Apr 28, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco (47) throws in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Marlins will try to bounce back and even their series with the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night. The Marlins kept the game close last night, until the Phillies offense exploded in the eight inning and put the game out of reach for the Marlins.
The Marlins will send Ricky Nolasco to the mound in this one. Nolasco had a solid outing last time out, against the Chicago Cubs, as he limited the Cubs to three runs and four hits over 7 innings of work. Nolasco only struck out two Cubs hitters on the evening, but his start was good enough to earn the Marlins a win and avoid a four-game series sweep.
Pitching Matchup:
IP | ERA | FIP | Marlins | Date | Phillies | IP | ERA | FIP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
35.1 | 3.82 | 3.69 | Nolasco | May 3 | Pettibone | 10.1 | 4.35 | 4.47 |
Projected Lineup
Lineup | Player | AVG. | OBP. | SLG % |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Juan Pierre | .216 | .259 | .245 |
2 | Donovan Solano | .269 | .327 | .288 |
3 | Placido Polanco | .255 | .311 | .296 |
4 | Greg Dobbs | .256 | .323 | .326 |
5 | Justin Ruggiano | .242 | .308 | .442 |
6 | Marcell Ozuna | .364 | .364 | .455 |
7 | Rob Brantly | .227 | .298 | .320 |
8 | Adeiny Hechavarria | .189 | .232 | .321 |
Once again, this lineup is scary bad. One look at the lineup explains why the Marlins have struggled to score runs. No Marlins hitter has an on base percentage of over .350, with the exception of Ozuna, but he has only had a limited amount of at bats. The Marlins lineup is also severly lacking any pop outside of Ruggiano.
In fact, this Marlins lineup has only six combined homers on the season. Chase Utley has five home runs himself.
Bold Prediction: Ricky Nolasco struggles with the long ball and only lasts four innings in this game, allowing six earned runs. Marcell Ozuna hits his first career homer in a losing cause for the Fish. Phillies win 9-3.