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I have never fished for marlin, but I assume it is a difficult experience. Female marlins generally exceed 1,000 lbs and are notoriously difficult to reel in, as they put up a fight until the bitter end. I would like to say that the Miami Marlins have shown that "marlin" grit against the Atlanta Braves this season, but I would by lying. Instead, they have more closely resembled a salmon that accidentally jumped into a boat during run season. A salmon that flopped around the deck hopelessly gasping for breath while looking for someone to help as its inevitable doom creeped closer and closer.....
Tonight, José Fernández will attempt to be the loving ecologist that gently picks up the salmon, gives it a kiss on the forehead, and tosses it upstream. The Braves are in town folks, hello darkness my old friend.
Pitching Matchup
| Team | Starter | ERA | FIP | 2016 ZIPS Projected ERA |
| MIA | José Fernández | 2.57 | 2.00 | 2.65 |
| ATL | Bud Norris | 4.81 | 4.33 | 4.47 |
Happy José day! Fernández will try to rebound after having a perfect game snapped in the 6th inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 11th. Fernández ended up giving up four runs that inning, but has been nothing short of brilliant recently.
After an excellent 2014 season with the Orioles, Bud Norris has come crashing back to earth over the last two years. However, despite starting this season poorly, he is improving. In June, Norris has a 2.50 ERA with a 2.45 FIP.
Notes
- Salmon runs occur from May through October. Only 5 to 10% of Atlantic salmon survive the run because they are unable to survive in fresh water for extended periods of time.
- This will be the first time Fernández has faced the Braves all season. He currently holds a 4-1 record against them with a 2.54 ERA.
- Bud Norris struggles against lefties, who post a .390 wOBA against him. Justin Bour, Christian Yelich, Derek Dietrich, Ichiro Suzuki: this is your time to shine.