Cole Hamels, Take Two

As has been mentioned previously at The South Florida Fan, the Marlins have the great (mis)fortune of facing the same three Phillies starters again: Myers, Hamels, Moyer. In the first series, Hamels was probably considered the toughest game (although Moyer has owned the Marlins), but that's the game the Marlins won. Can they do it again?

Much of that will depend on which Andrew Miller shows up. The Marlins already avenged a loss to Brett Myers last night. It's time for Miller to exact a similar vengeance. A strong showing in tonight's game can put Miller in a more favorable spotlight. With all the negative Dontrelle Willis press circulating today, all eyes will be on Miller to further cement the case that the Marlins won the trade.

The key for Miller has always been the first three innings, especially the first. He usually performs better once he settles in, but the monstrous Phillies lineup won't give him any breaks. The most obvious indicator is his control...if you see a lot of 2-0 counts, grab the gin. As for Hamels, I'd like 4 runs, with a 5th and 6th to feel safe.