Marlins vs. Nationals: Start time, how to watch, game thread and Fish Picks—September 20, 2020

Welcome to Sunday’s Marlins (27-24) vs. Nationals (19-31) doubleheader game thread. The Marlins’ magic number to clinch a postseason berth is seven.

This is the anniversary of the final game of José Fernández’s career, which was also against the Nationals at Marlins Park. You can watch that dominant outing in its entirety here.

Fish Picks is BACK and better than ever! Our free-to-play daily prop bets contest is open to all fans. Courtesy of a new Fish Stripes partnership with Fantom Drip, weekly points leaders will win their choice of a Marlins face covering (five different varieties available) or the exclusive Fish Stripes design. The 2020 full-season points leader gets their pick of three new Marlins-themed t-shirts.

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

Nationals Game 1 Lineup

1. SS Trea Turner
2. LF Juan Soto
3. DH Asdrúbal Cabrera
4. 1B Eric Thames
5. C Yan Gomes
6. RF Brock Holt
7. 2B Luis García
8. 3B Carter Kieboom
9. CF Andrew Stevenson

P Max Scherzer (4.04 ERA, 3.30 FIP, 32.5 K%, 36.8 Hard Hit% in 55.2 IP)

Baseball Savant

Notes: Soto enters Sunday leading all MLB qualifiers in on-base percentage (.463 OBP), slugging percentage (.677 SLG) and weighted runs created-plus (187 wRC+)...Left-hander Ben Braymer is starting the second game. He has only two games of major league experience (both as a reliever). Expect a “low 90s fastball, 12-to-6 curveball and a changeup that is average at its best,” according to MLB Pipeline.

Marlins Game 1 Lineup

1. LF Corey Dickerson
2. 1B Jesús Aguilar
3. DH Garrett Cooper
4. 3B Brian Anderson
5. RF Matt Joyce
6. SS Miguel Rojas
7. 2B Jon Berti
8. CF Lewis Brinson
9. C Jorge Alfaro

P Sandy Alcantara (3.45 ERA, 4.45 FIP, 21.5 K%, 37.3 Hard Hit% in 28.2 IP)

Baseball Savant

Notes: Berti (finger) is back from the injured list at the expense of Sean Rodríguez (designated for assignment)...Rojas is currently on pace to become the fifth Marlins player ever with an OPS above 1.000 in a season of 100-plus plate appearances...Winning at least one of today’s games would ensure that the Marlins will finish ahead of the Nats in the standings for the first time since 2010...Count on seeing Starling Marte, Chad Wallach and Braxton Garrett starting the second game. Spencer Morris has a breakdown of Garrett’s debut last Sunday and the professional career journey that took him there.

How to watch/listen/follow

The first pitch of the opening game is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET, followed by the second game about 45 minutes after the first one concludes. Watch on FOX Sports Florida or MLB.TV or listen on 940 WINZ.

Alex Krutchik (@AlexKrutchikFS) will be tweeting live from the ballpark.

Fish Picks

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

Game 1

1. Which team scores first? (Nationals/Marlins)
2. Over/Under 94.5 pitches for Sandy Alcantara (Over/Under)
3. Will there be any runs scored in the fifth inning? (Yes/No)
4. Who wins? (Nationals/Marlins)

Game 2

1. Which team uses more total players? (Nationals/Marlins)
2. Over/Under 8.5 Marlins hits? (Over/Under)
3. Will Brad Boxberger make an appearance? (Yes/No)
4. Who wins? (Nationals/Marlins)