Former Marlin Hanley Ramirez will be facing his former team for the first time on Friday.
The Miami Marlins are coming off of a 3-3 road-trip which concluded with the Marlins taking two of three from the New York Mets giving Miami their first road series victory since the very beginning of June. The Marlins now head back to South Florida where they will set their sights on former teammate Hanley Ramirez and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Marlins will also welcome the Philadelphia Phillies to Miami during what will be a six-game homestand. The series with Los Angeles will mark the first ever trip to Marlins Park for the Dodgers. The Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers will be the only two remaining National League clubs that have yet to visit Marlins Park.
The Miami Marlins enter the series with a 51-61 record putting them in fourth place in the National League East just a half game above the last place Phillies. The Los Angeles Dodgers enter the series with a 60-52 record; Los Angeles is in second place and a game back of the rival San Francisco Giants in the National League West. The Dodgers are also 3.5 games back for the final wild card spot. The series will be the first meeting between the Dodgers and Marlins this season. The Marlins and Dodgers split the season series a year ago 3-3. The teams will play night games on Friday and Saturday before closing the series with a day game on Sunday.
Reyes’ Streak Snapped
Jose Reyes put together a 26-game hitting streak for the Miami Marlins hitting in every single game following the All-Star break until Thursday. In a 6-1 loss to the New York Mets, Reyes went 0-for-4 to snap his streak. Reyes finishes nine games short of Luis Castillo’s club record. Castillo hit in 35 straight games in 2002 for the then Florida Marlins. Last season, Emilio Bonifacio put together a 26-game streak for the Fish which Reyes just equalled, but could not surpass. The 26-game hitting streaks are tied for the second longest in franchise history.
Stanton Returns
The Miami Marlins couldn’t have been happier to see right fielder Giancarlo Stanton back in the lineup while in Citi Field. Stanton returned on Tuesday going 0-for-3 with a RBI in a 4-2 Miami win. But in Wednesday’s 13-0 victory, Stanton made his presence felt. Stanton went 4-for-5 during the contest with two home runs, a double and 4 RBIs. The Miami offense had struggled mightily in his absence and hopefully for the Marlins, this will get the bats going.
Pitching Matchups
Friday – Clayton Kershaw (LAD) 9-6, 2.88 ERA vs. Mark Buehrle (MIA) 9-10, 3.70 ERA
Saturday – Joe Blanton (LAD) 8-9, 4.52 ERA vs. Ricky Nolasco (MIA) 8-11, 4.95 ERA
Sunday – Chris Capuano (LAD) 10-8, 3.29 ERA vs. Wade LeBlanc (MIA) 1-1, 1.50 ERA
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