Cubs vs. Marlins Series Preview

The Miami Marlins return to LoanDepot Park and host the Chicago Cubs for a weekend series. Since trade deadline day, the Fish have won just four of 13 games. The team will get manager Don Mattingly back on Friday night, who has been away from the team after testing positive for COVID-19.

This series preview will give you all the details:

• Schedule, Watch, Listen
• Probable Pitchers
• Recent Lineups
• What To Watch For

Update: Zach Thompson has been moved up to start on Saturday. Elieser Hernández will be reinstated from the injured list and will start on Sunday.

Schedule, Watch, Listen

Friday, August 13 at 7:10 pm

Saturday, August 14 at 6:10 pm

Sunday, August 15 at 1:10 pm

• TV broadcast for all 3 games: Bally Sports Florida
• Radio broadcast for all 3 games: 940 AM WINZ, WAQI 710

Grid View

• Adbert Alzolay, Cubs starting pitcher on Friday Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/USA TODAY Sports
• Jesús Luzardo, Marlins starting pitcher on Friday Photo by Michael Ciaglo/USA TODAY Sports
• Zach Davies, Cubs starting pitcher on Saturday Photo by Quinn Harris/USA TODAY Sports
• Zach Thompson, Marlins starting pitcher on Saturday Photo by Orlando Ramirez/USA TODAY Sports
• Alec Mills, Cubs starting pitcher on Sunday Photo by Isaiah J. Downing/USA TODAY Sports
• Elieser Hernández, Marlins starting pitcher on Sunday Photo by Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports

Probable Pitchers

Friday: RHP Adbert Alzolay vs. LHP Jesús Luzardo

• Alzolay: 4.71 ERA, 1.162 WHIP, 24.4 K%, 40.4 HardHit% in 105.0 IP
• Luzardo: 7.36 ERA, 1.678 WHIP, 21.5 K%, 35.8 HardHit% in 47.2 IP

Saturday: RHP Zach Davies vs. RHP Zach Thompson

• Davies: 5.26 ERA, 1.570 WHIP, 16.3 K%, 44.2 HardHit% in 114.2 IP
• Thompson: 3.09 ERA, 1.179 WHIP, 23.0 K%, 40.3 HardHit% in 46.2 IP

Sunday: RHP Alec Mills vs. RHP Elieser Hernández

• Mills: 4.27 ERA, 1.409 WHIP, 17.0 K%, 38.7 HardHit% in 71.2 IP
• Hernández: 3.68 ERA, 0.682 WHIP, 33.3 K%, 38.9 HardHit% in 7.1 IP

Recent Lineups

Baseball-Reference.com

Baseball-Reference.com

What to watch for on...

Friday: South Florida kid Jesús Luzardo makes start #2 at home.

• Luzardo vs. Mets on Aug. 2: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K.
• Luzardo (Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS grad) and Lewis Brinson (Coral Springs HS grad) hoisted their hometown team to a win in the pitcher’s first start at LoanDepot Park. Luzardo struggled in Colorado on Aug. 7, giving up seven earned runs in just 4.2 innings. He’ll look to bounce back on Friday and set the tone for the series against the Cubs.

Photo by Orlando Ramirez/USA TODAY Sports

Saturday: The other South Florida kid, Lewis Brinson, has been on fire.

• Since returning on July 19, Brinson is slashing .349/.406/.698. That’s a 1.104 OPS!
• Brinson is having the best offensive stretch of his big league career and I couldn’t be happier for him. Ely wrote about Brinson’s recent success the other day, so click here to check out his article if you haven’t already.

Sunday: Mr. Consistent, Zach Thompson.

• Outside of his last start against the Padres, Thompson hadn’t given up more than three earned runs in an outing.
• The start against the Padres on Aug. 7 wasn’t as disastrous as other recent starts the team has been tasked with overcoming, but it was Thompson’s worst of the season. He allowed a season-high 4 earned runs and tied his season-high 4 walks. Watch for him on Sunday when he faces a weak Cubs lineup.