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The Miami Marlins roll into Target Field this week looking to fatten up their win column. They will face a scorching hot Minnesota Twins squad, who have won four of their last ten games. Adam Conley will take the mound seeking to please a Marlins' fan base who just watched Jose Fernandez pitch a gem against the New York Mets on Sunday. Anything short of 15 strikeouts over eight shutout innings will be a disappointment.
Pitching Matchup:
| Team | Starter | ERA | FIP | ZIPS Projected ERA |
| MIA | Adam Conley | 3.72 | 3.49 | 3.90 |
| MIN | Pat Dean | 4.15 | 4.16 | 5.67 |
Conley has been a pleasant surprise this season, giving the Marlins a starting pitcher they can consistently rely on who isn't named Jose Fernandez. In Conley's last start on June 1st, he pitched a gem against the Pittsburgh Pirates allowing only two hits while striking out nine over six scoreless innings. Conley will look to build on that success against a Twins lineup that has rounded into form the last two weeks, batting .282/.356/.456 with a .349 wOBA during that timeframe.
Facing him will be rookie southpaw Pat Dean, who has three major league starts to his name. Dean is a finesse pitcher who relies on his off-speed stuff to fool hitters. He does not generate a lot of strikeouts, and hovered around a 4.90 K/9 throughout his minor league career. Nicolino Dean will hope to improve upon his last outing, where he surrendered four runs over five innings against the Oakland Athletics.
Notes:
- This will be the first time the Marlins have faced the Twins since 2013. The Marlins won three of four games, with Ricky Nolasco, Tom Koehler, and José Fernandez pitching in each win. TRIVIA TIME: Who started the one game the Marlins lost?
- Conley was originally drafted by the Twins in the 32nd round of the 2008 draft. However, he decided not to sign and attended Washington State University instead. The Marlins eventually grabbed him in the 2nd round of the 2011 draft.
- Eduardo Nunez is someone that could play a key role in this series. After playing sparingly in 2014 and 2015, Nunez has emerged as a force at the top of the Twins' lineup. He is hitting .335/.363/.516 with 12 stolen bases.