Marlins Return Home To Open Four Game Set With Pirates
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MIAMI (CBSMiami/SportsDirect) – The Miami Marlins return to South Florida on a winning note but are still showing signs of inconsistency.
The Pittsburgh Pirates were cruising on offense until the weekend, when they totaled four runs in back-to-back losses at the Texas Rangers.
The Pirates will try to get the bats moving again when they continue the road trip by visiting the Marlins on Monday in the opener of a four-game series.
Pittsburgh totaled 40 runs in winning five straight games, concluding with a 9-1 win in the opener of the road trip at Texas on Friday, but went 2-for-20 with runners in scoring position on Saturday and Sunday.
The Pirates are trying to stay within shouting distance of the National League Central-leading Chicago Cubs but dropped to 13-12 on the road with the last two losses.
The Marlins avoided a three-game sweep with a 7-3 win at Atlanta on Sunday but may have lost their hottest hitter.
Derek Dietrich went 3-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs in the game before a foul ball into the dugout ricocheted off the back wall and hit him in the head, and he stayed overnight in Atlanta despite initial x-rays coming back negative.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, ROOT (Pittsburgh), FSN Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates LH Jeff Locke (3-3, 5.08 ERA) vs. Marlins LH Justin Nicolino (2-2, 4.37)
Locke is having a little trouble keeping the ball in the yard of late with a total of six home runs allowed in his last four outings.
The New Hampshire native was reached for a pair of home runs but limited the damage to four runs over 6 1/3 innings in a win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.
Locke is 3-2 with a 3.00 ERA in seven career starts against Miami.
Nicolino is winless in his last four starts and failed to complete six innings in any of the last three.
The 24-year-old struck out a career high six over 5 2/3 innings at Tampa Bay on Wednesday but was held out of the decision while yielding three runs and eight hits.
Nicolino made one start against the Pirates in his 2015 rookie campaign and absorbed a loss despite allowing two runs in six innings.
WALK-OFFS
- Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton (right side soreness) could return during the series against the Pirates.
- Pittsburgh INF Josh Harrison (illness) sat out the last two games and is day-to-day.
- Miami CF Marcell Ozuna has hit safely in 11 straight games and recorded multiple hits in six of the last seven contests.
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