May 31, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Baseball fans cheer on during the seventh inning stretch, during a game between the New York Mets and Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Winners of a series for the just the second time this season, the Miami Marlins will look to pick up their first series sweep of the season on Sunday. The Marlins have played their best baseball the past two games, which has been led by dominant pitching and timely hitting. The Marlins are an amazing 5-3 against the New York Mets in 2013.
The Marlins quest for a sweep won’t be easy at all. The team will have to go up against the Mets ace and one of the best pitchers in baseball, Matt Harvey. The Mets ace pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run and seven hits, but striking out seven in his only start against Miami this season.
Kevin Slowey will counter for the Fish. It has been a struggle for Slowey as of late, as he has allowed four or more earned runs in three of his previous four starts. In that span, he has 16 runs and 32 hits in just 18 innings. If Slowey continues to struggle, he could be ousted from the rotation when Nathan Eovladi returns from injury.
Slowey did enjoy one of his best starts of the season against the Mets, pitching eight innings, striking out eight hitters, and allowing just one run on four hits.
Probable Starters
May 28, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Mets pitcher Matt Harvey slams hit glove after giving up a run to the New York Yankees in the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Munson/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports
2013 stats | ||
11/11 | Games/Games Started | 10/10 |
78.0 | Innings Pitched | 52.1 |
1.85 | Earned Run Averages (ERA) | 3.59 |
2.28 | Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) | 3.90 |
84 | Strikeouts | 47 |
17 | Walks | 12 |
Career vs. opponent | ||
5.1 | Innings Pitched | 14.0 |
7 | Strikeouts | 10 |
1.69 | Earned Run Average | 3.86 |
May 28, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Kevin Slowey (45) talks with catcher Jeff Mathis (6) on the mound during the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Marlins Lineup
Lineup | Player | Current wOBA | Proj. wOBA (Rest of Season) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Juan Pierre | .243 | .289 | |
2 | Ed Lucas | .221 | .274 | |
3 | Derek Dietrich | .324 | .303 | |
4 | Marcell Ozuna | .355 | .307 | |
5 | Chris Coghlan | .325 | .304 | |
6 | Greg Dobbs | .245 | .273 | |
7 | Adeiny Hechavarria | .243 | .277 | |
8 | Rob Brantly | .261 | .292 |
After two days off, Brantly returns to the Marlins lineup. Ed Lucas gets the start at third place for Placido Polanco, who despite a decent day at the plate on Saturday, continues to struggle.
Bold Prediction: Marlins pull off the sweep with a strong start from Slowey and a hiccup from Harvey. Marlins win 3-2.