The Trevor Cahill era did not get off to a fantastic start on Tuesday evening.
The Atlanta Braves fell to the Miami Marlins in game two of a three-game set, and Cahill's struggles were the central factor in the 8-2 defeat. Cahill, who was acquired by Atlanta on the eve of the regular season, could not complete three innings in his debut, and that tells you just about all you needed to know.
Cahill allowed five hits, three walks and four earned runs in just 2.1 innings of work, and if not for some fantastic bullpen work, the damage could have been more significant, as the right-hander left the bases stranded in the third inning. There were flashes of the pitcher that Cahill once was in Oakland, with the occasional sinker or change-up that proved effective, but on the whole, things were ugly and borderline non-competitive for the newest member of the rotation.
Still, the Braves exited the third inning with "just" a 4-0 deficit, thanks to a strong first impression from Sugar Ray Marimon. Marimon didn't allow any of Cahill's runners to score, striking out Jarrod Saltalamacchia and inducing a groundout from Adeiny Hechavarria to close the third inning, and in his Major League debut, the 26-year-old right-hander also produced a base hit. All told, Marimon pitched four innings (59 pitches) while allowing four hits, two runs and striking out three batters, and given the difficult predicament he was placed in, that was generally encouraging.
On the offensive side, Atlanta did put together some fireworks in the fourth inning. Freddie Freeman and A.J. Pierzynski blasted back-to-back home runs against Marlins start Tom Koehler in that frame, and even in the face of "small ball", home runs are still fun.
The other major opportunity for the Braves wasn't as fruitful, however, as Atlanta left the bases loaded in the sixth. Kelly Johnson came to the plate with 1 out, but he was forced into a pop-out, and Andrelton Simmons ended the threat with a (solidly hit) flyout to right. That was the last semblance of life on this particular evening, and it was an unfortunate microcosm of the day's events.
From there, the Marlins tacked on two runs in eighth to extend the lead to 8-2, and the game was effectively over. The night was marred by the ineffectiveness of Cahill, but as many expected throughout this particular season, the offense didn't do him (or any other pitcher) any favors.
The series concludes on Wednesday afternoon, when Eric Stults takes on Miami's Dan Haren in a businessperson's special at Turner Field. Stay tuned.