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The NL Central has the three best teams record-wise in the National League. That's not stopping the Cardinals from running away with the division. At seven games ahead of the 40-31 Pirates, St. Louis' cushion remains comfortable. To reiterate what Thomas mentioned yesterday, the Marlins should have some extra motivation to beat the Cardinals. It's not too bright on Miami's side, but a win could give them something to build upon before there series with the NL West-leading Dodgers.
Pitching Matchup
| BABIP | Proj. ERA | ERA | Marlins | Cardinals | ERA | Proj. ERA | BABIP |
| .224 | 4.09 | 3.19 | Dan Haren | Lance Lynn | 3.07 | 3.27 | .328 |
Dan Haren, who has been Miami's most reliable starter at 6-4, lost his last two starts due to lack of run support. He pitched quality starts in both of them, and has for most of his starts all year. Advanced metrics suggest this is lucky, as his .224 BABIP is the lowest among MLB starters. Lance Lynn is coming off of a DL stint following a right forearm strain.
Today's Lineups
| ST. LOUIS CARDINALS | MIAMI MARLINS |
|---|---|
| Kolten Wong - 2B | Dee Gordon - 2B |
| Matt Carpenter - 3B | Derek Dietrich - 3B |
| Jhonny Peralta - SS | Christian Yelich - LF |
| Mark Reynolds - 1B | Giancarlo Stanton - RF |
| Jason Heyward - RF | Justin Bour - 1B |
| Yadier Molina - C | Marcell Ozuna - CF |
| Jon Jay - CF | Adeiny Hechavarria - SS |
| Randal Grichuk - LF | J.T. Realmuto - C |
| Lance Lynn - RHP | Dan Haren - RHP |
Notes:
- Against Dan Haren, Yadier Molina is 4-8 and Jhonny Peralta is .385 in 13 at bats.
- Against Lance Lynn, Giancarlo Stanton is 1-10 and Dee Gordon is 1-9.