We are about halfway through August, and there are some teams that really need to make a push if they plan to have a true run at a postseason spot. We've seen some very hot and very cold stretches from a variety of teams this season, so who will be next? The National League has its divisions essentially set with the Dodgers, Braves, and Brewers looking like they will coast to the finish line. Both the Pirates and the Marlins are hoping to steal one of those remaining Wild Card spots.
The Pittsburgh Pirates seem to have ebbed and flowed all season. There were stretches where they looked like one of the better teams in the league. Their hitting issues that were addressed in the offseason have been significantly better this year. However, their pitching has struggled. Even their superstar, Paul Skenes, has had a bit of a down year. His numbers are still strong, but they are the worst of his young career. If the Pirates can get some performances out of their other starters, they might have a hot streak left in them.
One guy that they need to step up is today's hurler, Carmen Mlodzinski. For the year, Mlodzinski is 6-4 for the year with a 3.51 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. He has been better on the road with a 3.10 ERA, and he has started two more games on the road. However, he has just 1.1 more innings on the road than at home this year. Mlodzinski is essentially an opener for the Pirates. He hasn't thrown more than three innings in any of his past 12 outings (varying between starts and relief appearances). Marlins hitters have only gotten four at-bats against him, but all four hitters went 0-for-1.
The Miami Marlins have quietly put together a good campaign. You wouldn't really know it because in this division almost everyone will get more attention than them. It doesn't help that the franchise seems to always trade away any good player and doesn't invest in their team. Maybe that's more of a personal thought or frustration. In any case, the Marlins are 61-59 for the season and have been great at home. With the Braves and Phillies ahead of them, and the Mets being major markets, it is possible to lose sight of the Marlins.
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Today they send out some Junk to the mound. Bad jokes aside, Janson Junk takes the hill for Miami today. For the season, Junk is sitting with a 5-7 record and a 4.63 ERA. He has just 62 strikeouts and a 1.36 WHIP over 81.2 innings. Most of the damage has been done by hits instead of walks, so there isn't much of a control issue. He doesn't pitch much more than five innings, typically. He hasn't thrown more than five innings in any of his last eight outings. Aside from a six-run outing in July, he also hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in a start since May 25th (he missed all of June). Pirates hitters are 3-for-8 against Junk.
This should be a game where we get some offense and some action. Neither pitcher is in a category where I would call them un-hittable. Neither team is likely to have their starter/opener go too deep into the game, either. Miami does have a better bullpen than Pittsburgh, so that might be a reason to bet on them to win, but I think we see more than eight runs scored in this game. Give me the Marlins and Pirates over 8 tonight.
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