The Miami Marlins and Chicago White Sox conclude their three-game series on Wednesday, with both teams having won once in the first two contests. Chicago won the opener 9-1 before Miami bounced back with a 5-1 victory on Tuesday.
Hoping For More
The Marlins are now 37-62 after defeating the White Sox in their last outing. Obviously, the Marlins have had a rough season so far, but they will look to string together some wins despite losing the previous four games. Even with the win in their last game, the Marlins have been outscored 31-13 in their last five games. Miami is in last place in the NL East, and nowhere near a Wild Card spot. They will be spending the rest of the season figuring out what pieces to keep on the roster to build around.
Zac Gallen will be getting the start for the Marlins in this game. Gallen is just 0-2 this season with a 3.63 ERA and 26 strikeouts over five starts this season. The 23-year-old will look to get a win for the Marlins after taking a loss in his last outing where he gave up just one earned run over 5 1/3 innings while striking out five. Gallen has pitched well this year and will just be looking for run support in this game.
While the Miami roster is very depleted at the moment, and they are in full rebuild mode, they do have some bright spots to build around. One of those players in 26-year-old third baseman Brian Anderson. Anderson leads the Marlins with 13 home runs this season and 46 runs batted in. Their most consistent batter with a .283 average is shortstop Miguel Rojas, who is currently on a day-to-day basis with a shoulder injury. Yadiel Rivera will start in his absence.
Needing Lots Of Help
The White Sox are now 45-53 after taking a loss against the Marlins in their last game. They currently sit in third place in the AL Central, 15.5 games back from the Minnesota Twins. While Chicago also will need a lot of help before they’re competing with the top teams in the league, they do have a lot of young, talented players on their roster they should be happy with.
Starting for the Sox in this game will be 25-year-old righty Reynaldo Lopez. Lopez is 5-8 this season after picking up the win in his last game against Rays, where he allowed two runs while striking out eight batters over seven innings. Lopez carries a 5.76 ERA this year, which is just above the White Sox team ERA of 5.04.
Unfortunately for Chicago, two of their young stars, Tim Anderson and Eloy Jimenez, are currently on the 10-day IL. Stepping up and getting the job done for the White Sox has been first baseman Jose Abreu, with his team-leading 22 home runs and 72 RBI, as well as third baseman Yoan Moncada, who leads with his .300 batting average.
What To Expect
Despite losing their last game, the White Sox have the better roster and just need their depth to step up and get the job done in this one. I like both pitchers in this one, and I think Gallen can give the Sox trouble, but once it gets to the bullpen, I don’t see the Marlins keeping them down. Chicago is 26-20 at home this year, while the Marlins are just 18-30 on the road. Look for the White Sox to bounce back and take a win in this one.
