W2W4: Miami Marlins vs. San Francisco Giants – 8/14

On the heels of a Colorado Rockies sweep, the Miami Marlins look to keep the good times rolling against the Giants. Here’s what to watch for.

It’s become something of a joke at this point. The Miami Marlins rally back to four games under .500, lose several games in a row, then rally back. They’ll be looking to buck that trend against the San Francisco Giants.

Monday will give Miami their best chance to do so yet. The San Francisco Giants are one of the worst teams in baseball this season, while the Marlins are as hot as they’ve been all year. If they manage to take all three games, they’ll be only one win below even.

Here are a few things to keep an eye on during Monday’s matchup:

Adam Conley looking to bounce back

After getting off to a strong start immediately following his promotion, Adam Conley has struggled in his last two starts. He’s still managed to go five innings in both starts, but not before the opposing lineup tagged him for several runs.

He’ll need to work quickly and keep his pitch count low. He faces a San Francisco Giants lineup that isn’t nearly as potent as the Washington Nationals one that tagged him for five earned runs. Conley is pitching for a spot in the 2018 rotation.

His future won’t be entirely decided this year, with the final say coming out of spring training next March. But a strong finish to the 2017 season would certainly go a long way. With Justin Nicolino, Chris O’Grady, and possibly Dillon Peters all in the mix for next season, it’ll be a tight race.

Expect Conley to pitch like a man who needs a job. The Miami Marlins want him to work out. He obviously wants it to work out. He faces a relatively soft lineup with few big boppers to contend with.

Giancarlo Stanton home run streak

Have you heard? The Miami Marlins right fielder is hitting a bunch of home runs. He’s homered in four consecutive ballgames. As well as in eight of his last 10 games, accounting for nine home runs in 38 AB’s. Is that good????

You betcha.

Today the Giants send Ty Blach to the bump to try and stymie the California kid. They’ve never faced each other before, so expect there to be some “feeling out” in the first at bat.

Blach is in his first full season in the Major Leagues, and has performed outstandingly average. His game score is 50, and he’s 8-7 with a 4.15 ERA. This is a pitcher Giancarlo Stanton can take deep, and the way he’s been slugging, don’t be surprised if he does.

Overworked pen

It’s a running theme for the Miami Marlins this season. During Sunday’s matinee, the Miami Marlins pulled starter Vance Worley after only four innings. The bullpen was super, and allowed only two hits and no earned runs over five innings.

They’ll be shorthanded today. Mattingly will let Conley go as long as he can with precious few options available on the other end of the black phone in the dugout.

Drew Steckenrider, Jarlin Garcia, and Dustin McGowan are the only conceivable options to bridge the gap to Brad Ziegler. Junichi Tazawa could see some time, but Miami would likely want to avoid that if possible.

Next: Giancarlo Stanton is super good at baseball

First pitch is set from Marlins Park at 7:10 pm.