Eury Pérez unleashes his elite fastball to reclaim the interstate rivalry, while MLB hit-leader Otto Lopez fuels a surging Miami offense in this decisive afternoon rubber match.
The Miami Marlins look to close out the Citrus Series against the Tampa Bay Rays with a win on Sunday.
The Marlins have been here before. They’re 5-3 in rubber matches this season, although they have only won one series on the road, ironically against the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. They are also 6-9 during 27 days from May 1-27 during which the club will play 26 games until the next off day on May 28.
The Rays lead the Marlins 85-84 in the interleague rivalry series since 1998. Both teams split the season series 3-3 last year.
The Rays are sending RHP Drew Rasmussen (3-1, 3.16) to the mound to close out the series. Their previous starter, Nick Martinez, threw six scoreless innings but the Marlins pillaged their bullpen and won 10-5 on Saturday.
Marlins right-handed pitcher Eury Pérez will take the mound for his 10th start of the season and his first-career start against the Rays. Pérez is looking to rebound after losing four straight starts. His last time on the mound was a step in the right direction, as he surrendered three earned runs on three hits with three walks and a season-high-tying eight strikeouts in Miami’s 3-0 defeat against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday.
Pérez continues to demonstrate a heavy reliance on his four-seam fastball, throwing it 271 times this season, which is more than any other Marlins pitcher. His 98.2 mph four-seam fastball ranks third among all starters in the Major Leagues. His 54 Whiffs on the four-seamer is tied for the fourth-most by an MLB starter while his spin rate (2,651) is second in baseball.
The Marlins hope the sun continues to shine bright on their young starter. The 23-year-old has a 9-7 record with a 3.25 ERA in 23-career day game starts. Although this season, Pérez has a 4.43 ERA in four afternoon outings.
Pérez has tightened up when his back is against the wall. He has limited opposing batters to a .143/.333/.310 (6-for-42) offensive slash line when the Marlins are behind.
The Marlins are leading with their top three hitters in the lineup, and for good reason. Miami is one of only three teams across baseball with two players tallying at least 15 multi-hit games this season. The duo of second baseman Xavier Edwards and shortstop Otto Lopez leads all MLB middle infield contingents with their combined
.332/.397/.483 (117-for-352) slash line, as well as hits and OPS (.880).
Lopez enters Sunday’s matchup on top of the leaderboard with a .341 AVG and 61 hits this season. He is the first player in MLB to reach 60 hits this season.
Liam Hicks will catch Pérez and bat third. The second-year C/1B became the first player in the big leagues to reach 40 RBI this season and is the only hitter with 25+ RBI and 15-or-fewer strikeouts, sitting at 40 RBI and 14 K entering Sunday’s rubber match.
The Marlins will return to Miami on Monday for a three-game series against the National League East-leading Atlanta Braves.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!