RHP Urena named as Opening Day starter

JUPITER — For Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly, it basically came down to a coin flip.

That’s how close it was before deciding on Saturday that right-hander Jose Urena will start Opening Day against the Chicago Cubs on March 29. He edged Dan Straily, who will start the second game.

“It was basically almost a coin flip from that standpoint,” Mattingly said. “I feel like a lot is going on. It’s going to be a little bit crazy Opening Day, different routines. I think Dan is a little more routine-oriented than Jose. … I think it will be more of a normal day the second day. And Jose, with the craziness, I don’t mind him being a little jacked up.”

Last year Urena was 14-7 with a 3.82 ERA. This spring, he is 2-0 and has struck out six batters while boasting a 1.29 ERA.

“Again, either or,” Mattingly said. “I know they both wanted it and it seems like all pitchers love that honor. … You could have went either way. It wouldn’t have made a difference.”

Before the announcement was made, Straily made it clear he wanted to be the Opening Day starter.

“I’ve done the second-day thing,” Straily said. “Everyone in here shows up to camp with starting pitcher attached to their name. You want Opening Day. That’s like a rite of passage. It’s an honor to be Opening Day starter.”

Still, Straily said he won’t let the decision define his season. He has used it as motivation so he can enter the season with as much confidence as possible.

“Whether I get it or not, we’re not preparing for just one start,” Straily said. “Our job is for 34-plus. … It’s going to be awesome for either one of us. It will be new for either one of us. Neither of us have got a chance to do it. It is what it is. You hope for it but it’s not like if I don’t get it, it’s not like it’s a huge letdown. You’re still preparing for the same amount of work for the season.

What made the competition special is how Straily and Urena have embraced their roles as leaders. They are the only pitchers who have solidified a spot in the rotation. In the offseason, they often exchanged text messages about how they wanted to improve the pitching staff.

“Him and I, we’ve talked in the offseason,” Straily said. “Just kind of coming back and forth about what we’re trying to bring culture-wise to the guys around us in the starting pitcher roles. What makes a starting staff elite and how can we work toward going that direction.”

Last year Straily was 10-9 with a 4.26 ERA and struck out 170 in 33 appearances, his first year with the Marlins. It was the third double-digit win season of his six-year career. He won a personal-best 14 games with the Cincinnati Reds in 2016.

“Dan is going to give up some hits and he has a tendency to give up some homers but he’s a guy who going to keep you in the game,” Mattingly said.

With the No. 1 starter chosen, Mattingly now has to figure out the rest of the rotation. There are six or seven pitchers still in the mix for the remaining three spots. Among them are Jacob Turner, Caleb Smith, Sandy Alcantara, Adam Conley, Jarlin Garcia and Justin Nicolino.

“It’s still pretty much the same,” Mattingly said. “I think we’ve got a better idea of what we want to do from the way the guys have thrown the ball so far. Obviously, that could change also.”