MIAMI MARLINS NOTES:
MARLINS MINUTE
The Marlins tonight play the second game of a three-game series at Baltimore in their first action after the All-Star break. Their 6-game trip continues on Monday with the start of a three-game set in St. Louis. Are coming off the second-best first-half winning percentage in franchise history (.571) that concluded with the Fish winning three of four against the Cardinals and taking two of three from the Phillies during their final homestand before the break.
FISH BYTES
- The Marlins are off to their second-best start to a season through the club’s first 93 gms.
- Miami has the second-most wins in the NL, behind Atlanta (61); tied for 4th most in MLB.
- Have won 5 of their last 8, 10 of their last 16, and 15 of their last 24. • Miami ranks 4th in MLB with a .264 AVG trailing only Texas (.276), Atlanta (.271), and Boston (.265). Ranked 27th last year.
WINNING WAYS
Miami sits at 13 G over .500, one shy of their season-high mark. This year is just the 3rd season the Marlins have been at least 14 games over .500 at any point (also ’97 – finished 22 games over; and ’03 – finished 20 games over).
YESTERDAY’S RECAP
Miami dropped the series opener at Camden Yards, 5-2. RHP Sandy Alcantara suffered the loss, allowing 3 runs on 8 hits, including a pair of solo HRs in the 4th. RF Jesus Sanchez (2×4) recorded the Marlins’ only multi-hit game. DH Jorge Soler (1×4) hit his 24th homer – a solo shot in the 8th to pull the Marlins within a run.
O TOWN
The Marlins are 28-11 (.718) all-time against Baltimore, the club’s highest winning pct. against any team. Own a 14-8 (.636) mark at Oriole Park, winning 7 of their last 10 in Charm City since the start of 2018. The .636 winning pct at Camden Yards marks their highest winning percentage at any opponent’s ballpark.
SATURDAY NIGHT’S ALL RIGHT
The Marlins are 11-5 (.688) in Saturday games this season – their most wins for any day of the week.
FISH IN THE SEA
Miami sent two players to Seattle for the Midsummer Classic, the second straight year the club sent more than one player to the All-Star Game, as the National League took home their first ASG victory since 2012, 3-2, over the AL.
- 2B Luis Arraez started at second base for the NL, going 2×2 with hits on the first pitch he saw in each of his at-bats, including a game-tying RBI single in the fourth inning. He became just the fourth player in Marlins’ history to record multiple hits in the All-Star Game, joining Hanley Ramirez (2008), Mike Lowell (2002), and Gary Sheffield (1993).
- DH/OF Jorge Soler entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the sixth, reaching on an error in his only plate appearance.
305 ON THE RISE
The Marlins selected 21 players in the 2023 MLB First-Year Player Draft: 14 pitchers, 4 outfielders, 2 infielders, and 1 two-way player (OF/RHP), highlighted by the No. 10 overall selection RHP Noble Meyer out of Jesuit HS (Ore.).
- Meyer, 18, was named the 2022-2023 Gatorade Oregon Baseball POTY, leading his team to the state title with a 10-1 record, 0.33 ERA, 128 strikeouts, and 19 walks over 63.0 innings. At 6’5″ out of West Linn, Ore. was ranked No. 7 overall by Baseball America, No. 8 by MLB Pipeline, No. 9 by ESPN.com, and was the top-rated prep pitcher in the draft.
- Miami selected LHP Thomas White out of Phillips Academy (Mass.) with the 35th overall pick and 1B Kemp Alderman from the University of Mississippi with their second-round (47th overall) pick.
- The Marlins today signed 13 of their 2023 draft picks: LHP Emmett Olson (4th round pick), RHP Andrew Lindsey (5th), OF Jake DeLeo (6th), LHP Justin Storm (7th), RHP Nicholas Maldonado (8th), OF Colby Shade (9th), RHP Xavier Meachem (10th), LHP Jack Sellinger (14th), RHP Nigel Belgrave (15th), LHP Kevin Vaupel (16th), OF Mark Coley (17th), SS John Olmstead (19th) and OF Ryan Ignalfo (20th); along with undrafted free agents 1B Angelo DiSpigna and 3B Antonio Bullard.
BRAX ATTACKS
LHP Braxton Garrett is undefeated in his last 11 overall starts. Away from Miami, he owns a 2.14 ERA (46.1/11) over 9 starts – the lowest for any pitcher with at least 7 road starts in 2023. Has held opponents to 2 runs or less in 8 of his 9 road starts this year.
INTER-STELLAR
The Marlins are 20-8 (.714) in Interleague play this year, the highest such winning pct. among MLB teams. Miami’s winning percentage this year is the second-best in club history, behind the 1997 team that went 12-3 (.800) vs, the AL. Heading into this season, the Marlins owned a 103-148 record in Interleague play dating back to 2010, which ranked as the worst in MLB.
LA REGADERA
2B Luis Arraez leads MLB with his .380 AVG (126×332), .432 OBP, and 126 hits. Has struck out just 19x in 366 PA, a .052 K/PA, the lowest mark in MLB among qualifiers. Is hitting .462 (30×65) with RISP, also the best mark among qualifiers.
- His 35 multi-hit games are tied for 2nd most in MLB and came one shy of the club record for most multi-hit games prior to the All-Star Break set by Miguel Cabrera in 2006.
- His .383 AVG at the All-Star Break was the highest by any Major Leaguer since 2000 (Darin Erstad, .384 and Todd Helton, .383).
- Marks the most hits and highest average by a Marlins player through his first 87 gamesof a season.
SOLER POWER
DH/OF Jorge Soler ranks 4th in the NL with 24 HRs this season (tied for 6th in the Majors). His 23 homers before the break marked the most home runs by a Marlins player prior to the All-Star break since 2017 – Marcell Ozuna (23) and Giancarlo Stanton (26). Mike Lowell owns the club record for most home runs before the All-Star break, with 28 in 2003.
- 13 of his 24 homers (54%) have tied the game or given the Marlins the lead. Has hit 15 HR on the road in 2023, third most in MLB behind Shohei Ohtani (17) and Pete Alonso (16).
ON THE MOUND
The Marlins pitching staff leads the National League with 874 strikeouts. The staff broke a couple first-half Marlins records: starters combined to strike out 509 batters, the most in club history prior to the All-Star Break. Relievers combined to strike out 359 batters, good for the second-most prior to the Break in club history (365 in 2018).
- Marlins starters have combined to limit opponents to 1 or 0 earned runs 39x – matches San Diego for the most such starts by an NL staff in 2023
TODAY’S STARTER – #29 BRAXTON GARRETT
- Braxton Garrett, 25, will make his first career start against the Baltimore Orioles and 18th start (19th app.) of the season tomorrow.
- In 4 starts vs. Interleague teams this season, has gone 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA (21.0/6). Is 2-2 with a 4.04 ERA (71.1/32) against NL opponents.
- In his last start before the All-Star Break vs. Philadelphia on July 8, earned the win, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits over 5.0 innings. Struck out 3 and did not record a walk. Marked his 11th straight start without taking a loss, dating back to May 14.
- Leads all NL starting pitchers with a 6.73 (101/15) K/BB ratio.
- Has allowed 3 or less runs in 9 of his last 10 starts. Has held opponents to 1 or 0 ER in 10 of his 17 starts; ranks first among NL starting pitchers.
- Dating back to May 14, the Marlins have won 10 of his last 11 starts including 8 consecutive. Has posted a 2.52 ERA (60.2/17) in this span holding opponents to a .200 AVG (44×220).
- Finished June with a 3-0 record and a 2.22 ERA (28.1/7), walking just 3 batters while striking out 38 in 5 starts and posting a 0.78 WHIP. The only two players in Club history to finish the month of June with a lower WHIP (min. 25.0 IP) were Jose Fernandez in 2016 (0.70) and Brad Penny in 2001 (0.73).
- Career, RHB vs. Garrett: .272 AVG (178×654), .332 OBP, .783 OPS. LHB vs. Garrett: .238 AVG (48×202), .309 OBP, .656 OPS. Has allowed only 4 HR in 202 AB vs. LHB.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES NOTES:
No team release available.
