Watch CBS News

Struggling Marlins Open Big 4-Game Series Against New York

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

QUEENS (CBSMiami/SportsDirect) – The Miami Marlins are having a serious offensive drought at the worst time.

The New York Mets are trying to claw their way back into the battle for a National League wild card spot while the Marlins seem to be sinking away from the top of that race.

The Mets will try to take advantage of the slumping Marlins when they host the opener of a key four-game series on Monday.

New York has won six of eight but missed out on a chance to sweep the struggling Philadelphia Phillies when they suffered a 5-1 setback on Sunday.

The Mets enter the week 2 1/2 games behind St. Louis for the second NL wild card but have two other teams to climb over before even pulling up behind the Cardinals, including Miami.

The Marlins are a game ahead of New York and 1 1/2 shy of St. Louis but dropped two of three to the San Diego Padres over the weekend and went 2-4 on the just-completed homestand.

Miami totaled three runs in those four losses and is struggling to find thump in the middle of the lineup with Giancarlo Stanton (groin) out and new cleanup hitter Marcell Ozuna (no homers in his last nine games) slumping.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Miami), SNY (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins RH Jose Fernandez (13-7, 2.91 ERA) vs. Mets RH Rafael Montero (0-0, 11.57)

Fernandez bounced back from a rough outing at Cincinnati on Aug. 18 by breezing through seven scoreless innings against Kansas City on Wednesday.

The Cuba native struck out nine in that outing and is second in the majors with 213 k's on the season, including 59 in 41 1/3 innings since the All-Star break.

Fernandez is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 19 innings spread over three starts against the Mets this season.

Montero is making his first start of the season as the Mets give Jacob deGrom a one-turn break in the rotation.

The 25-year-old made two appearances out of the New York bullpen earlier in the season but spent most of the campaign between Double-A and Triple-A, where he combined to go 8-8 with a 5.15 ERA in 24 starts.

Montero has faced Miami three times in his career – one start – without earning a decision.

WALK-OFFS

  1. Mets SS Asdrubal Cabrera (left knee) left Sunday's game and is day-to-day.
  2. Miami RF Ichiro Suzuki is 1-for-17 in his last seven games.
  3. New York LF Yoenis Cespedes (quad) and 2B Neil Walker (back) each sat out Sunday and are day-to-day.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Sports Direct Inc. contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.