Marlins vs. Braves: Start time, how to watch, game thread and Fish Picks—August 16, 2021

Welcome to Monday’s Marlins (51-67, -9 RD) vs. Braves (62-56, +72 RD) game thread.

During every Marlins game, join in on the Fish Picks prop bets fun. They give you something to focus on even with the team out of World Series contention. Please use this link!

Picks are only valid if submitted to us prior to first pitch.

The Fish Picks leaderboard is updated daily. Congrats to Tyler9_, who picked a Perfect Game on Sunday.

At the end of each month, the Fish Picks winner—whoever has the percentage of correct picks (among qualifiers)—will receive a hand-painted Trevor Rogers baseball card.

Everybody’s point totals have been reset for the start of August.

Braves Starting Lineup

1. 2B Ozzie Albies
2. RF Jorge Soler
3. 1B Freddie Freeman
4. 3B Austin Riley
5. SS Dansby Swanson
6. LF Adam Duvall
7. C Travis d’Arnaud
8. CF Guillermo Heredia
9. RHP Touki Toussaint (2021 season stats: 4.28 ERA, 4.94 FIP, 24.1 K%, 50.7 HardHit% in 27.1 IP)

Baseball Savant

Notes: The Braves have been playing their best ball of the season during the month-plus since these teams previously met, doing all of that without Ronald Acuña Jr. (torn ACL). The hot streak has also coincided with Toussaint coming off the injured list and joining their starting rotation...The former Marlin Duvall serves as their everyday left fielder, slashing .204/.295/.463 with a 96 wRC+ in 15 games since the trade...Swanson is scorching hot, leading all qualified MLB shortstops since the All-Star break in FanGraphs Wins Above Replacement (1.5 fWAR).

Marlins Starting Lineup

1. SS Jazz Chisholm Jr.
2. 1B Jesús Aguilar
3. CF Lewis Brinson
4. RF Jesús Sánchez
5. 3B Brian Anderson
6. C Jorge Alfaro
7. 2B Isan Díaz
8. LF Bryan De La Cruz
9. LHP Braxton Garrett (2021 season stats: 4.65 ERA, 4.05 FIP, 21.3 K%, 41.1 HardHit% in 31.0 IP)

Baseball Savant

Notes: Sidelined since July 11, Sánchez is finally back! He had a 103 wRC+ prior to that absence...Duvall was Miami’s top Braves killer during the first half of the season. Down the stretch, that distinction goes to Aguilar (.978 OPS, 2 HR, 10 RBI in 12 G)...The overall production has been lousy, but Chisholm is improving his contact skills. Just a 10.9% strikeout rate since the All-Star break...The most well-rested pitchers available in the Marlins bullpen are Anthony Bender, Ross Detwiler, Sean Guenther, Jorge Guzman and Steven Okert.

How to watch/listen/follow

First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET. Watch on Bally Sports Florida or listen to the radio broadcast on 940 WINZ.

Daniel Rodriguez is at LoanDepot Park as a credentialed reporter. Brandon Liguori will handle the game recap article.

Fish Picks

Please submit your picks for the following props. The contest locks at first pitch.

1. Which starting pitcher gets more strikeouts? (Touki Toussaint/Braxton Garrett)
2. Over/Under 1.5 total bases for Jesús Aguilar? (Over/Under)
3. Over/Under 1.5 total bases for Adam Duvall? (Over/Under)
4. Will the Marlins steal any bases? (Yes/No)
5. Who wins? (Braves/Marlins)