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The Miami Marlins broke a three-game skid with last night's wild 6-5 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, but they still sit 2.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the final wild card spot. Standing between them and the Cardinals by half a game, of course, are the Pirates, but a win tonight and tomorrow would catapult the Marlins ahead and, depending how the Cardinals handle the Philadelphia Phillies, hopefully closer to that final wild card spot.
David Phelps will make his fourth start of the season after switching over from the bullpen. Last week in Cincinnati he beat the Reds 6-3 with eight strikeouts and two earned runs on just four hits over 5 1/3 innings. And in his last three outings, he is 1-1 and holds a 1.84 ERA.
For the Pirates, rookie Chad Kuhl gets the start, his seventh of the season. He's won his last two starts, striking out at least four in each while allowing no more than two earned runs. The Pirates have ultimately won every single game Kuhl has started.
PITCHING MATCHUP
| Team | Starter | ERA | FIP | ZIPs Projected ERA |
| PIT | Chad Kuhl | 3.73 | 3.94 | 4.58 |
| MIA | David Phelps | 2.48 | 3.00 | 3.85 |
Notes
-After getting a breather Friday, Ichiro is back in right field.
-Making his first Major League appearance in two years last night, Scruggs went 1 for 3 and walked once. He bats seventh tonight.
-Martin Prado's .526 average with runners in scoring position is best in the National League since the All-Star break.
Prediction: Marlins win their second in a row, 4-2.