Kevin Gregg = LVP of the Week

The Marlins were swept by the Dodgers today, their fragile grip on the NL East lead slipping. It was another close game, in which Badenhop pitched surprisingly well, but the bullpen (yes, that bullpen Buster Olney praised today) coughed up the second game of the series.

Actually, it would be unfair to lay the blame on the entire bullpen when there was one culprit: Kevin Gregg. For the second time in three games, Fredi Gonzalez chose Gregg for the top of the 9th in a tie game. He lost both attempts.

The control problems that have plagued him all season finally came back to bite him. He opened the inning by walking Rafael Furcal, a move the Dodgers announcers jubilantly described as the cardinal sin (especially for a player of Furcal's speed). A Juan Pierre sac bunt and Matt Kemp bloop single later, and it was 4-3 Dodgers. Misplays in the field made it 5-3, but Gregg had already done his damage.

Is it time to consider replacing Gregg? Renyel Pinto has probably been the most dependable, but his wildness is also disconcerting. Perhaps Matt Lindstrom or Justin Miller?

When I watched Saito hurl some filthy stuff by the Fish hitters to close the game, I knew the definition of a real closer. A real closer doesn't walk the leadoff hitter, that's for sure.

Marlins Lose a Tough One...Or Twelve

I'm a little stung for words right now. The Marlins were beaten soundly last night, falling 13-1 to Chad Billingsley and the Dodgers. It was not how the Marlins envisioned things, and now they'll have to pull off a win this afternoon to salvage the series.

I was the unfortunate soothsayer who pointed out the possibility of erroneous pitching numbers. It seems Billingsley picked the Marlins for his first good start of the season, while Olsen mixed in a bad egg.

Today's matchup?

Badenhop vs. Kuroda, a matchup that favors the Dodgers. The Marlins have to take a game in this series though, right? It would help if they had Jacobs and Willingham.

Olsen vs. Billingsley: Marlins Have the Edge?

When I saw the pitching matchup for last night's game (Andrew Miller vs. Derek Lowe), I knew the odds would be steep. Fortunately for the Marlins, things appear quite the opposite tonight:

Scott Olsen: 3-0, 2.06 ERA
Chad Billingsley: 0-4, 6.53 ERA

Of course, that also puts a lot more pressure on the Marlins. They've gotten to the point where they have to win the Olsen starts (a situation unlikely to change until Andrew Miller gets blasted down to AAA...please???).

Now here's some more discouraging news. Take a look at their 2007 stats:

Scott Olsen: 10-15, 5.81 ERA
Chad Billingsley: 12-5, 3.31 ERA

So the bigger question: Has April, 2008 has been a fluke or a legitimate trend? Things can change quickly...we'll find out tonight.