Marlins vs. Mets: Start time, how to watch, game thread and Fish Picks—July 12, 2019

Welcome to Friday’s Mets (40-50) vs. Marlins (33-55) game thread.

Throughout the 2019 season, Fish Stripes is your home for daily Fish Picks prop bets. The monthly points leader for July, August, etc. wins Fish Stripes merchandise prizes. We’re also saving something special for the overall full-season points leader. The best seller in our store: Caleb “KKKKKKKaleb” Smith shirts!

Grid View

The Fish Picks leaderboard will update daily to let you know where you stand.

Mets Lineup

1. RF Jeff McNeil
2. LF J.D. Davis
3. 1B Pete Alonso
4. C Wilson Ramos
5. 2B Robinson Canó
6. 3B Todd Frazier
7. CF Michael Conforto
8. SS Amed Rosario
9. P Jason Vargas (3.77 ERA, 4.37 FIP, 20.6 K%, 34.0 Hard Hit% in 71.2 IP)

Notes: You remember the last time these teams matched up, right? The Mets came to Miami in mid-May needing a few wins to straighten out their season...and they got swept.

Once determined to make a playoff push, they’re now the second-worst team in the National League in terms of record and third-worst in terms of run differential. Anything short of excellent play over the next couple weeks will force New York to sell at the trade deadline...Outside of a regrettable clubhouse confrontation, Vargas has had a decent individual season. That’s despite working with the lowest average fastball velocity in the majors (min. 50 IP), according to FanGraphs.

Baseball Savant

Marlins Lineup

1. SS Miguel Rojas
2. LF Curtis Granderson
3. 1B Garrett Cooper
4. 3B Brian Anderson
5. 2B Starlin Castro
6. RF Harold Ramírez
7. C Jorge Alfaro
8. CF JT Riddle
9. P Caleb Smith (3.50 ERA, 4.38 FIP, 31.1 K%, 39.3 Hard Hit% in 72.0 IP)

Notes: Anderson (elbow contusion) is in the starting lineup for the first time in 10 days. He had been limited to pinch-hitting during the final few games prior to the break...Hard to know what to make of Caleb entering this outing. Everybody knows about how successful he was during the first quarter of the season, but the numbers have come back down to Earth. The left-hander needs to manage contact better—his 29.3% ground ball rate is lowest in the National League (min. 50 IP). Remarkably, this will be his first start in Miami since May 14...Our own Daniel Smith previews some key storylines for the Fish over the final 74 regular season games.

Marlins Communications

To any fans attending Marlins Park, pleased be advised that there is a new enhanced security process. Try to arrive earlier than usual.

How to watch/listen/follow

The game gets underway at 7:10 p.m. ET. Watch on FOX Sports Florida and via MLB.TV—which is streaming all MLB games for free tonight—or listen on 940 WINZ.

Friday’s credentialed Fish Stripes writer is Brandon Liguori (@BrandonRLiguori).

Fish Picks

Please comment below or tweet to @fishstripes with your picks for the following props. The contest locks at first pitch.

1. Which team scores first? (Mets/Marlins)
2. Over/Under 7.5 Caleb Smith strikeouts? (Over/Under)
3. Over/Under 9,999 attendance? (Over/Under)
4. Will Brian Anderson get a hit? (Yes/No)
5. Who wins? (Mets/Marlins)