NL East foes will begin a three-game series on Friday night at Truist Park with the Miami Marlins visiting the Atlanta Braves. Miami is wel out of contention at 55-75 after getting swept in two games by the Tampa Bay Rays including a 2-1 defeat on Wednesday as a +145 underdog. Atlanta took two of three from the Colorado Rockies capped by a 3-0 win on Thursday as a massive -398 favorite as it continues to hold the top NL Wiid Card spot at 81-51.
The Braves are thoroughly in control of the season series with a 9-4 head-to-head advantage.
The Marlins have scuffled badly offensively all season and weren't much of a match for Tampa Bay pitching this week, getting outscored 9-3 during the two-game set. Jon Berti hit a solo shot that tied Wednesday's game in the sixth, but that would be it for an offense that had only five hits and Tampa Bay eventually recorded the go-ahead run in the 10th.
Trevor Rogers had one of his best starts of the season with six innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits and one walk while striking out five. Tommy Nance was charged with the loss although his one run allowed was unearned. Berti and Charles LeBlanc both recorded multi-hit games to lead the offense.
“It felt awesome,” Rogers said about a strong outing in an injury-riddled year to the Associated Press. “It’s something I’ve been searching for and working so hard for all year. I was jus t happy to go out and compete again and not have to think about any mechanical stuff.”
Miami has been one of the worst teams in baseball to bet on the money line while going 59-71 on the run line. Overs are 55-70-5 for the Marlins, with two of their last three games going under the betting total.
It's been an ugly season for the offense, which is fourth-worst in the Majors at 3.60 runs per game on a .657 OPS, although fourth from the bottom. Miami pitching is closer to the middle of the pack with a 3.84 combined ERA including a mark of 4.04 from the bullpen.
Berti is having a strong season to lead the offense, posting a .714 OPS with an MLB-best 32 stolen bases and 35 runs scored in 75 games. Garrett Cooper has been effective in 100 games when healthy, posting a .729 OPS with seven homers and 42 driven in.
Ace Sandy Alcantara will make his 27th start, hoping to continue a Cy Young worthy campaign as he's 12-6 with a 2.13 ERA over an MLB-leading 185.2 innings. The 26-year-old took down the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers with a complete game last Saturday, allowing one run on six hits and two walks, piling up 10 strikeouts.
Miami is missing itsbest player with second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (stress fracture in back) sidelined, in addition to sluggers Jorge Soler (back spasms) and Avisail Garcia (strained hamstring). The rotation is down Braxton Garrett (strained oblique), Max Meyer (Tommy John surgery) and Daniel Castano (concussion). Relievers Paul Campbell (Tommy John surgery), Anthony Bender (Tommy John surgery), Sean Guenther (Tommy John surgery), Jordan Holloway (elbow surgery) and Cody Poteet (Tommy John surgery) round out the Miami IL.