Current Series
Marlins lead the series 2-0
| Fri 06/29 | WP: Josh Johnson (5 - 5) LP: Cliff Lee (0 - 5) | 6 - 2 win |
| Sat 06/30 | WP: Mark Buehrle (7 - 8) SV: Heath Bell LP: Cole Hamels (10 - 4) | 3 - 2 win |
Philadelphia Phillies Sunday, Jul 1, 2012, 1:10 PM EDT Joe Blanton vs Ricky Nolasco Partly cloudy. Winds blowing in from center field at 5-15 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 90.
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Get out the brooms, because the Miami Marlins are going for the sweep.
Man, it feels good to say that for a change.
The Marlins have taken the first two games from the Philadelphia Phillies and are looking for the sweep at home before heading out on the road. In the way of that sweep is Joe Blanton, who did not pitch that well against the Marlins earlier in June. Ricky Nolasco will hope to not ruin the team's chances for their fourth straight win.
Pitching Matchup
| Proj Win% | Proj ERA | FIP | ERA | Marlins | Phillies | ERA | FIP | Proj ERA | Proj Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .445 | 4.45 | 4.30 | 4.78 | Nolasco | Blanton | 4.87 | 4.27 | 4.70 | .419 |
Aside from a nine-run outing in just 3 1/3 innings against St. Louis recently, Ricky Nolasco has not done that badly in terms of runs allowed. Nevertheless, his strikeouts and walks have been less than impressive; Nolasco struck out only 20 batters in June and walked 11 batters. Typically, Nolasco's strikeouts would be higher, but a number of factors have led to a massive decline in strikeouts this season, and no one has yet to figure out why. With his pitching mediocre, the Marlins have to be concerned every time he steps on the mound.
Joe Blanton is in a similar boat as Nolasco. In the last two seasons, he has improved in his strikeouts and walks, having struck out 19.5 percent of batters and walked only 3.7 percent of them in the last two years. However, this year Blanton cannot suppress the home run, as he has allowed a league-leading 18 homers in his 98 innings thus far. When he last met the Fish, he allowed two home runs in an otherwise solid start in which he struck out six Marlins and walked just one. But with Blanton's home run problems continuing, the Fish have the chance to pounce on him.
Lineup
| Order | Player | Proj wOBA vs. RHP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jose Reyes | .349 |
| 2 | Hanley Ramirez | .346 |
| 3 | Giancarlo Stanton | .380 |
| 4 | Logan Morrison | .349 |
| 5 | Justin Ruggiano | .312 |
| 6 | Greg Dobbs | .289 |
| 7 | Omar Infante | .313 |
| 8 | John Buck | .293 |
The numbers for the lineups are now updated. The big gainers are obviously guys like Justin Ruggiano who have had few regular season PA. Ruggiano's projection went up to a .322 wOBA, making him a very effective option versus lefties. However, he is getting PA against righties because of the lack of great options in center field while we await for the return of Emilio Bonifacio.
Notes
- Sorry about the lack of Ichthyomancy updates gang. I have been in relaxation mode post-exam and have let that slide a little, unfortunately. I will be sure to update all of it by this weekend.
Bold Prediction: Marlins def. Phillies 6-4