Somebody kick Matt Perisho off the team.
He's the only Marlins pitcher with an ERA over 3.18. So what if he's only allowed one run in 1.2 innings pitched? He's gone. A 5.40 ERA is just unacceptable. He really doesn't fit in.
If you want to pitch for the Florida Marlins, you better be throwin' goose eggs on the board. Just look at the numbers. Dontrelle Willis has tossed two complete-game shutouts. A.J. Burnett has allowed only six earned in three starts, two of them complete games. Josh Beckett has surrendered one earned in three starts. And Al Leiter has chipped in with a 2.55 ERA in three games.
Nobody in baseball is getting better numbers from its top four starters. It's somewhat of a surprise, considering the question marks whirling around every pitcher on that staff. Willis failed to recapture his rookie year form last season and some wondered if the league had finally caught on to his high leg kicks. Burnett was inconsistent last year after returning from Tommy John surgery. Beckett, the October darling two seasons ago, posted solid numbers last season, but seemed to fall short of the lofty expectations heaped on him after his World Series performances. And Leiter is one of those wily veterans, who, while wily, seemingly can't be counted on for stellar start after stellar start.
Those questions have been answered.
Another set of questions just got handed out.
Because for as good as their pitching has been, the Marlins were still just 6-6 after Sunday's game.
The Florida offense has played Jekyll and Hyde so far. In their first three shutouts of the season, the Marlins posted nine, nine, and eight runs. But in games when their pitchers actually allow runs, the Marlins can't seem to score enough. Their biggest loss this season was 4-0. In between, they've consistently put up just one or two runs.
The stats don't readily give this away. The Marlins are in the middle of pack in most offensive categories. Not great, not terrible.
Whether it's a lack of timely hitting, slow starts, or a sign of larger offensive troubles is hard to say. On paper, the Florida lineup is solid. With Juan Pierre at the top and Miguel Cabrera, Mike Lowell, and Carlos Delgado in the middle, runs should be easy to come by.
But Lowell has started slow, hitting .170 through Sunday, and while Delgado is hitting, he's driven in only four runs.
That figures to change soon enough.
That means if the Marlins' pitchers stay healthy, stay consistent, and stay hot, the National League East might go the way of the fish.
A lot of ifs. Almost like all those questions were only answered in pencil. But pencil might be good enough.
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