The Miami Marlins have won five of their past six games. It’s their best stretch since going 5-1 to start the season.
After their initial 5-1 run, the Marlins dropped four of the next five. They hope to fare far better when they open a three-game series Tuesday night against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.
Miami is 20-16 at home as compared to Arizona’s 13-17 road mark. The Diamondbacks have lost seven of their last 10 overall.
All of that should give the Marlins some confidence, especially after they just took two of three games against the American League East-leading Tampa Bay Rays.
Miami’s pitching staff should be in good shape because the bullpen was needed for just two innings on Sunday before Monday’s day of rest.
The starter will be right-hander Max Meyer (6-0, 2.81 ERA), Miami’s first-round pick (third overall) in 2020. Meyer missed all of 2023 due to elbow surgery, but the 27-year-old finally is enjoying a breakthrough season. He owns a 1.045 WHIP and throws 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings.
The Marlins are 9-4 this year when starting Meyer, who is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in his only appearance against Arizona.
As for the team as a whole, the metrics show the Marlins are better on the mound (ninth in the majors in WHIP) than they are in the batter’s box (21st in OPS).
Marlins manager Clayton McCullough believes his team needs to scrap to win.
“That’s what’s required at this level,” he said. “You need to pitch well, play good defense … Offensively, you’re just looking to find whatever ways to score more runs than the other (team).”
Arizona has been struggling in that regard of late, in part due to an absence of power. The Diamondbacks have hit just 58 homers, which ranks 26th in the majors — one spot ahead of Miami.
In a sign that the Diamondbacks have diagnosed that weakness, they made a move on Sunday by signing outfielder Max Kepler. He hit 18 homers for the Phillies last year, but will be unavailable to Arizona until his MLB suspension ends on June 25. He was dinged for 80 games on Jan. 6 for testing positive for Epitrenbolone.
While Kepler rounds into shape, Arizona comes off a 3-4 homestand that left manager Torey Lovullo with a bland feeling.
“Nothing overly alarming,” he said, “and nothing to get overly excited about.”
The Diamondbacks are just 5-8 when starting right-hander Zac Gallen (3-5, 5.32 ERA), who will get the ball on Tuesday. Arizona has lost six of Gallen’s past eight starts.
Gallen broke into the majors with Miami in 2019, going 1-3 with a 2.72 ERA. On the last day of the 2019 trade deadline, the Marlins sent Gallen to Arizona for Jazz Chisholm Jr. Since then, Gallen has gone 68-54 with a 3.72 ERA in 182 starts with Arizona.
However, he has done some of his finest work against his former team — fashioning a 3-1 record and 2.00 ERA in four starts.
–Field Level Media
