Marlins vs. Braves: Game 146 Thread

With a total of 31 runs scored between these two teams so far in the series, Wednesday looks to bring that average down as Jose Fernandez takes the mound versus Braves' young ace Julio Teheran.

This has been an incredible season for Jose Fernandez.

His 14-8 record through 167.1 innings doesn't even begin to paint the picture of how dominant he has been among the entire league. His 2.27 FIP is second only to Noah Syndergaard of the Mets, while his 12.8 K/9 and 14.3% swinging strike rate are first and third respectively among all of baseball. He doesn't allow many baserunners, generates strikeouts at an above elite rate, and is a wonder to watch on the mound. After a blip outing in Cleveland, he regained his elite form versus the returning Clayton Kershaw last week with a 7 inning, 14 K gem.

While home-road splits are often touted as being bad predictors of future success in situations, it should be noted that there is a staunch difference between Fernandez's performance on the road and at home this season. At home his FIP is 1.73, while his road FIP is an even 3.00. This paints a better picture than his 1.77 ERA at home versus his 4.46 road ERA. It could just be a mental or routine thing with the phenom, but definitely something to keep an eye on as he and the Marlins head onto the field tonight, for the last time at Turner Field in Atlanta, GA. The Braves new ballpark opens next season, and will be called SunTrust Park.

Although Teheran has a 5-9 record, his peripherals show he has put together a decent season, with an ERA just above 3.00 and the best control of his career at the Major League level (1.97 BB/9). He sports a four-seams fastball, a two-seam fastball, slider, change, and curveball. This season he has relied on his off speed pitches more than any other year, with a fastball rate at about 55%, versus the 60%+ he has maintained throughout his entire career.

2017 Schedules Released

Here is a link to an article covering the release of schedules for the 2017 season. Next year of course, will be the first All-Star game at Marlins park in Miami, and also the first time a Florida state has hosted an All-Star weekend.

Fitting for this matchup tonight, the Marlins finish next season at home in a four game series versus the Atlanta Braves. They also play the AL West, along with a home-and-home four game series against the Tampa Bay Rays in the first half.

Prediction: Fernandez Deals, Marlins win 4-0