Everything You Need to Know For When the Miami Marlins Visit the Los Angeles Dodgers

May 4, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins players celebrate on second baseman Jeff Baker (not pictured) after hitting the game wining double in the ninth inning as Miami Marlins center fielder Marcell Ozuna (right) walks off the field at Marlins Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

After a strong 8-1 home-stand, the Miami Marlins hit the road and continued their struggles on the road. The Marlins got outscored by the lowly offensive San Diego Padres 25-11 in their four game series, with the Marlins dropping the final three. The team struggled from top to bottom in the final three games, as they saw each Jose Fernandez, Nathan Eovaldi, and Henderson Alvarez struggling to find the strike zone. The Marlins hitters fared no better, as the strikeout numbers from the series were astonishing.

The Fish, despite a 20-18 record, are just 3-13 on the road this season. The mark is the worst in the majors and over a 162-game schedule, would equate to a 30-51 record on the road. The 51 losses would put the Marlins over half way towards the record they want to avoid from a season ago.

Storylines:

Despite the series not having the superstar pitchers duel of Jose Fernandez and Clayton Kershaw, the Marlins will be watching Fernandez closely, especially after his clunker against the Padres on Friday. Fernandez was throwing up before the game due to eating a bad steak, but he refused to allow himself to use that as an excuse for the poor start.

The Marlins desperately need to have a strong performance on the road, or they will face the danger of throwing away an opportunity of finishing the season with a decent record. Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton has historically hit well in LA and the team hopes that he’ll carry them this series.

The Dodgers are have struggled of late as well. The team has dropped 5 of 7 since losing their series against the Marlins down in Miami. They are coming off a 1-3 series loss against the Marlins next opponents, the San Francisco Giants. Although Dee Gordon is off to a fast start, the Dodgers defense and bullpen has let them down too many times.

Matchups:

Game 1: May 12th, 10:10 PM EST
Marlins: Tom Koehler (3-2, 1.99 ERA, 29 SO)

Dodgers: Dan Haren (4-1, 2.68 ERA, 36 SO)

Game 2: May 13rd, 10:10 PM EST
Marlins: Jacob Turner (0-0, 6.75 ERA, 8 SO)

Dodgers: Josh Beckett (0-1, 2.80 ERA, 34 SO)

Game 3: May 14th, 10:10 PM EST
Marlins: Jose Fernandez (4-2, 1.59 ERA, 70 SO)

Dodgers: Paul Maholm (1-3, 4.71 ERA, 14 SO)

All of the games will be broadcast on television on Fox Sports Florida and on 940 WINZ on your radio dial. Expect warm and dry conditions, without much of a threat of rain for the Fish in this series.