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The Marlins were looking to do something they haven’t done in a while: win a series. They failed to accomplish that on Sunday, as they fell to the Mets, 4-3. The Marlins lost their 10th game out of 12 tries in what’s been their biggest slump as a team all year.
- Wei-Yin Chen: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 6 K (108 pitches)
- Noah Syndergaard: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K (101 pitches)
José Reyes came up with a two-run homer to give the Mets the cushion they needed to win this game. In the midst of a terrible individual season, the veteran switch-hitter still knows how to turn it on in Miami. Trailing 3-1, Bryan Holaday made things interesting with an RBI single to trim the lead to one. But Michael Conforto quickly responded with some insurance in the 6th on a solo homer.
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— New York Mets (@Mets) August 12, 2018
Holaday again delivered with another RBI single in the bottom of that inning, though it wasn’t quite enough to tie the game or take the lead.
Wei-Yin Chen was tagged with the loss, as he allowed two earned runs and four hits in six innings. Noah Syndergaard allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings for New York and earned his eighth win of the season.
Recently called up outfielder Rafael Ortega was a bright spot today, as he collected two hits and two stolen bases for the Marlins. So was Elieser Hernandez. The inconsistent rookie impressed with three scoreless innings in relief of Chen to give the slumping lineup a chance to rally.
The Marlins (48-71) will head back out on the road this week, and it starts in Atlanta, where they’ll play a doubleheader. The probable starting pitchers for both ends of it are 22-year-old rookies: Pablo López for the afternoon opener (1:35pm) and Merandy Gonzalez handling the night cap (7:35pm).
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Attendance: 8,964
Ed. Note: This is Dylan’s last article on Fish Stripes for awhile. Really appreciate all of his contributions to our game coverage.
Please leave any Icthy picks in the comments below. Remember, we introduced a new grand prize for the contest this season!
8/12/18 Probable Starters
| Name | Team | IP | ERA | FIP | K/9 | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Team | IP | ERA | FIP | K/9 | fWAR |
| Noah Syndergaard | Mets | 88.0 | 3.17 | 2.71 | 9.51 | 2.5 |
| Wei-Yin Chen | Marlins | 51.0 home/37.2 road | 1.94/10.27 | 3.35/7.16 | 7.59/5.50 | 0.2 (overall) |
Matchup Summary
The Marlins had no business winning on Saturday night after falling behind 3-0 in the fourth inning on a Todd Frazier bases-clearing double. But uncharacteristically lights-out bullpen work and clutch hits by Martín Prado, J.T. Realmuto and Bryan Holaday allowed them to complete the comeback in extras.
Don’t laugh but Noah Syndergaard vs. Wei-Yin Chen is actually a fairly even pitching matchup...when you consider that it’s “Home Chen” on the mound. The 33-year-old consistently generates weak contact and misses enough bats at Marlins Park to give his team a chance.
Chen has barely any margin for error, though—this Marlins lineup including Magneuris Sierra as a near-automatic out and excluding Realmuto will be hard-pressed to generate any offense against Thor.
First pitch at 1:10pm ET.
Thread Question: Which current Marlins minor leaguer do you most want to see called up to the big leagues before the season ends? (Merandy Gonzalez fans: the wait is over)