Braves - Marlins
 

WOW! The Marlins are TEEING OFF on John Smoltz. He's given up a run in the 1st and now a Grand Slam, still in the 1st!

5-0 Marlins and still in the 1st Inning!

Not like Smoltz envisioned it.

I watched the top of the first inning and then changed the channel, and of course I miss all the fireworks. :)

Well, at least he managed to save some of what's left of his arm.
My personal prediction (not sure if I've made it here already or not) -- less than 146 IP's before his arm blows for good.

They had a good interview with Smoltz before the game. He said that if his arm was going to blow it did not matter which role he pitched in. He also said as someone who has racked up 2900 IPs as a Starter and 3 years as a closer, he finds starting the game less stressful on his arm then relieving it. Just thought I would mention the interview.

If not, then you got the prediction here :D. It is only one game, but a couple less than stellar games in a row, Dan Kolb may not be the starter anymore ;). I'm sure they wouldn't pull the plug that quickly, but grumblings would occur.

Yup. I have thought this was a bad move when it was first being discussed last year. I dislike the Braves pretty strongly, but I do respect Smoltz, I don't really want to see him fail, but it seems to me a mistake to come back out of the bullpen.

I think Smoltz will hold up, but I think even with him in the rotation, the Marlins will prove to be a better team over the course of the season.

Well, given the situation in RF, plus the apparently dire circumstances of the bullpen beyond Kolb (jury still out on him with the Braves, but I'll give the benefit of the doubt for now) ... well, seeing someone else win the division wouldn't be surprising to me at all.

Florida has its own issues in whether Beckett and Burnett can stay healthy. If this is the year they both pitch over 25 starts, then they have a great chance of winning the division. If not, it'll be tough.

Braves bullpen looked pretty good tonight.