Miami Marlins vs. St. Louis Cardinals: Game 120 Thread and Ichthyomancy

Bust out the brooms, because the Miami Marlins are going for the sweep!

The Marlins are looking to complete a three-game sweep over the second Wild Card leader St. Louis Cardinals as the team looks to inch ever so closer to the Wild Card race. Miami sends a very hot Nathan Eovaldi to the mound, while the Cardinals counter with frighteningly cold trade deadline pickup Justin Masterson.

Pitching Matchup

Nathan Eovaldi has his scary velocity back, and he has had two dazzling starts versus the Cincinnati Reds since he stretched out his stride and changed his delivery upon working with pitching coach Chuck Hernandez. The strikeouts are back, the slider looks sharper, and Eovaldi is ready to deliver the knockout punch.

Masterson has looked knocked out all season long, even when he was with the Cleveland Indians. After one of his best pro seasons last year, the sidewinding righty has lost tons of control this year. He is still getting tons of ground balls, so the Marlins have to avoid the double play tonight.

Lineup

Jarrod Saltalamacchia gets his third start in a row thanks to this being a night game. Marcell Ozuna returns to the lineup after a nice evening of rest. The rest of the lineup looks pretty much the same as always.

Notes

- Can Eovaldi continue his string of strong performances? Both stellar outings were against the Reds, so there is something to the continuity factor there. If his velocity remains up against St. Louis, good things will continue.

Bold Prediction: Marlins def. Cardinals 3-2