Marlins Hope to Get Back on Track Against Cardinals

The Miami Marlins will begin a three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals Monday. Miami is coming off of getting swept by the Baltimore Orioles over the weekend. The Marlins currently hold the No. 2 spot in the NL East with a current record of 53-42.

Offensive Forces

The Marlins’ offense relies heavily on both Luis Arraez and Jorge Soler.

Batting .380, Arraez holds the No. 1 spot in the MLB in terms of his batting average. These numbers put him at close proximity of finishing the season at .400.

Arraez continued his impressive hitting against Baltimore, going 4-for-13 in the series. Though, the team was unable to fend off the red hot Orioles, losing three straight. Even though the team lost two of the games by one run, the Marlins will need to defeat strong teams if they want a chance at making it to October.

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Concerns

Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara has struggled a bit this season compared to past seasons. His ERA currently sits at 4.64, and he earned the loss in Baltimore on Friday. The bullpen pitchers also struggled over the weekend, giving up five runs in a bullpen game Sunday.

Up Next

The Marlins will stay on the road and head to St. Louis to face the Cardinals. The Cardinals are coming off of a series victory over the Washington Nationals, winning the final two games of the series on Saturday and Sunday.

St. Louis is led by Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt at the plate, but the team has faced pitching struggles all year. Picked to win the NL Central division at the beginning of the year, the Cardinals find themselves in last place and will most likely be sellers at the trade deadline.

Marlins southpaw Jesus Luzardo will get the start on the mound Monday, and he’ll go up against Miles Mikolas of St. Louis. First pitch is set for 7:45 p.m.