MIAMI MARLINS NOTES:
MARLINS MINUTE
The Marlins today play the second game of a four-game series at Atlanta. Is the second stop on their seven-game road trip that started with taking two of three in Cleveland. Following this series, return home for a six-game homestand against the Cubs (3 games) and Braves (3 games).
• After starting the year 1-4, the Marlins have won 11 of their last 17 contests.
• Lost their first two road games of the year coming in New York, going 5-3 since.
• Need to win the final three games of this series to win their fifth straight series, a feat the organization has not accomplished since August 11-27, 2017, when they won five straight against Colorado, San Francisco, New York Mets, Philadelphia, and San Diego.
YESTERDAY’S RECAP
Miami fell to the Braves, 11-0, in the series opener. The Marlins offense was held to 2 hits – back-to-back singles by 3B Jean Segura (1×3) and 2B Jon Berti (1×3) with one out in the eighth inning. RHP Edward Cabrera surrendered 4 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks in 4.1 innings picthed, striking out 6.
FLASHBACK FRIDAY
This Friday, when the Cubs come to town for a three-game series, the Marlins will harken back to their 2003 NLCS win against Chicago. In addition to wearing their 1993 teal pinstripe throwback uniforms, the Marlins will welcome alumni members Mike Lowell and Brad Penny, who were members of the 2003 Championship team.
STOP…HOMER TIME
The Marlins have scored 32 of their 72 runs this season via home runs (44.4%). Have hit 21 homers total over the first 23 games, homering in 16 of the contests, including eight of their 10 road games.
CATCH US IF YOU CAN
The Marlins have stolen 20 bases this season, ninth most in the Majors (fifth in NL). Have been caught just three times, the third-best SB pct. in the NL (87%). Since the start of the 2020 season, the Marlins have combined to steal 161 bases on the road – the most for any Major League team over the stretch (Cleveland is second with 153 steals).
• CF Jazz Chisholm Jr. has stolen 7 bases this season (in 8 attempts). Marks the most SB on the team and tied for seventh-most in the NL.
GOOD FIRST IMPRESSIONS
2B Luis Arraez has 32 hits in his first 20 games of the year (18 starts), with 10 multi-hit games (tied for fourth-most in MLB). Only Ronald Acuna Jr. (34), Nico Hoerner (33), and Bryson Stott (33) have more hits among Major Leaguers. Arraez’s .444 batting avg. (32×72) is tops in the Majors among all qualified hitters, and 80 points higher than the second-best (Marsh, .364).
• Is tied with Martin Prado (2016) for the second-most hits by a Marlins player through their first 20 gms of a season in club history, trailing only Dee Gordon (34 hits in 2015). His batting avg. is tops in club history through 20 games (min. 70 plate appearances).
• Has struck out just 4 times in 81 plate appearances (.049), the lowest mark in the Majors among quailfied batters.
PEN TALES
Overall this season, Marlins relievers have combined for a 1.15 WHIP, the second-best mark in the NL. Dating back to Apr. 11 at PHI, the Marlins bullpen ranks first in the National League with a 0.92 WHIP and their 2.77 ERA (48.2/15) is fourth-best in the league. RHP Dylan Floro has allowed just 4 baserunners (2 H and 2 BB) in 9 scoreless appearances (10.1 innings) with 10 strikeouts in 2023. Dating back to July 3 of last season, has posted a 1.43 ERA (46.0/7) with 51 strikeouts. 41 of 46 appearances have been scoreless.
• LHP Andrew Nardi, since April 7, has stranded 8 of 8 inherited runners and has not allowed a hit in his last 7 outings (7.0 IP), with 9 K.
• LHP A.J. Puk has four saves in four chances. Has held opponents scoreless in his last 6 appearances with 6 strikeouts and 4 hits allowed.
GREAT WHEN LATE
The Marlins offense is batting .272 (68×250) in the seventh inning or later, the third-best mark in the Majors this season. 30 of Miami’s 72 runs scored this year (41.7%) have come in these final three innings, including 8 of the club’s combined 21 home runs.
DANCING ON A THIN LINE
Through 23 games this season, Miami is 12-0 when limiting opponents to 4 runs or less and has gone 0-11 when allowing 5 or more runs.
CUBANO GIGANTE
OF/DH Jorge Soler has already collected 8 doubles and 5 HR in his first 21 games of the year. His 13 XBH are tied for fourth-most in the National League, behind J.D. Martinez’s (15), Patrick Wisdom (14), and Brandon Marsh (14).
• Compiled a stretch of 10 consecutive hits going for extra bases from March 31-April 19 which tied Giancarlo Stanton (2010) for the second longest such streack in franchsie history behind Todd Hollandsworth (11, April 25-May 10, 2003)
• 4 of his 5 HRs in ‘23 have tied the game or given the Marlins the lead; the Marlins are 4-0 when he homers.
TURNING THE TRENDING TIDE
The Marlins are 6-0 in one-run games in 2023, marking the most consecutive wins in games decided by one run to start a season in franchise history. Join Mlwaukee (5-0) and Tampa Bay (3-0) as the only teams yet to lose a one-run game this season.
• Miami played 64 games decided by one run in 2022, the most such games in the Majors last season. Miami’s 40 one-run losses were the most in a season in club history, the most since the 1975 Astros (41), and just three shy of the single-season record for one-run losses during the Live Ball Era (since 1920) held by the 1968 White Sox (44).
FAMILIAR FOES
This series ends a stretch in which Miami plays 10 straight games (3 vs. SF, 3 at CLE, 4 at ATL) against the three franchises they faced in the 1997 Postseason, en route to the club’s first World Series win. The Florida Marlins swept the San Francisco Giants, 3-0, in the NLDS and won 4 of 6 games against the NL East Division Champion Atlanta Braves before advancing to the Fall Classic where they won their first ring in a dramatic extra-inning affair in Game 7 on October 26, 1997.
TODAY’S STARTER – #78 BRYAN HOEING
• Bryan Hoeing, 26, Bryan Hoeing, ranked by MLB Pipeline as Miami’s No. 30 prospect, made 8 appearances (1 start) with Miami in 2022 after making his Major League debut and first career start on Aug. 20 at Los Angeles-NL. Allowed 7 runs on 8 hits in 3.0 innings.
• Recorded his first career win on Sept. 12 (G2 of DH) vs. Texas.
• Allowed 17 earned runs in 12.2 innings (12.08 ERA) with 5 walks and 6 strikeouts across three stints in the Majors.
• In 22 Minor League appearances (21 starts) between Double-A Pensacola and Triple-A Jacksonville during the 2022 season, combined to go 9-6 with a 4.06 ERA (119.2 IP/54 ER) with 39 walks and 75 strikeouts.
• During 2021, Bryan ranked 2nd in system in BB/9 (1.79) among qualified pitchers and had the 2nd highest ground ball pct. (55.7%) in Marlins system.
• Bryan Jerome Hoeing was selected in the 7th round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Louisville. Held a 3.24 ERA in 57 appearances in three years at Louisville.
• In his first professional season, made 9 appearances in relief for Short-Season Class-A Batavia. Went 0-2 with a 4.43 ERA (22.1 IP/11 ER) with 5 walks and 17 strikeouts and held batters to a .295 avg.
ATLANTA BRAVES NOTES:
ROSTER MOVES –
The Braves today returned RHP Collin McHugh from his rehabilitation assignment and reinstated him from the injured list, while LHP Danny Young was optioned to Gwinnett following last night’s game. Additionally, the club today placed OF Eli White on the paternity list and recalled OF Nick Solak to Atlanta. McHugh was placed on the IL on April 6 with right shoulder inflammation and missed 17 games. He compiled 2.0 bWAR for the Braves last season, his first with the club, the most bWAR by any member of Atlanta’s bullpen last year.
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Braves and Marlins tonight continue a four-game series in what is the second of 13 games between the teams this season…The two will meet again just five days after the conclusion of this series, May 2 in Miami.
• The Braves blanked the Marlins, 11-0, last night to win the opener.
• Atlanta went 13-6 against Miami last season, including wins in nine of their final 11 games between the clubs…The Braves beat Miami, 2-1,
on October 4 in the penultimate game of the season to clinch the NL East division title.
• Atlanta has won the season set against Miami for eight consecutive years, dating to 2015…Moreover, the Braves have won double-digit games over the Marlins in 17 of the last 19 full seasons…They went 9-10 in 2014 and 8-10 in 2009…Since 2015, the Braves are 91-51 (.641) against Miami.
• Since Truist Park opened in 2017, Atlanta has played to a 38-17 (.691) record against Miami in this building…The Marlins’ .309 winning percentage in that span is second lowest in baseball among teams with at least five games played here, better than just Pittsburgh (4-15, .211).
• RH Charlie Morton has made 21 career starts against Miami and is 11-5 with a 3.96 ERA (54 ER/122.2 IP) and 115 strikeouts versus the Marlins…He pitched against them twice last year, going a perfect 2-0 with a 3.27 ERA (4 ER/11.0 IP)…The right-hander has more wins (11), innings pitched (122.2) and strikeouts (115) against Miami than any team in baseball, and with his start tonight will have faced Miami more than any other team.
• RH Bryan Hoeing has never started against Atlanta, but made a pair of relief appearances against the Braves in his debut season last year…The 6-foot6, 210-pound right-hander allowed two hits and three runs in the appearances…Tonight marks his season debut for the Marlins, and he has gone 0-0 with a 2.08 ERA (4 ER/17.1 IP) in four appearances, three starts, for their Triple-A affiliate.
WIN: Atlanta shut out Miami, 11-0, last night to win the opener and snap a season high-tying four-game losing streak…The Braves hit five homers in the game, including two by OF Sam Hilliard.
• The victory snapped Atlanta’s four-game skid, and prevented the club’s first losing streak of five-or-more games since 2017…The Braves are the only team in baseball yet to lose five games in a row since the start of the 2018 season.
• The Braves plated a season-high 11 runs, eight of which came via homer…Last night was Atlanta’s second game with at least five home runs this season, also doing so on April 14 at Kansas City… San Francisco is the only other team with multiple five-homer games this season.
• The win also marked the Braves’ second shutout win of the season, the other being a 2-0 win over San Diego on April 17.
WINS VERSUS MIAMI: Last night’s victory over Miami marked the 300th win for Atlanta over the Marlins since the club was founded in 1993…Atlanta is 300-201 (.599) all-time against the franchise.
• Atlanta’s 300 wins versus Miami since the start of 1993 are its most against any one team in baseball… The Braves have 285 wins against the Nationals, 281 wins versus the Mets and 264 wins against Philladelphia in that span.
• Since 1993, only one MLB club has beaten another club more times than Atlanta has beaten Miami… The New York Yankees have beaten the Baltimore Orioles 310 times since that year.
• Chipper Jones ranks first all-time with 166 RBI against Miami…The next-closest player, Chase Utley, has 128…Jones still ranks second in hits (259) and runs (154) against the club, while ranking third in home runs (40).
• Greg Maddux (19) and Tom Glavine (17) have won the second- and third-most games against the Marlins all-time, while John Smoltz and Tim Hudson have tied for fifth-most, with 15.
• Research courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau.
SAM HILLIARD: Went 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs last night, and is batting .333/.412/.622 in 45 at-bats this season…His three home runs this season have already surpassed the two he collected in 174 at-bats last year.
• Among players in baseball this season with at least 45 at-bats, Hilliard’s 1.034 OPS ranks 11th in the sport, including seventh in the National League.
• Hilliard’s two home runs marked his second career multi-homer effort, and his first since September 18, 2019 against New York (NL) while with Colorado…He joined Matt Olson (April 1 at Washington) as the only Braves with multi-homer games this season.
• He stole second base after reaching base on a fielder’s choice in the second inning last night, and his four stolen bases on the year leave him one shy of matching his career-high, done twice (2021- 22)…He is the only Braves player with a home run and stolen base within a single game this season, and the first to do so since Robbie Grossman on September 9, 2022 at Seattle.
SEAN MURPHY: Opened the scoring for Atlanta last night with a solo home run in the third inning, and ended the night 3-for-5 with a pair of runs.
• Murphy leads all major league catchers outright in home runs (6), OPS (1.154), OBP (.449) and walks (15), and is tied for the lead in doubles (7) and RBI (16).
• Murphy did not hit his sixth home run last season until his 54th game on June 10…He is the third Braves catcher over the last 30 seasons, and the fifth instance, with at least six home runs prior to May 1, joining Evan Gattis (6, 2014) and Javy López (3 times: 8 in 1998, 6 in 1997, 6 in 1994).
Tonight’s Starting Pitcher – #50 Charlie Morton
Today’s Game
• Set to make his first start of the season against Miami and fifth on the year.
• Held San Diego to a solo home run over 6.0 innings pitched, scattering five hits and three walks while fanning five in his last start.
• In his age 39 season, Morton is the sixth-oldest active pitcher in the majors.
• Since the beginning of the 2021 season, Morton has struck out 260 hitters with his curveball, the most in the majors.
• He has thrown his curveball on 37.7% of pitches, the second highest rate in baseball among qualified starters.
• During that span hitters missing on 52.3% of curveballs thrown, the second highest rate in the majors…The MLB average is 12.6% (among QS).
• Only Chicago’s Drew Smyly’s throws a curveball more often (42.5%.)
2023 Recap
• Made his first start of the season against St. Louis.
• Only struck out one hitter through 5.1 innings pitched against the Cardinals, marking just the ninth time in his career Morton pitched at least 5.0 frames while failing to record at least two punchouts and the first since June 5, 2015 against Pittsburgh.
• Struck out San Diego’s Jake Croneworth on April 8 to record his 1,700th career punchout.
• Is one of 16 active pitchers in baseball with as many strikeouts.
