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2024-03-16
Miami Marlins
Philadelphia Phillies
League : MLB

Philadelphia Phillies vs Miami Marlins Prediction & Preview

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#955 Philadelphia
Phillies -105
 
#956 Miami
Marlins 105

Saturday, September 12, 2020 at 6:10pm

 

The Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins continue to jockey for position in the NL East standings in game four of a seven-game series on Saturday. Miami won 7-6 on Thursday while Philadelphia won game one of the Friday doubleheader 11-0. Miami bounced back to take the second game 5-3. Both teams are chasing Atlanta with Philly 2.5 games back and Miami is now only three games back.

Saturday's single game will come before another doubleheader scheduled for Sunday. Then they will cap off the seven-game series Monday afternoon with a 3:10pm EDT first pitch. Miami has been absolutely awful at home with a 4-10 record at Marlins Park, but a 21-20 record overall. The Phillies are 22-20 overall and 7-10 away from Philadelphia.

Right-hander Spencer Howard will get the nod for Philadelphia and he has thrown 20.2 innings this season surrendering 28 hits, 13 earned runs, and 5 long balls. The Marlins on Monday reinstated Jose Ureña from the injured list after he was one of 18 Miami players to test positive for COVID-19 earlier this season.

 

Can Philadelphia Catch Atlanta?

The Philadelphia Phillies are fighting and scratching as much as possible in order to catch the NL East leader Atlanta Braves. After Friday's double header the Phillies only have 18 games left to get themselves into the playoff picture. Of the 18 games left, none of them are against the Braves.

 

The Phillies unexpectedly changed their rotation for their five-day, seven-game series because Zack Wheeler snagged the nail on his right middle finger causing enough damage to miss his regularly scheduled start. Wheeler had been scheduled to pitch Saturday.

Phillies manager Joe Girardi already knew the bullpen had issues stemming from last season. Through the first half of the shortened MLB season, the Philadelphia bullpen was one of the worst in the majors. With Wheeler missing a potential start or two the bullpen is really going to need to step it up to finish off the season earning a trip to the postseason.

“These are the guys that got to get it done,” Girardi said in an interview on MLB.com. “These are the guys that we have. And they’ve got to find a way to get it done.” Prior to the doubleheader on Friday, over their last five games, the ERA for the Philly bullpen was 13.83.

Spencer Howard has pitched five innings only once in his first five starts. The Phillies moved him to start Saturday in place of Wheeler who may not be ready until sometime next week. Howard last pitched on Saturday 9/5, he lasted 4 innings giving up five hits and two earned runs against the Mets.

 

Marlins Playing .500 Ball

Miami’s answer to team adversity this season has been admirable. The organization overcame a COVID-19 outbreak in the very first weekend of the MLB season. The season for the Marlins started on 7/24 but had 13 games postponed between 7/27-8/7 while only playing in seven games during that span.

 

Skipper Don Mattingly has been nothing short of spectacular leading his young squad despite all the 2020 challenges. “Another big win today,” manager Don Mattingly said to MLB.com after winning the first game of the seven-game series. “We get back to .500. These guys keep playing. We're kind of seeing what they're made of.”

Jose Urena is 3-5 with a 4.27 ERA against the Phillies in 12 games as a starter and 17 games overall. He has spent the past couple weeks at the Marlins' alternate site conditioning his arm after he was shut down in late July when he tested positive for COVID-19.

Urena wasn't as sharp as he wanted to be in his first start of the season giving up three earned runs in five innings against the Braves.












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