MIAMI MARLINS NOTES:
MARLINS MINUTE
The Marlins today play the final game of a three-game series at St. Louis. Wraps up a six-game road trip that opened in Baltimore with the Marlins suffering a three-game sweep. Following today’s game, the Marlins return home for an off day on Thursday followed by a three-game weekend series against the Rockies before they head back out on the road.
FISH BYTES
- The Marlins are tied for their 2nd-best start to a season through the club’s first 97 gms.
- Miami is tied for the 4th-most wins in NL, behind ATL (61), LAD (54), SF (54); t-7th most in MLB.
- Miami ranks 3rd in MLB with a .265 AVG trailing only TEX (.274) and ATL (.270). Ranked 27th last year. Last night’s loss was the 40th gm this season the Marlins collected 10+ hits in a game, 4th most in the Majors and second in the NL to only Atlanta (41). Had 43 such gms in 2022.
WINNING WAYS
Miami sits at 9 G over .500, five games shy of their season-high water 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 fell, 5-2, in 10 innings at Busch Stadium, suffering a walk-off loss. Had the leadoff runner on base in 7 innings, stranding 11 runners on base and going 1×14 with runners in scoring position. RHP Edward Cabrera held the Cardinals to 1 run on 2 hits (solo HR) in 5.0 innings. LHP A.J. Puk surrendered a 3-run walk-off home run. SS Jon Berti (3×4) tripled and scored twice.
SKID ROW
The Marlins have lost a season high-tying 5 straight games (also May 2-6). Will return home without a winning record on a road trip for just the second time all season (also April 22-27, 3-4 at Cleveland and Atlanta). Are looking to avoid being swept for the fourth time this season (2x vs. Atlanta and at Baltimore to start this trip). Have not gone winless on a trip of 6 or more games since back-to-back trips in August 2019 (0-6 at TB/NYM; and 0-6 at COL/ATL).
FISH IN THE LOU
The Marlins took 3 of 4 from the Cardinals in their visit to loanDepot park last month. Need a win today to secure their first winning season series against the Cardinals since 2016. Are 46-63 all-time in St. Louis, including a 21-31 mark at the current stadium.
ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF
OF Dane Myers (who was taken by the Marlins in the minor league phase of the 2022 Rule 5 Draft) has reached base safely in 8 of his first 11 career gms with 6 multi-hit contests, batting .400 (16×40) with 7 runs, 2 doubles, 1 HR, and 8 RBI. Is tied for the most hits by a Marlins player through his first 11 career games with Charles LeBlanc (2022) and Harold Ramirez (2019).
LA REGADERA
2B Luis Arraez leads MLB with his .376 AVG (132×351), .425 OBP, and 132 hits.
- Struck out twice last night, his first game with multiple K’s this season. Still, has struck out just 22 times in 381 PA in 2023, a .057 K/PA, the lowest mark in MLB among qualifiers.
- Is hitting .451 (32×71) with RISP, also the best mark among qualifiers.
- Marks the most hits and highest avg. by a Marlins player through his first 91 gms of a season.
- His 36 multi-hit games are tied for 3rd most in MLB. Has a Major League-most 13 games of at least 3 hits. Owns 6 games with at least 4 hits this year, most in the Majors and most ever by a Marlins player in a single season.
- Is one of only 6 batters since 1990 to hit .376 or higher through his team’s first 97 gms of a season, joining Nomar Garciaparra (.396, 2000), Larry Walker (.392, 1997), Tony Gwynn (.392 in 1997; .393 in 1994), John Olerud (.400 in 1993) and Andres Galarraga (.392, 1993).
SOLER POWER
DH/OF Jorge Soler ranks 5th in the NL with 24 HRs this season (tied for 7th 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, tied for 3rd most in MLB behind Shohei Ohtani (17) and Pete Alonso (16).
GOLDEN GLOVES
Marlins infielders have combined for a .988 fielding position in 2023, committing just 22 errors in 1,876 total chances. Ties Arizona for the 2nd-best fielding pct. by an infield in the Majors behind the Padres (.991).
- 2B Luis Arraez has committed just 2 errors in 364 chances – a .995 fielding % which is tops among MLB second basemen with at least 200.0 innings played at the position.
ON THE MOUND
The Marlins pitching staff leads the National League with 908 strikeouts. Miami starters combined to strike out 509 batters in the first half, 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 40x – only San Diego (41) and Tampa Bay (50) have recorded more such starts in 2023.
WHEN MIGGY COMES TO TOWN
The Marlins will celebrate the legacy of Miguel Cabrera – originally signed by the Marlins in 1999 out of Maracay, Venezuela – during the Tigers’ visit to loanDepot park July 28-30. The club will don their 1993 teal pinstripe throwback uniforms as part of the 2023 Flashback Friday series, and there will be a special pre-game ceremony that Friday (July 28) for Miggy. Fans should arrive early with ceremonies expected to start at 6:15 p.m.
TODAY’S STARTER – #22 SANDY ALCANTARA
- The reigning NL Cy Young Sandy Alcantara will make his sixth career start against the St. Louis Cardinals today. Will mark his 20th start of the season.
- Last faced St. Louis at Busch Stadium on June 29, 2022. Earned the win and recorded his fifth career complete game, allowing 2 runs on 7 hits with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts over a career-high 117 pitches.
- In his most recent start at Baltimore on July 14, allowed 2 runs on 8 hits and 1 walk over 6.0 innings. Struck out 5. Fell to 3-8 on the year.
- Has started four games this season following at least three straight Marlins losses. Miami has gone 2-1 in these starts with Sandy boasting a 1.56 ERA (23.0 IP/4 ER). Last occurred on May 24 at COL – earned the win, tossing 6.0 innings and allowing 2 runs on 4 hits.
- Is tied for fourth in MLB with 7 starts of 7.0+ IP (behind SF’s Logan Webb – 11, HOU’s Framber Valdez – 9, and ARI’s Zac Gallen – 8).
- Has 828.0 IP w/ Marlins (5th on Marlins all-time list behind A.J. Burnett – 853.2). Is just the sixth player with 800+ innings pitched as a Marlin.
- Through 19 starts in 2023 has a 3-8 record, with a 4.64 ERA (120.1/62), 99 SO, and 13 HR. Through 19 starts in 2022 had a 9-4 record, with a 1.76 ERA (138.1/27), 123 SO, and 6 HR.
- Left-handed batters are hitting .275 (65×236) vs. Alcantara in 2023 with 7 home runs and a .768 OPS while right-handed batters are hitting .238 (53×223) with 6 home runs and an .646OPS.
- In 2022, became the first Cy Young winner in Club history. Won Baseball Digest’s MLB Pitcher of the Year Award.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS NOTES:
RECENT REDBIRDS: The St. Louis Cardinals and visiting Miami Marlins play the finale of a their three-game series and seven-game season series today at Busch Stadium as the Cardinals conclude their six-game homestand … St. Louis took two-of-three from the Nationals last weekend to clinch its first season series win (4-2 record) against an NL team (3-0 at Boston; 2-1 vs. Yankees; 2-1 vs. Toronto), while also marking consecutive series wins at home (July 1-3 vs. Yankees) for the first time since May 15-21 vs. the Brewers and Dodgers.
REDBIRDS RISING: The Cardinals have climbed out of the NL Central basement for the first time since May 28 when they were last all alone in 4th place…The Cardinals have spent 80 of 108 days in last place on this season’s MLB schedule (April 26-May 19 & May 29-July 7) … This season is the Cardinals slowest start since 1995 when they were 39-56 (.411) after 95 games.
TIME TO FLY: The Cardinals have won four in a row (matching their season high, 3rd time) and seven of their last nine games since July 6 … St. Louis has won four straight home games for the first time since August 27-Sept. 4, 2022 … They’ve won three-straight series now, and with a win today, can post their first 5-game win streak since an 8-gamer last August.
FISH FRY: The Cardinals’ all-time .604 win pct. (131-86) vs. the Marlins (1993-present) is their 3rd-best against any opponent behind the Diamondbacks (.615, 104-65) and Royals (.607, 74-48) … Only the Braves (.604, 308-202) have fared as well against Miami since the Fish joined MLB as an expansion team in 1993 … The Cardinals have won 10 of their last 13 home games over the Marlins. (chart left) SIDE DISH: Fried fish is on the menu for lunch today in press dining – kid you not.
HOT CORNER HERO: Nolan Arenado continued his All-Star season with a 3-run walk-off homer last night, his 4th career game-ending blast and his first at Busch Stadium…Arenado’s exit stage left was the Cardinals first extra inning homer of the season and his 3rd career, the last coming for the Rockies in the 11th inning on August 5, 2018 at Milwaukee.
RBI GUY: Arenado upped his season RBI total to 71 last night, ranking 2nd in the NL to the Braves Matt Olson (77)…Arenado has chipped in a team-high 28 two-out RBI (T5th in NL), and last night’s showing was his team-leading 18th multi-RBI game…Arenado led the league in RBI in both 2016 (133) and 2015 (130) for the Rockies.
NOOT NEWS: Lars Nootbaar had his career-best 11-game hitting streak halted last night (0-for-4), but he did draw a 1st inning walk and has now reached base safely in 15 straight games since July 1, matching his career best on-base streak from last season.
FRESH CATCH: Lars Nootbaar had Dylan Carlson both made sliding/diving wed-gem catches in CF last night and on Monday, Major League Baseball named Jordan Walker’s run-saving diving catch in right field from last Saturday night against the Nationals as this week’s Electric Play of the Week presented by Chevrolet … Walker covered 93 feet while topping out at 29.3 ft/sec to make the head-first diving catch, which was the fastest that Walker has ran in any game this season…LF Alec Burleson had a home-run robbing grab over the left field wall to prevent a three-run blast on Saturday night.
JOJO’s CIRCUS: Lefty reliever JoJo Romero has been brillant since his call-up earlier this month, and last night he gained his 2nd career win, both coming in his six games this month….Romero had to wait 49 career games for his first career decision or save before getting his first big league W on July 9th…JoJo has allowed just one hit and fanned 9 over his last four appearances, covering 6.0 shut out innings.
CARDINALS “DEVIL” MAGIC: The Cardinals 926-669 (.581 win pct.) won-loss mark post All-Star break since 2000 is 2nd in MLB only to the New York Yankees (949-664, .588) … The Cardinals best post All-Star mark this century was a 51-24 (.680) run in 2004 … St. Louis has sported a winning record after the All-Star break in 19 of 22 seasons since 2000, including a 43-25 record last season (.632) that ranked 5th-best in MLB.
FAST BREAKS: The Cardinals best starts coming out of the All-Star break include an eight-game win streak in 1935 and a seven-gamer in 2010 … Their best 10-game mark coming out of the break was 9-1 in 1935 … Most recently, the 2015 Cardinals raced out to a 8-2 start after the break, while the 2022 Redbirds stumbled out of the gate 1-3 before winning nine of their next 10 games.
