The Miami Marlins (20-21) will be going for their second consecutive win when they face the Washington Nationals (17-23) in the first game of their three-game series on Tuesday night.
Josiah Gray, 3-5, 2.96 ERA, will get the start for the Nationals. The Marlins will counter with Jesus Luzardo, 3-2, 3.88 ERA.
Miami is 7-3 in its last 10 games against Washington.
**This preview was written before Monday’s game was played**
The Nationals played well over the past week and they’ve won four of their last seven games. They will try to keep the momentum going with a win over the Marlins, which will give them their fifth win in their last eight games.
Washington is averaging 3.90 runs per game. Their .255 batting average is 11th in the league. Their .320 on base percentage is 15th, while their .357 slugging percentage is 28th.
Joey Meneses leads Washington with a .285 batting average. Jeimer Candelario leads the team with four home runs, while CJ Abrams leads the team with 21 RBI.
Washington’s pitching hasn’t been good, with the team giving up 4.58 runs per game. Opponents have a .261 batting average against the Nationals, which is 23rd in the league. Their 4.43 ERA is 18th, while their 1.42 WHIP is 25th.
In his last start, Gray gave up five hits and two runs in seven innings, leading to an 11-6 win over San Francisco. They will need another solid start from him if they want to get the win.