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Current Series
Phillies lead the series 1-0
| Fri 04/12 | WP: Phillippe Aumont (1 - 0) SV: Jonathan Papelbon LP: Jon Rauch (0 - 1) | 1 - 3 loss |
Philadelphia Phillies Saturday, Apr 13, 2013, 7:10 PM EDT Cole Hamels vs Jose Fernandez Partly cloudy. Winds blowing in from center field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 80.
Complete Coverage > | ||
| Sun 04/14 | 1:10 PM EDT | |
The Miami Marlins came close once again to taking a potential win, as the team fell just short of the Philadelphia Phillies in last night's 3-1 loss in extra innings. Tonight, the Fish face a different, more difficult challenge in lefty Cole Hamels, but they also come with one of their best weapons on the mound, rookie starter and top prospect Jose Fernandez. Fernandez will make his second start of his major league career.
Pitching Matchup
| Proj Win% | Proj ERA | FIP | ERA | Marlins | Phillies | ERA | FIP | Proj ERA | Proj Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .520 | 5.57 | 0.50 | 1.80 | Fernandez | Hamels | 10.97 | 8.07 | 3.51 | .554 |
The Miami Marlins got a fantastic performance from Jose Fernandez in his first start of the season, and the Fish can only hope that more of the same is in store tonight in his second start. Fernandez struck out a Marlins record eight batters in his debut start, and he did so in just five innings of work. It did happen against the New York Mets and their poor offense, but the young pitcher could definitely pull something similar off versus an aging and mediocre Phillies lineup. Here's hoping for some more crooked numbers.
The Phillies counter with perennial Marlins killer Cole Hamels, who had some crooked numbers put up on him, as seen by his ERA and FIP. Hamels has a career 3.36 ERA in 158 innings against the Marlins, but this Marlins offense is the worst the team has put up in a long time, so expect Hamels to dispose of them with relative ease. If you like pitcher's duels, you are likely to see one tonight.
Lineup
| Order | Player | Proj wOBA vs. LHP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juan Pierre | .294 |
| 2 | Donovan Solano | .292 |
| 3 | Placido Polanco | .298 |
| 4 | Austin Kearns | .314 |
| 5 | Greg Dobbs | .259 |
| 6 | Justin Ruggiano | .334 |
| 7 | Rob Brantly | .275 |
| 8 | Adeiny Hechavarria | .291 |
The Marlins are once again without Giancarlo Stanton, who will miss his second straight game with a sore left shoulder. In his place and batting cleanup is Austin Kearns, and that can never be a good sign for an offense. Combine that with the Marlins batting lefty Greg Dobbs fifth despite him being a well-known righties-only hitter and batting Ruggiano, who has been one of the best Marlins hitters this season, sixth instead of fourth and you can see why lineup orders are going to be a challenge for new manager Mike Redmond.
Notes
- As mentioned, Stanton will miss his second straight game with his sore left shoulder. This leaves the Marlins bereft of options on offense, and they were already destitute to begin with.
- After a bit of a hiatus from the game thread, I will be back for all of the game tonight. See you all in there!
Bold Prediction: Marlins def. Phillies 2-1