Rivals Clash In Miami As Marlins Open Series Against Mets
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MIAMI (CBSMiami/Gracenote) – Marlins Park will be the setting for a series between two NL East teams searching for their ultimate 2017 identity.
The New York Mets are putting their fans through the emotional wringer on the current road trip while sweeping one series and being swept in another.
The Mets will try to keep the consistency on the winning side when the trip switches coasts for the beginning of a three-game series at the Miami Marlins on Tuesday.
New York was outscored 36-11 while being swept in a four-game set by the Los Angeles Dodgers to begin the trip but turned things around in northern California by pulling off a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants over the weekend.
"You can see the players we've got here," Mets catcher Rene Rivera, who homered twice in Sunday's 8-2 win, told reporters. "We want to do something good. We want to play hard. Coming from a bad series in L.A., to come and sweep San Francisco, that shows a lot about the chemistry and the demeanor of this team."
The Marlins are trying to find their own consistency while alternating wins and losses over the last eight games and are searching for offense while averaging 2.4 runs over the last five contests.
Miami will try to get the bats going against struggling Mets righty Robert Gsellman while the Marlins send Dan Straily to the hill.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), FSN Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Robert Gsellman (5-5, 6.04 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Dan Straily (5-4, 3.43)
Gsellman was not fooling many batters in his last two starts and absorbed a pair of losses while surrendering 14 earned runs in 9 1/3 innings.
The 23-year-old yielded 20 hits in those 9 1/3 frames, including six home runs, and issued five walks. Gsellman is already facing the Marlins for the fourth time this season and is 1-1 with a 6.14 ERA through the first three.
Straily is the complete opposite over his last two starts, allowing a total of one run and seven hits over 12 1/3 innings while striking out 14 and walking one.
The California native owns 86 strikeouts in 84 total innings and issued a total of three walks in his last five turns.
Straily threw 5 1/3 no-hit innings against New York on April 16 but walked five and was lifted at 93 pitches.
WALK-OFFS
- Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton announced Sunday that he intends to defend his Home Run Derby title.
- New York OF Michael Conforto is day-to-day after x-rays came back negative on his left hand, which was hit by a pitch in Sunday's game.
- Miami OF Ichiro Suzuki (43 years, 246 days) became the oldest player in major league history to start a game in center field on Sunday.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Gracenote contributed to this report.)
