Miami Marlins vs. Oakland Athletics: Three stories to watch

What Should Miami Marlins Fans Expect From Edinson?

Obviously, the Miami Marlins have a deep pool of evidence to draw from when studying how long pitchers stay dialed in after tossing a no-hitter.

Having five more no-hitters than the New York Mets will do that.

So what exactly does the historical record say fans can expect from Edinson Volquez when he next takes the mound? Is he due to crash after a couple long outings? Or can we pencil this in as an easy Marlins victory?

It’s hard to say. Volquez’s run of four straight quality starts begins with a a game against these Athletics. But the A’s crushed him last year in two starts he made for the Royals. So we get to find out tonight whether that last outing was proof of adjustment or just aberration.

Volquez has turned in a quality performance in five of his last six, and followed up the no-hitter with seven sterling innings of shutout ball. Arm fatigue is definitely in play here.

If we go by the track record of success post no-no, the Fish are in pretty good shape. Al Leiter managed to reel off five straight quality starts following his. Kevin Brown finished just short of that mark at four.

A.J. Burnett was bombed in his first game post no-no (a hurdle Volquez has cleared), but followed it up with four straight games of 8.0 IP or better. Anibal Sanchez? Three straight quality starts, followed by a five inning win.

We’ll skip over Henderson Alvarez, who turned in one of the bigger mic drops in team history by tossing his gem on the last day of the season. So not much help there.

All that being said, I like his chances Wednesday. It will be the Nationals game that worries me.

Will Stanton Regain His Stroke?

Next up, the Miami Marlins will need their All-Star slugger to get his swing back in a hurry.

Giancarlo Stanton seemingly dodged significant injury Saturday, and returns to the starting lineup after missing only a single start. But that Sunday also saw the Marlins forced to run with a lineup missing four Opening Day position players.

Coaches and players are talk about not making excuses, spouting next man up aphorisms. But four injured starters is a lot for any team. That barren a lineup can’t happen again with a series still in doubt. So how effective Stanton can be- hitting, fielding, throwing, all of it, merits special attention here.

Prior to that Saturday injury, he was so locked in. He wasn’t just driving in runs, he was flirting with being a .290 hitter. That’s a potential breakthrough.

If the Marlins are to survive the next two weeks, they are going to need the Stanton they’ve had at their disposal the previous two weeks.

Tuesday’s home run would seem to suggest relief is in order. The bigger test will be if he plays in Wednesday’s finale and how he holds up over the weekend in Atlanta. If it seems he’s being handled, it could be more of the same old story coming our way.

Can Derek Push Dee For Playing Time?

Lastly, we could be reaching a point where the Miami Marlins will have to make some interesting roster choices regardless of the win-loss record. In two weeks time, all three injured infielders should be ready to return to action. That’s terrific news, and will give the Marlins much more flexibility off the bench, and a far deeper everyday lineup.

Bottom-line, the days of being forced to watch Christian Colon play baseball are just about over.

The assumption is that this newfound health will equal the end of J.T. Riddle‘s time in the starting lineup, or the trading of Adeiny Hechavarria. But I think the position most worthy debate isn’t shortstop at all, but rather second base.

Derek Dietrich drew All-Star buzz during his time filling in for a suspended Dee Gordon last year and just had his best series of the season against the Pirates. If he can keep that going in this series, the pressure only increases on Gordon, a leadoff hitter hitting in the .270s  that can’t walk to save his life.

Hechavarria was actually hitting at a pretty high level before getting hurt. He’ll will regain his job in the short term, if for no other reason than to ensure he gets a chance to market his skills to potential buyers. Dietrich is the natural fit to supplant Gordon, and the one most in need of having to continue to produce to earn a shot. Definitely something that warrants watching over these two games.

Next: Miami Marlins day one draft grades

To be honest, Hechavarria isn’t the only hitter Riddle has been performing semi-comparably to. If Dietrich can’t wrestle the job away from Gordon, don’t be surprised if Riddle is given the chance to try out a new position.