The Miami Marlins came out yesterday and put the first half of the season behind them. With a win over the Milwaukee Brewers to salvage and split the four game series on Thursday, the Marlins started the second half of the season with a win, and are now undefeated in the second half.

The Marlins will have no easy task as they take on the St. Louis Cardinals, for their fifth meeting of the season. The Cardinals beat the Marlins on opening day and the opening of new Marlins Park. The Cardinals also won the first two games of their series last week, once again taking place in Marlins Park. The Marlins were able to win the last game of the series to avoid a sweep.

The Marlins ended an eight-game losing streak to St. Louis with a 5-3 victory June 27, since which, the Marlins have won six of eight, to close within two games of the .500 mark, right before All-Star break. For the team to finish above .500, the Marlins would need to do something that the franchise has not accomplished in 16 years, sweep the Cardinals in St. Louis. The Marlins’ last three-game sweep in St. Louis was Aug. 27-29, 1996.

The Marlins will be without their star right fielder on Friday night, Giancarlo Stanton, but he hopes to return to the lineup sometime this weekend.

East	W	L	PCT	GB	L10	STRK	HOME	ROAD	LAST GAME	NEXT GAME
Washington	48	32	.600	–	7-3	W4	23-14	25-18	7/5 vs SF, W 6-5	7/6 vs COL, 7:05 PM
NY Mets	45	38	.542	4.5	6-4	W1	25-18	20-20	7/5 vs PHI, W 6-5	7/6 vs CHC, 7:10 PM
Atlanta	43	39	.524	6.0	5-5	W1	20-22	23-17	7/5 vs CHC, W 7-3	7/6 @ PHI, 7:05 PM
Miami	40	42	.488	9.0	6-4	W2	22-22	18-20	7/5 @ MIL, W 4-0	7/6 @ STL, 8:15 PM
Philadelphia	37	47	.440	13.0	3-7	L1	17-24	20-23	7/5 @ NYM, L 5-6	7/6 vs ATL, 7:05 PM

Busch Stadium

Five-year Run PF*: 0.99
Five-year HR PF*: 0.92
Stadium Dimensions:
Left field line—330 ft.
Left-center field—372 ft.
Center field—402 ft.
Right-center field—375 ft.
Right field line—330 ft.

*Five-year regressed park factors provided by Patriot here

Head to Head

Miami Marlins
40-42

St. Louis Cardinals
44-39

BATTING	Marlins	Cardinals
Batting Average	.243	.275
Runs	325	416
Hits	672	793
PITCHING	Marlins	Cardinals
Earned Run Average	4.20	3.97
Hits Allowed	732	753
Opponent Batting Average	.261	.263

Probable Starters

Ricky Nolasco, RHP

2012 stats
97.1	Innings Pitched	99.0
7-6	Wins-Losses	7-6
4.62	Earned Run Average	3.91
4.10	FIP	3.66
27	Walks	26
60	Strikeout	65
Career vs. opponent
43.0	Innings Pitched	33.1
0-4	Wins-Losses	1-0
5.23	Earned Run Average	2.97

Jake Westbrook, RHP

Nolasco will be pitching for the Marlins, who for his Major League career, has never beaten the Cardinals. Nolasco has to face one of the top offenses in baseball, in the Cardinals. Nolasco has had two straight quality starts, so the Marlins are hoping to see more of the same tonight.

Westbrook will be taking the mound for the Cardinals. Westbrook gave up two runs in six innings against the Marlins on June 25 opposite Nolasco. Westbrook has plenty of experience against Carlos Lee, whom he faced all the time in Houston. Lee is 18 for 40 with two homers and four doubles off Westbrook.

Marlins Projected Lineup:

Order	Player	Proj wOBA vs. RHP
1	Jose Reyes	.349
2	Hanley Ramirez	.346
3	Carlos Lee	.322
4	Logan Morrison	.349
5	Justin Ruggiano	.312
6	Omar Infante	.313
7	Scott Cousins	.284
8	John Buck	.293

Prediction:

The Miami Marlins drop this ballgame 5-3, in what will be a close game throughout.

Home/Marlins News

Miami Marlins (40-42) at St. Louis Cardinals (44-39), Jul 6, 8:15 PM EDT (Game 83)

By Ehsan Kassim | Jul 6, 2012

Head to Head

Probable Starters

Marlins Projected Lineup:

Prediction: