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Miami Marlins Visit Nation’s Capital for Four-Game Set with Nationals

By Kevin Kraczkowski

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 30: Pablo Lopez #49 of the Miami Marlins delivers a pitch in the first inning against the New York Mets at Marlins Park on June 30, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - JUNE 30: Pablo Lopez #49 of the Miami Marlins delivers a pitch in the first inning against the New York Mets at Marlins Park on June 30, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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Tonight at 7:05PM, the Miami Marlins will pay a visit to the Washington Nationals for the first game of a four-game series. In this article, we take a look at the rotation.

The Marlins are playing in their 29th game in 30 days, part of a stretch where they play 36-in-37. They’re sitting at 15-13 so far. After this series, they’ll head home to play the Milwaukee Brewers and the Philadelphia Phillies for three games each. Then the all-star break (for some).

The Nationals swept the Miami Marlins the last time these two faced off, from May 25th through 27th. In fact, going back into last year’s games, the Nationals have defeated the Marlins in 11 consecutive matchups. Miami has to play the Nationals again in 12 more games after this series. All listed pitchers are “probable.”

Probable Starters

Thursday, 7:05 PM

Pablo Lopez (1-0, 3.00) vs. Jeremy Hellickson (2-1, 2.63)

Miami Marlins
MIAMI, FL – JUNE 30: Pablo Lopez #49 of the Miami Marlins delivers a pitch in the first inning against the New York Mets at Marlins Park on June 30, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Pablo Lopez, one of 12 Miami Marlins rookies to pitch this season for the team, will make his second career start. Jeremy Hellickson has racked up a 71-70 record in a nine-season MLB career so far. He’s has career figures of 4.06 (ERA), 1.243 (WHIP), and 872 strikeouts in 1187 innings. In 12 games against the Marlins, Hellickson has held us to a .235/.276/.375 slashline, earning a 4-3 record with a 2.88 ERA and a 1.053 WHIP. He’s struck out 42 (an answer) in 75 frames.

Friday, 7:05 PM

Dan Straily (3-4, 4.70) vs. Gio Gonzalez (6-5, 3.77)

Dan Straily has a career 40-34 record in a seven-season MLB career, with a 4.29 ERA and a 1.281 WHIP. These lifetime figures paint Straily as an “average” MLB pitcher. He has faced the Nationals five times, and surrendered a .175/.245/.361 slashline. He can boast a 0.897 WHIP and a. 4.03 ERA with 15 K’s in 29 innings.

Miami Marlins
MIAMI, FL – JUNE 25: Dan Straily #58 of the Miami Marlins rounds third for the score in the fourth inning during the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Marlins Park on June 25, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /

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Gio Gonzalez, who is now in his 11th MLB season, has a 123-91 record with a 3.64 ERA and a. 1.309 WHIP. He’s struck out 1,686 in 1733 2/3 innings in total. When facing the Miami Marlins, Gonzalez has given up a .216/.276/.276 slashline in 16 games. Gonzalez loves to play the Marlins. He’s 10-3 lifetime with a 1.85 ERA and a 1.055 WHIP. He has 103 whiffs in 102 1/3 innings.

Saturday, 7:15 PM

Wei-Yin Chen (2-5, 5.55) vs. Max Scherzer (10-5, 2.16)

Wei-Yin Chen is in his seventh major league season, and his third year with the Miami Marlins. He has not lived up to his end of his five-year, $80 million contract (which is now officially “half” over). He’s 9-11 in 40 starts as part of the Miami Marlins rotation, with a 4.95 ERA and a 1.307 WHIP. When playing against the Nationals, Chen is 1-5 with a 4.15 ERA and a 1.238 WHIP. Chen holds Washington to a .265/.306/.449 slashline, with 43 strikeouts  in 47 2/3 innings.

Miami Marlins
MIAMI, FL – JUNE 27: Wei-Yin Chen #54 of the Miami Marlins pitches in the first inning during the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Marlins Park on June 27, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /

Max Scherzer is the two-time defending AL Cy Young Award winner. Pitching now in his 11th MLB season, he’s gone 151-80 with a 3.23 ERA. Since the beginning of his 2012 season, he has a 1.016 WHIP and a 2.92 ERA, with 11.1 SO/9. This season, he has 174 in 120 2/3 innings, leading the MLB at 13.0/9. When playing against the Marlins, Scherzer is 8-3 with a 3.39 ERA an 106 whiffs in 95 2/3 innings. He holds the Marlins to a .229/.282/.394 slashline.

Sunday, 1:35 PM

Trevor Richards (2-5. 5.26) vs. Tanner Roark (3-10, 4.60)

Miami Marlins
DENVER, CO – JUNE 23: Trevor Richards #63 of the Miami Marlins pitches against the Colorado Rockies in the first inning of a game at Coors Field on June 23, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

Trevor Richards, another pitcher in his rookie season, has never faced the Washington Nationals. His opponent, Tanner Roark, is the fourth starting pitcher in four days to be 31-years-of-age or older. Quite the opposite of Miami’s rotation youth movement. Now in his sixth major league season, Roark is 58-49 with a 3.56 ERA and a 1.204 WHIP. Against Miami, Roark has struck out 73 in 99 1/3 innings, and gone 5-8 with a 3.99 ERA. Marlins slash .251/.327/.384 against him.

Next: Jordan Yamamoto promoted, Osiris Johnson reports

Thanks for checking out the probable pitching for the upcoming series. Tune in on MLB.TV to check it out live. Subscribe to our daily newsletter for more Miami Marlins news. In the meantime, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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