Series Preview: Los Angeles Dodgers

After a successful series versus the Colorado Rockies, the Marlins will host the final set of three games of this most recent homestand against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Marlin Maniac Series Previews return as well to discuss the series at hand. The Dodgers are sending two of their best pitchers against two of the Marlins’ worst, but the lower half of that rotation includes Anibal Sanchez, who recently had his best pitching performance of his career. It should be interesting to see how the hot Dodgers team fares against a Marlins club that is not at its full strength.

Los Angeles Dodgers (9-3) @ Florida Marlins, April 25-27, Games 13-15

NL East Standings

Stadium: Sun Life Stadium
Five-year Run PF*: 1.01
Five-year HR PF*: 0.97
Stadium Dimensions:
Left Field: 330 ft.
Left-Center: 361
Center Field: 404
Right-Center: 361
Right Field: 345

*Five-year regressed park factors provided by Patriot here

Projected Pitching Matchups

April 12: Ricky Nolasco vs. Jon Garland
April 13: Chris Volstad vs. Clayton Kershaw
April 14: Anibal Sanchez vs. Chad Billingsley

ZiPS In-Season Projections

Projected Lineup

Quick Hits

For this series’s Quick Hits, we turn to Kenny Shulsen of FanSided’s own Lasorda’s Lair for a look at three questions regarding the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’ll be getting his answers in shortly, and I’ll provide my answers as well in a later post. For the time being, enjoy this series preview by Phil Gurnee of True Blue LA.

Notes

– This will be the Marlins’ first series without Logan Morrison, who got his cast removed today but is still expected to miss two to four weeks with a listfranc fracture in his left foot. In his stead, the Marlins are likely to employ a platoon of Emilio Bonifacio and Scott Cousins. It was good to see Cousins in the lineup in left field over the weekend, even if it was because Bonifacio was manning third base at the time. Hopefully Cousins gets some more plate appearances to allow him the opportunity to prove himself on the field.

– There’s been lots of talk about Hanley Ramirez and his struggles. I for one have no problem with him right now, and it seems that manager Edwin Rodriguez feels the same way:

"“I’ve got options, but better options? I don’t think so,” Rodriguez said. “I’d rather keep him out there, and he needs to find a way out of it — like Omar. Good hitters, they do that. They find a way out.”"

Not quite what I wanted to hear, but it’s good to see that Rodriguez isn’t putting a whole lot of weight on this slump. Ramirez will snap out of it soon enough to be sure.

– The Marlins will throw Anibal Sanchez out there coming off his one-hitter, but the Dodgers’ counterpart Chad Billingsley isn’t too shabby either; on April 17th, Billingsley threw this gem of a game out there.

Bold Prediction: Marlins win one of three games