Kendry Flores (1-1, 2.35 ERA) and the Miami Marlins (50-71) meet Jerad Eickhoff (0-0, 0.00 ERA) and the Philadelphia Phillies (47-74) in the second of a four-game division series at Marlins Park. The Marlins won the last game 9-7 and Miami leads the series 1-0. The game starts at 7:10 p.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 21 and will air on FSFL and CSPh.
In his last start, Flores pitched 0.1 inning, allowing zero runs in a 9-6 victory over the Brewers. Justin Bour (.250, 25 Rs, 12 HRs, 39 RBIs) continued his strong season yesterday, going 2 for 5 with one run and one RBI. This is the first opportunity for Eickhoff to take the mound this season. Jeff Francoeur (.280, 27 Rs, 12 HRs, 38 RBIs) went 1 for 3 yesterday.
Miami, a -135 favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Philadelphia. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is eight runs. The Marlins are 21-24 as the favorite and have an overall money line of -1,936. They have a winless record (0-1) in games played as the favorite during their last 10 games. Over their past 10 games, Miami’s offense has been playing lights out, averaging 5.6 runs per game, well over their season average of 3.8. The Marlins are a dangerous hitting team with an MLB-best 284 extra base hits. The Marlins are a nightmare for opponents on the bases with 87 steals, one of the highest totals in baseball.
Across the field, the Phillies have a subpar record of 42-66 when they are the underdog and are -571 overall with the money line. Against fellow NL East members, they are 18-26 SU and have played poorly as the underdog with a 15-24 record. The Phillies average just 7.4 strikeouts per game, one of the lowest marks in the NL. Playing against NL East foes really brings the best out of the Philadelphia pitchers. They allow 4.1 runs per game against teams within their division, which is lower than their season average of 5.0.
This game will feature Eickhoff (RHP) on the mound against the Marlins, who have a 39-56 record when they take on a right-handed starter. The right-handed Flores will take the mound against the Phillies, who have a 36-58 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – Mia, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Philadelphia is 23-36, while Miami is 24-38.
The Phillies managed to give up seven walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Marlins who are heading in with a 2-0 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Marlins are 36-19. The Phillies have a 27-12 record when outhitting opponents.
Miami and Philadelphia both rank near the bottom of the league in runs. Miami sits at 24th with 459 runs this season and Philadelphia ranks 26th with 452.
Miami and Philadelphia both rank near the bottom of the league in walks. Miami sits at 25th with 295 this season and Philadelphia ranks 28th with 271.
The Marlins are 30-35 when they hit at least one home run. The Phillies perform similarly when they hit one or more homers with a 30-33 record.
