Miami Marlins Series Preview: Hanley Ramirez, Boston Red Sox Visit Miami

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Aug 6, 2015; Bronx, NY, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (52) pitches during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

MM: Can you give us a quick scouting report on the pitchers the Marlins will face this series?

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BN: The two-game series will include pitchers Steven Wright and Rodriguez. Wright is a righty knuckleball pitcher whose pitch has danced so much for opposing batters that it’s going to need a water and a dance card. Don’t let the 5-4 record and 4.12 ERA fool you, Wright’s 2-0 while allowing only three runs in 15 innings. He’s also struck out 17 bats in that span. Lefty Rodriguez is 6-4 with a 4.17 ERA for the year. He is one of the better rookie pitchers in the league this season, making Sportsnet Magazine’s All-Rookie team shortly after the All-Star break. He pitched really well in his last start against the New York Yankees, and would have won had it not been for a home run by former Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury hitting a home run to knock him out of the game.

MM: How do you see the series playing out? Any bold predictions?

BN: It’s hard to predict anything with the Red Sox this season. They were supposed to have one of the most potent offences and that didn’t happen. They were supposed to have fixed the starting rotation, and that didn’t happen.

I am going to be bold with predicting that the Red Sox take both games, not as a knock to the Marlins but because of the weekend that the Red Sox had against the Tigers. Porcello, Miley, and Masterson will not be on the mound in the series, so they’ve got a shot. Wright and Rodriguez looked very strong in their last starts, making it likely a difficult time for the Marlins to score. Add to that how Ortiz and Bogaerts are hitting and you have the makings of a small sweep. But it’s the 2015 Red Sox, so don’t make fun of me too badly if the Marlins sweep them.

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That just about does it for our Red Sox series primer. A big thanks to Brandon Nickel for taking the time to answer our questions, and make sure to check out Bosox Injection for all your Boston Red Sox coverage. You can follow Brandon, as well as his co-editor, and Bosox Injection on Twitter as well.

Follow Marlin Maniac on Twitter @MarlinManiac for all your Miami Marlins news, opinion and analysis!

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