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Marlins vs. Nationals: Start time, how to watch and game thread—May 18, 2022

Josiah Gray and Pablo López will start Wednesday’s Marlins vs. Nationals game at LoanDepot Park. Full lineups and game notes in here.

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Pablo Lopez #49 of the Miami Marlins delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at loanDepot park Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Welcome to Wednesday’s Marlins (17-19, +20 RD) vs. Nationals (12-26, -46 RD) game thread.

Marlins Impact Week is underway. The seven days of community impact aims to make a difference with South Florida’s youth by creating opportunities to foster an active lifestyle, achieve academic success, and build leadership skills.

Our free Marlins prop bets contest has returned...with a few tweaks.

Use this Fish Picks link prior to every Marlins series to submit your predictions. I have divided the Marlins schedule into nine separate “innings” and will be awarding a BreakingT t-shirt to each inning’s points leader. The second inning runs from April 29 through May 18.


Nationals Starting Lineup

  1. 2B Cesar Hernandez (83 wRC+ this season, career 98 wRC+)
  2. RF Juan Soto (152, 155)
  3. 1B Josh Bell (161, 117)
  4. DH Nelson Cruz (67, 131)
  5. LF Yadiel Hernández (148, 107)
  6. C Keibert Ruiz (91, 96)
  7. 3B Maikel Franco (95, 87)
  8. CF Lane Thomas (54, 94)
  9. SS Alcides Escobar (55, 72)

RHP Josiah Gray

Gray’s 2022 pitch distribution and Statcast percentile rankings
Gray’s 2022 pitch distribution and Statcast percentile rankings
Baseball Savant

Notes: Only the Rockies and Reds have allowed more runs this season than the Nats...Soto has a terrific .364/.440/.773 slash line in 25 career plate appearances against Pablo López.

Marlins Game Notes

Marlins Starting Lineup

  1. 2B Jazz Chisholm Jr. (152 wRC+ this season, career 104 wRC+)
  2. DH Jesús Aguilar (124, 113)
  3. 1B Garrett Cooper (110, 118)
  4. RF Avisaíl García (68, 102)
  5. LF Brian Anderson (132, 113)
  6. CF Jesús Sánchez (90, 98)
  7. C Jacob Stallings (71, 87)
  8. SS Miguel Rojas (63, 86)
  9. 3B Erik González (40, 62)

RHP Pablo López

López’s 2022 pitch distribution and Statcast percentile rankings
López’s 2022 pitch distribution and Statcast percentile rankings
Baseball Savant

Lineup Changes from Previous Game: Sánchez in, Bryan De La Cruz out; Aguilar and Cooper swap 1B/DH

Additional Notes: Jorge Soler (lower back stiffness) is sitting for a second straight game. De La Cruz (right forearm contusion) will hopefully be back to full strength on the other side of tomorrow’s off day...López enters tonight with a 22-22 career record. He’s trying to raise his winning percentage above .500 for the first time since July 2018...Stallings’ offensive stats are rapidly approaching respectability in the midst of a seven-game hitting streak. However, he still hasn’t homered since Opening Day.


How to Watch/Listen/Follow

First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET. Watch on Bally Sports Florida—Paul Severino and Tommy Hutton in the booth—or listen to the radio broadcast on Fox Sports 940 Miami (Glenn Geffner and J.P. Arencibia). Out-of-market viewers can stream the game on MLB.TV.

Noah Berger is representing Fish Stripes at LoanDepot Park as a credentialed reporter. Follow him on Twitter (@Trainboy100) for in-game updates.

Alex Krutchik will handle the game recap article.

All four Marlins full-season minor league affiliates are supposed to be in action (though Double-A Pensacola’s opponent seems to be dealing with COVID-related issues). Follow @FishProspects for notes and highlights.

DraftKings Odds