MIAMI MARLINS NOTES:
MARLINS MINUTE
The Marlins today conclude a three-game set at Washington, the final stop on a 3-city, 9-game, 11-day road trip. The first stop of the road trip saw Miami take 2 of 3 against the White Sox. The Marlins then traveled to Seattle, where the club dropped 2 of 3. Miami returns home for a 7-game homestand, with 3 games against the Toronto Blue Jays (June 19-21) and 4 games against the Pittsburgh Pirates (June 22-24).
FISH BYTES
- The Marlins are 4-0 in the final games of road trips this season.
- Miami is 19-18 on the road, winning 8 of the last 11 road games; on the season, the club has won 6 of 12 road series, three of the last four.
- The Marlins have won 11 of their last 13 games at loanDepot park; rank 3rd in the NL in win percentage (.618; 21-13) at home this season and rank 4th in wins at home.
UP THE RANKS
At 40-31, Miami has its second-best start to a season through the club’s first 71 games in club history. See chart to right for the top starts in Marlins history.
- The Marlins currently own the third-best record in the NL, behind only Atlanta and Arizona.
- Miami is 1 of 7 MLB teams to reach the 40-win plateau; the club did not reach 40 wins last season until July 8.
- The Marlins are 9 G over .500 for 1st time since July 31, 2016; have not been 10 G over .500
since May 28, 2011 (30-20).
DEAR DAD
The Marlins, who have never faced the Nationals on Father’s Day, are 14-15 all-time on Father’s Day. Miami has lost 6 of its last 10 dating back to the club’s move to Miami. The Marlins’ most consecutive Father’s Day wins occurred from 2008 to 2010 when they won 3 years in a row. In 6 NL East match-ups on Father’s Day, the Marlins are 1-5, with the lone win coming last year – June 19, 2022 at New York-NL. On that day, Sandy Alcantara allowed just 2 runs in 8.0 innings of work, struck out 8 batters, and earned the win. Jerar Encarnacion also hit a grand slam becoming the second Marlins player to hit a grand slam in his debut, joining Jeremy Hermida (Aug. 31, 2005). Encarnacion also became the first Dominican-born player to hit a grand slam in his debut and was also the first player since at least 1901 to hit a grand slam, steal a base, and record an outfield assist in his MLB debut. He was the ninth MLB player since 2000 to record a grand slam as his first hit.
YESTERDAY’S RECAP
Miami continues its success in the nation’s capital with another series win at Washington, with a 5-2 win over the Nationals. LHP Braxton Garrett (3-2) held Washington to 1 run on 4 hits and 1 walk, with 8 strikeouts, in 6.0 innings to pick up the win. LHP A.J. Puk shut the door with a scoreless 9th for his 9th save on the year. SS Joey Wendle recored the lone multi-hit effort for the Marlins, going 2×4, with 1 double. LF Bryan De La Cruz led the offense with 2 RBI.
TWO GOOD
LHP Braxton Garrett has held opponents to 2 or fewer runs in 10 of his 13 starts this season, which leads the Marlins rotation and is tied for the fourth-most in the National League this season (CHC’s Marcus Stroman leads with 13).
- Garrett is 1-1 with a 2.18 ERA (41.1 IP/10 ER) in 8 road starts this season, holding opponents to .628 OPS. He has held opponents to 4 runs or less in each road start, and 2 runs or less in 7 of the 8 outings.
- Since May 7, Garrett has gone 1-0 with a 2.13 ERA (38.0/9) over 7 starts, holding teams to a .184 average with a 0.87 WHIP. Over that span, he has held opponents to 2-or-fewer runs in 6 of the 7 outings.
PRESIDENTIAL RUN
The Marlins make their first visit of the season to the nation’s capital, having gone 8-2 at Nationals Park in 2022. Miami recorded 2 series sweeps at Washington last season – a 3-game sweep from April 26-28, and a 4-game sweep from July 1-4. In the first meeting between the clubs this season, the Marlins swept the Nationals in a 3-game set at loanDepot park on May 16-18.
LA REGADERA
2B Luis Arraez leads MLB with his .388 AVG (97×250), .440 OBP, and tied for 1st with 97 hits. Also leads MLB with 29 multi-hit games and tied for 2nd with 9 games of 3+ hits. Has struck out just 15 times in 276 PA (.055 K/PA), the lowest mark in MLB among qualifiers.
- Arraez is 1 of 5 non-U.S.-born MLB players (7th occurrence) all-time to post a batting average of .388 or higher through the first 66 games (in which the player registered at least 1 AB) of a season and the first since Tony Fernandez in 1999 (.405). • His .378 AVG marks the highest through a player’s first 66 games in Marlins history. The second-highest mark was set by Luis Castillo (.369) in 2000.
- Arraez recorded just 144 strikeouts in his first 450 career games since his debut in 2019. There have been only two players to debut since 1980 to strike out fewer than Arraez within their first 450 career games – Scott Bradley (110) and Terry Francona (119).
- Arraez snapped a 4-game hitless streak on Friday, going 5×5, with 3 singles and 1 home run. Had not gone hitless in more than 3 games since Aug. 25-30, 2021 when he failed to record a hit in 5 consecutive contests.
HIGH 5
With 5 hits in Friday’s game, 2B Luis Arraez…
- Tied a career high in hits (also, June 3, 2023 vs. Oakland).
- Joins Bo Bichette as the only 2 MLB players to record multiple games with 5-or-more hits this season; Bichette also has 2 games with 5 hits.
- Tied Juan Pierre for most 5-or-more hit games by a Marlins player in a season; Pierre also had 2 games with 5 hits in 2005.
- Tied with BAL’s Adley Rutschman for most 4+ hit games in MLB this season; the Marlins record for most 4+ hit games in a season is 5, done by Hanley Ramirez in 2007.
- Joined Jimmie Foxx (1933) as the only players since 1920 to record multiple 5-hit games, a 5-RBI game, a 3-double game, and a cycle in a single season. Foxx was named AL MVP in 1933. (courtesy of OptaSTATS)
TURNING 20
With a solo home run on Wednesday at Seattle, DH/OF Jorge Soler now has 20 home runs this season, becoming the 10th Marlins player (14th occurrence) to hit 20-or-more by the All-Star break. The last time a Marlins player reached the 20 home run mark in the first half was 2017, when Justin Bour (20), Marcell Ozuna (23), and Giancarlo Stanton (26) accomplished the feat. Mike Lowell owns the club record for most home runs before the All-Star break, with 28 in 2003.
- Soler ranks tied for 3rd in MLB in home runs, trailing LAA’s Shohei Ohtani (23) and NYM’s Pete Alonso (22).
TODAY’S STARTER – #44 JESUS LUZARDO
- Jesus Luzardo, 25, will make his 15th start of the 2023 season and sixth career start against the Washington Nationals today.
- In last start vs. WSH (May 16), pitched 6.0 innings, holding batters scoreless through the first 5.0 innings. Allowed just 1 run on 5 hits with 7 strikeouts as Jorge Soler hit a walk-off home run to defeat WSH 5-4.
- Last pitched at Nationals Park on Sept. 16, 2022, threw 6.0 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits. Struck out 6 batters and walked 1.
- In his most recent start on Monday, June 12 at SEA, pitched 4.0 innings, allowing 5 runs on 6 hits and 3 strikeouts.
- Leads Marlins starters in strikeouts with 89 SO.
- In 2023, is 3-3 with a 5.93 ERA (30.1 IP/20 ER) in 6 away starts with 34 strikeouts vs. 2-2 with a 3.04 ERA (47.1 IP/16 ER) with 55 strikeouts in 8 starts at home.
- 5 of 9 outings this year have been quality starts, the most among Marlins starters. In these outings is 2-1 with a 3.33 ERA (35.1/13 ER) with 36 strikeouts.
- Lefties are hitting .200 (13×65) vs. Luzardo in 2023 with 1 home run and a .547 OPS while right-handed batters are hitting .277 (65×235) with 9 home runs and an .830 OPS.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS NOTES:
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!
The Washington Nationals square off against the Miami Marlins on Father’s Day this afternoon…The Nationals own a three-game winning streak on Father’s Day dating to the 2019 season.
- Weston Corbin’s dad, Patrick, will toe the rubber for the Nationals…He also pitched on Father’s Day 2021, earning the win (6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB, 7 SO) in Washington’s 5-2 win over the New York Mets.
ALAYA AND ABIGAIL’S DAD
Jeimer Candelario leads National League third basemen in wins above replacement (2.2) and is tied for third with three defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs.com.
- His 21 doubles are the most among National League third basemen and are second in the National League overall.
- Candelario matched a Nationals record (2005-pres.) with three doubles on Friday night vs. Miami.
- Over the last 28 games, Candelario his hitting .320/.417/.592 with 12 doubles, two triples, four homers, 16 RBI, 13 walks and 18 runs scored…The 12 doubles are tied for second-most in Major League Baseball since May 15 behind teammate Lane Thomas (13).
- Candelario is 13-for-20 (.660) with seven doubles and a homer against the Marlins this season.
LEADOFF LANE
Lane Thomas is hitting .302/.344/.576 with 13 doubles, two triples, 10 homers, 23 RBI, 10 walks, four stolen bases and 33 runs scored since May 1.
- He ranks in the National League in extra-base hits (T2nd, 25), hits (T4th, 52), doubles (T5th, 13) and slugging percentage (11th, .576) since May 1.
- On the season, he ranks tied for seventh in the National League in hits (77) and ninth in runs scored (46).
- All of his team-leading 10 home runs have come since May 1.
- On defense, Thomas has recorded six outfield assists, tied for the most among National League outfielders.
JOSEPH’S DAD
Joey Meneses has reached safely in 30 of his last 33 games, hitting .331/.385/.438 with nine doubles, one triple, one homer, 25 RBI, 12 walks and 17 runs scored during the stretch.
- Meneses ranks in the National League in average with runners in scoring position (3rd, .441), hits (6th, 79) and batting average (7th, .297).
- Meneses is hitting .522 (24-for-46) against right-handed pitchers with runners in scoring position, the best mark in Major League Baseball ahead of Miami’s Luis Arraez (.447).
LEFT IS RIGHT
The Nationals rank third in the National League with a .345 on-base percentage against left-handed pitching…Their .285 batting average against lefties ranks third in the National League as well.
- Dominic Smith (T5th, .310) and Luis García (8th, .300) rank among National League left-handed hitters against lefthanded pitchers this season.
- Lane Thomas is tied for first in Major League Baseball with 31 hits off left-handed pitchers this season, and ranks in the National League in batting average (5th, .356) and slugging percentage (11th, .632).
CHECKIN’ IN ON THE ‘PEN
A few of Washington’s relievers find themselves among the best in baseball:
- Ava and Carl III’s dad, Carl Edwards Jr. (T4th, 13) and Hunter Harvey (T12th, 11) each rank in the top 12 in the National League in holds.
- Brayden, Carsen and Cooper’s dad, Kyle Finnegan is tied for sixth in the National League with 11 saves.
- In his last seven games, Mason Thompson has posted a 0.00 ERA (7.0 IP) with six strikeouts, two walks and a .208 opponents’ average (5-for-24)…All five hits have been singles.
- Jordan Weems has not allowed a hit in his last four relief appearances (0-for-15)…He has six strikeouts and just one walk in 5.0 innings across those outings.
STARTING PITCHER – #46 PATRICK CORBIN
Left-handed pitcher signed a six-year contract with the Nationals on Dec. 7, 2018…Was the winning pitcher in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series…Is a two-time National League All-Star (2018, 2013)… Has started at least 30 games for five consecutive full seasons (2017-19, 2021-22), joining Gerrit Cole as the only pitchers since 2017 to accomplish the feat.
LAST START
Allowed two earned runs on four hits, walked five hitters and struck out five through 5.0 innings of work on June 13 at Houston…He threw 4.0 scoreless innings before allowing two earned runs in the fifth inning.
vs. MIAMI
Is 5-6 with a 4.02 ERA in 17 career starts against the Marlins…Made two starts against the Marlins in 2022, going 0-1 with a 2.08 ERA.
THE SLIDE PIECE
Corbin’s signature slider has induced 74 swings and misses, fifth-most of any left-handed pitcher behind Clayton Kershaw (139), Reid Detmers (101), Jesús Luzardo (85) and Braxton Garrett (79).
- The slider ranks third among in MLB with a .170 opponents’ average (min. 100 PA).
DEUCES WILD
Corbin allowed exactly two earned runs in four starts from May 4 to May 20…He went 2-1 with a 2.88 ERA (8 ER/25.0 IP) with 13 strikeouts and one walk during this stretch.
BEST STRETCH
Corbin pitched to a 3.40 ERA (16 ER/42.1 IP) in seven starts from April 16 to May 20…He recorded 25 strikeouts and just four walks over this stretch.
1,500 STRIKEOUTS
With a strikeout of Jonathan Schoop on May 20 vs. Detroit, Corbin recorded his 1,500th career strikeout…He became the fourth Nationals pitcher to record 1,500 strikeouts in a Nationals uniform, joining Stephen Strasburg (2019), Gio Gonzalez (2017) and Max Scherzer (2015) per the Elias Sports Bureau.
- Corbin ranks 19th among active pitchers with 1,517 strikeouts, behind Carlos Carrasco (1,531)…He is one of 227 players in baseball history with at least 1,500 strikeouts.
APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT, FELLAS
Since joining the Nationals in 2019, Corbin is 30-4 with a 2.80 ERA in 38 starts when he throws at least 6.0 innings and receives at least three runs of support…The Nationals are 35-4 in those games.
