the cutter and also on the curveball but less so. According to pitch F/X data Koehler threw six sliders and got three whiffs, including two strikeouts; one of Paul Goldschmidt in the first inning and one by Gerardo Parra in the third. Those are both demarcated by a six on a black dot on the graph above. The effectiveness of Koehler’s cutter tonight is something that is worth explaining. In the graph below.

Fastballs thrown by right handed pitchers usually rise and either have “cut” or “tail” meaning that the ball moves in to right handed batters in the former and away from from right handed batters in the latter case. Koehler’s fastball “tails” away righties and thus “cuts” into lefties. The cutter can be used to amplify this effect, when facing a right-handed batter who is expecting a “tailing” fastball at 94 mph, it is easy to use a slider to throw of his balance, and vice versa. Koehler’s cutter as above shows, has a lot of horizontal movement but not much vertical movement and is thrown at around 90 mph. The two strikeouts that came via slider; one of Goldschmidt and the other of Parra plays off that effect. Parra’s 7 pitch strikeout in the third inning, shows this well.

Pitches 1 and 6 were fastballs that severely “cut” or “bore” into Parra at 95 mph while pitch 7 the strikeout cutter (effectively a backdoor slider) as pitch F/X designated it comes in at 90 mph and despite the “cutting” effect of the fastball to a left-handed hitter the cutter still functions as pitch that can throw a hitter off balance. Koehler’s at-bat against Parra in the third shows that the value of working the strike zone both in and out as well as up and down. The relative movement inside the strike zone of a pitch like a cutter can force hitters to offer at pitches they would not otherwise. Koehler also recorded three strikeouts via the curveball, the method of how a curveball works was covered in my last article and is effectively about speed difference and how it changes hitters eye levels. The curveball not the changeup is the four seam fastball’s Bizarro twin.

I also want to point out that the cutter works because it is a pitch that like the slider is nearly fastball speed but has much more horizontal movement, causing batters to chase the pitch, expecting it to be a fastball and thus swing and miss.

Koehler was effective tonight for three reasons, he “got ahead” in the count, had good fastball velocity averaging 94 mph, and was able to get swings and misses on his secondary pitches, the cutter and the curveball. The cutter was effective especially in the two at-bats against Goldschmidt and Parra, because it forced whiffs based on his fastball’s movement. The curveball is effective because he was able to control it, generating swings and misses based on the principles of slowing bat speed and changing eye levels. If a right-handed pitcher that can work his fastball at 94 mph can throw two secondary pitches for strikes, a cutter/slider or curveball/changeup he can be successful against many major league lineups. One breaking pitch that can get swings and misses based off of fastball movement and one breaking/off-speed pitch that make hitters whiff with its relationship to fastball velocity.

That explains the three main kinds of non-sinker/splitter dependent pitchers. Fastball/Slider guys like Yu Darvish, Fastball/Curveball pitchers like Jose Fernandez and Fastball/Changeup guys like Justin Verlander.

Apr 29, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Tom Koehler (34) throws a pitch in the seventh inning against the New York Mets at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Diamondbacks applied a major drubbing on the Miami Marlins Friday night. The D-Backs were able to jump on Kevin Slowey in the first inning with back-to-back home runs to give them a 3-0 lead. They never looked back. Slowey lasted just three innings and surrendered six earned runs.

The Marlins are hoping for better results today as Tom Koehler takes the mound against Brandon McCarthy. To find more information on both pitchers, check out the scouting report on our series preview.

Jon Rauch was designated for assignment after last night’s game and Duane Below was called up to take his spot. The Marlins will use Below in the long relief role with Wade LeBlanc needing rest after pitching four long innings yesterday.

Pitching Matchup:

Marlins Lineup

Juan Pierre is 1-for-3 and Placido Polanco is 1-for-4 in their careers off of McCarthy. Brandon will be making his first career start against the Fish.

Diamondbacks Lineup

Martin Prado is the only Diamondback hitter with any at bats against Koehler. Prado is 1-for-2 off of Koehler, with both those at bats coming as an Atlanta Brave.

Bold Prediction: This will be the game the Marlins find a way to steal. Koehler pitched six two-run innings for the Marlins and Marcell Ozuna muscles his second home run of the season in a Marlins victory. Marlins win 4-2.

Apr 18, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Miami Marlins relief pitcher John Maine (73) reacts after Cincinnati Reds Todd Frazier (21) runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the sixth inning at Great American Ball Park. The Reds won 11-1. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

Injuries and poor performance has kept the charter between New Orleans and Miami busy early in the season. John Maine was the latest roster causality for the Miami Marlins. The team decided to designate Maine for assignment after he was lit up by Cincinnati Red bats last night. Tom Koehler was called up to take Maine’s spot.

The 31-year old right hander pitched a total of 7 1/3 innings for the Marlins over the course of four appearances. Maine did not pitch well at all for the Marlins, as he allowed 10 runs on 15 hits and five walks, leading to an ugly 12.27 ERA and a 6.76 FIP. Maine also struck out seven hitters, but struggled to do much else right.

Maine pitched in relief of Jose Fernandez last night, entering the game in the bottom of the fifth. Maine lasted just two innings, allowing six earned runs allowing four hits and five walks. Maine only made one appearance in which he did not allow a run with the Marlins. That appearance was his first one of the season, and the first since 2010, against the Atlanta Braves.

Koehler, who was a candidate for the final starting rotation spot this spring, has made three starts in Triple-A New Orleans on the season. He has struck out 14 hitters in his 17 innings of work, allowing just two earned runs, good for a 1.06 ERA. He has struggled with command at times, walking 10 batters and allowing seven hits.

The Marlins will use Koehler in the long relief role that Maine had been in. Earlier this year, I ranked Koehler as the Marlins 18th best prospect. Here is what I had to say about Koehler:

Tom Koehler is a tad bit old to be a prospect at the age of 26, but he is an underrated pitcher and has the stuff to be a four/five pitcher, or an effective reliever. He showed some of that promise last September when he received a call-up. Koehler pitched decent, though his MLB numbers would suggest otherwise. Seven of the eight runs he allowed came across two games, five out of the other six appearances Koehler did not allow a single run. Koehler also made one start, as a fill in for Mark Buehrle.

Koehler will be presented a chance to hold down a job in the Marlins struggling bullpen. Hopefully he does well and provides some stability to the Marlins pen.

Interestingly enough, the Marlins were never interested in Francisco Rodriguez, according to Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun-Sentinel.

Never were. Signed with Milwaukee RT @sonbeek are the marlins intrested in K rod? Heard he was a FA

— Juan C. Rodriguez (@JCRMarlinsbeat) April 19, 2013

K-Rod signed a minor league deal with the Brewers yesterday. The team did sign former Seattle Mariner closer David Aardsma to a minor league contract earlier this week.

The Marlins current 40-man roster now sits at 39, potentially leaving one spot open for a potential roster move in the future. Stay tuned.

Tom Koehler started his first game of the spring for the Marlins and struggled from the very start giving up a leadoff double to Jon Jay in the first.  He would escape the inning unscathed, but promptly ran into trouble by serving up a 2-run homer to Cards top prospect Oscar Taveras with no outs in the second inning.  Koehler then repeated his act in the third by surrendering another 2-run homer with no outs in the inning, this time to Matt Holliday.  On the day, he wound up lasting two and a third and allowing four earned runs on seven hits and 2 walks as his spring ERA rose to 6.75.  Koehler likely came into camp battling with a cast of thousands for the fifth spot in the rotation and was certainly not helped by today’s performance.

Kevin Slowey, also in the mix for that last rotation spot, came on to relieve Koehler with one out in the third and ended up hurling a scoreless two and two thirds innings with two strikeouts.  Slowey, who has starting experience with the Minnesota Twins, has yet to give up an earned run in six and one third innings this spring.

Feb 28, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Kevin Slowey (45) delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Marlins 8-2. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

On offense, the Marlins were led by second baseman Donovan Solano who was 2-for-3 and drove in a run.  He is now hitting .533 on the spring as he works to erase any questions that may have existed regarding his spot in the starting lineup.  Solano was inserted into the #3 spot in the order when Placido Polanco was scratched just before the start of the game.  The other Marlins run on the day came courtesy of a pinch hit home run by minor league infielder Austin Barnes.

The biggest news of the day for the Marlins may have been injury related as Polanco was scheduled to make his first appearance since Saturday, but felt some discomfort in his balky back during warm-ups and was immediately removed from the line up.  He will now be given another few days off before being allowed to play in a game.  In addition, highly touted prospect Jake Marisnick was hit in the left hand during an at bat and was removed from the game.  X-rays on the injury came back negative.

Up Next:  The Miami Marlins will take on the New York Mets on Thursday in Port St. Lucie.  Likely Opening Day starter, Ricky Nolasco, will take the mound for the Marlins facing off against exciting young right-hander Matt Harvey for the Mets.