Current Series
3 game series vs Braves @ Marlins Park
| Mon 09/17 | WP: Tim Hudson (15 - 6) SV: Craig Kimbrel LP: Wade LeBlanc (2 - 5) | 5 - 7 loss |
| Tue 09/18 | WP: Heath Bell (3 - 5) LP: Cory Gearrin (0 - 1) | 4 - 3 win |
Atlanta Braves Wednesday, Sep 19, 2012, 7:10 PM EDT Kris Medlen vs Josh Johnson Partly cloudy,rain. Winds blowing from right to left field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 85.
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Hey, the Miami Marlins have a chance at another series win!
The Fish will go into tonight's rubber game with the Atlanta Braves with an outside shot at a second straight series win, and, well, that would be nice to see. But in order to do that, they would have to get by one of the hottest pitchers in baseball, Kris Medlen. Luckily for the Fish, they are sending their own ace, Josh Johnson, to the hill to combat the Braves in what is shaking out to be a low-scoring affair.
Pitching Matchup
| Proj Win% | Proj ERA | FIP | ERA | Marlins | Braves | ERA | FIP | Proj ERA | Proj Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| --- | --- | 3.36 | 3.81 | Johnson | Medlen | 1.62 | 2.34 | --- | --- |
Since Johnson's ugly start against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he has recuperated and had three pretty good starts. I say they are "pretty good" because, while they would be very good for a lot of pitchers (particularly in our rotation), we hold Johnson to an ace-level standard. He has walked a few more than I would like to see, and occasionally those swings and misses seem to evaporate. Then again, his curveball looks legitimate, and it looks like he has multiple tools now to handle a lefty-laden lineup like Atlanta's.
Kris Medlen is nuts. Since he took over a starting rotation job in late July, he has been lights out. In nine starts and almost 63 innings, Medlen has allowed just seven runs, good for a 0.82 ERA. He also has 66 strikeouts versus just eight walks and three homers allowed. No pitcher has been as dominant over the last month-plus as Medlen, and the Marlins have to hope he left it all in his last start. Against the Washington Nationals, he went seven innings and struck out 13 Nats. Yikes.
Lineup
| Order | Player | Proj wOBA vs. RHP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bryan Petersen | .316 |
| 2 | Gorkys Hernandez | .260 |
| 3 | Jose Reyes | .340 |
| 4 | Carlos Lee | .324 |
| 5 | Greg Dobbs | .286 |
| 6 | Justin Ruggiano | .324 |
| 7 | Rob Brantly | --- |
| 8 | Donovan Solano | .275 |
Meanwhile, the Marlins are batting Gorkys Hernandez second in the lineup and Greg Dobbs sixth. So, you know, there's that. This one could get ugly for the offense.
Notes
- If you're at the park tonight, you'll be treated to two interesting promotions. One, tonight is Jose Reyes Bobblehead Night, and I wish I was there to receive such cool memorabilia. Secondly, tonight the Marlins are planning to do their special Chipper Jones Appreciation ceremony, which I'm sure includes a plaque and a pat on the back for beating us so often. Chipper, I hope you enjoy your retirement. You were a wonderful player, a joy to watch, and I hope to never see you bat against the Marlins again, because you're killing them.
Bold Prediction: Braves def. Marlins 2-0