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| Tue 06/05 | WP: Tim Hudson (4 - 2) LP: Anibal Sanchez (3 - 4) | 0 - 11 loss |
| Wed 06/06 | WP: Randall Delgado (4 - 5) SV: Craig Kimbrel LP: Josh Johnson (3 - 4) | 1 - 2 loss |
Atlanta Braves Thursday, Jun 7, 2012, 7:10 PM EDT Mike Minor vs Mark Buehrle Partly cloudy,rain. Winds blowing from right to left field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 85. Complete Coverage > | ||
Get out the broom breakers, because the Miami Marlins are looking to bust up a sweep.
The Fish have had one ugly series against the Atlanta Braves to kick off this nine-game home stand, and they will look tonight to avoid a sweep against their division rival before going back to interleague action for the next 12 games. On the mound for the Fish is the ever-dependable Mark Buehrle, and countering him for the Braves will be Mike Minor. This will be a rematch of the first game the Fish played against the Braves this season, and based on the results of that last game, the Marlins would like to see a repeat performance.
Pitching Matchup
| Proj Win% | Proj ERA | FIP | ERA | Marlins | Braves | ERA | FIP | Proj ERA | Proj Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .515 | 3.83 | 3.99 | 3.53 | Buehrle | Minor | 6.98 | 5.37 | 4.38 | .452 |
Mark Buehrle had his worst start of the season last time out against the Philadelphia Phillies, as he got shelled for 11 hits and four runs including a home run from Hunter Pence. Still, he did not walk anyone and struck out two batters, continuing his typical performance. The Marlins are looking for a better outing from the consistently decent Buehrle, and they are likely to get one. It is important to note that his BABIP is rising back up to normal league standards, with him currently allowing a .279 average on balls in play that is slowly approaching the league's .293 mark. Expect a few more hits along the way and for his ERA to rise slightly as a result.
Mike Minor has been a complete mess for the Atlanta Braves this season. His ERA and FIP are now very high due to his difficulty with the home run; he has allowed 13 homers in just 58 innings pitched. Last time out against the Marlins, Minor was cruising along before hitting a major speed bump in the third and fourth innings, eventually giving up six runs in less than five innings. In his start against the Washington Nationals, he allowed four runs on four solo homers (!). If he has a few more starts like these, he may be on his way out of the Braves' rotation.
Lineup
| Order | Player | Proj wOBA vs. LHP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jose Reyes | .350 |
| 2 | Omar Infante | .331 |
| 3 | Hanley Ramirez | .373 |
| 4 | Giancarlo Stanton | .408 |
| 5 | Justin Ruggiano | .315 |
| 6 | Logan Morrison | .326 |
| 7 | Donovan Solano | -- |
| 8 | Brett Hayes | .293 |
Ozzie Guillen must be frustrated with the tandem of Chris Coghlan and Bryan Petersen for their struggles at the plate. As of now, the Fish may look at a double platoon involving playing Justin Ruggiano and Donovan Solano in the outfield against lefties like Minor. Guillen is trying to find some offense, and admittedly Ruggiano and Solano have both hit better than their lefty counterparts. However, they have done this in only 12 PA, so it is not exactly a significant sample. Still, Ruggiano is probably a good choice against lefties, though Solano continues to seem like a career minor leaguer being thrust into a major league role due to poor depth.
Notes
- Ben Duronio of Capitol Avenue Club says that Minor should not stick around in the rotation just because he is a lefty, because there is no advantage to that in the rotation.
- We wrapped our draft coverage earlier in the week (though we will have overviews on the weekend from both our experts), but here's an overview from MLB.com on the Marlins' pitcher-heavy draft (what else is new?).
Bold Prediction: Marlins def. Braves 5-3