Miami Marlins at San Diego Padres: Three Stories To Watch

Which Tom Koehler Shows Up 

There are two ways the Miami Marlins can look at Tom Koehler‘s three starts thus far. Which one proves correct this weekend could go a long way towards indicating what kind of season the club is in for.

On the one hand, Koehler has surrendered 3 ER or less in two of this last three outings. If he keeps that rolling all year, the Fish will be in fine shape.  Even the last start wasn’t a travesty. The biggest issue in that 6-1 loss was the fact the Marlins couldn’t score a run until the 9th inning. Jose Fernandez gave up 5 ER or more in five starts last season, so even the greatest of pitchers can have an off night.

The flip side though is that Koehler has, in most respects, has gotten progressively worse every time out this season. Whether it’s in terms of ERs, or even merely base hits, the line score has been increasingly less impressive.

So, while it’s still way too early in the season to make snap judgements, this Sunday finale start for Koehler could be a tipping point performance. Then again, I might just really want the Marlins to win on my birthday.