MIAMI MARLINS NOTES:
MARLINS MINUTE
The Marlins tonight play the second of four games at Nationals Park on this brief one-city road trip. Are coming off a 1-4 homestand vs. the Nationals (1-2) and Rays (0-2). Following this series, have Labor Day off before returning home for a quick one-series, three-game homestand vs. the Dodgers.
FISH BYTES
- The Marlins offense has struck out a combined 1,061 times this year, the 5th-lowest total in MLB and 3rd-lowest in the NL behind Washington (953) and Arizona (1,041). The last time the Marlins ranked in the top 10 in the Majors in fewest strikeouts was 2017 (10th). Miami ranks 3rd in the NL with a .258 batting average (7th in the Majors), behind Atlanta (.276) and Philadelphia (.261), and ranks 4th in the NL with 1,175 hits. The Marlins pitching staff ranks 2nd in the NL with 1,247 strikeouts (4th most in Majors behind MIN, TOR and ATL). Miami established a club record last year with 1,437 strikeouts. The Marlins have never led the NL in strikeouts in a season.
SEPTEMBER’S HERE
The Marlins enter Sept. with a .500 or better record for the 1st time in a full season since 2016 and 8th time in club history.
EXPANDING
With rosters expanding to 28 players today, the Marlins have added INF Xavier Edwards and RHP Goeff Hartlieb to the roster. Edwards was leading the International League with a .351 (130×370) average with Triple-A Jacksonville, collecting 80 runs, 14 doubles, and 7 home runs.
ARRAEZ AND SHINE
With two hits last night, 2B Luis Arraez increased his season hit total to 175, surpassing his previous career high (173 in 2022 with MIN). Arraez leads MLB with his .349 average. Is the second-highest average by a Marlin through his first 128 games of a season, trailing Hanley Ramirez (.358 in 2009). Is looking to record the 6th 200-hit season in franchise history.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Of the Marlins’ 28 remaining games, 16 are on the road (57.1%). The Marlins have fallen in 18 of their last 24 games away from Miami. However are 5-4 in their last 9 road contests.
LEFTIES ASSEMBLE
LHP Jesus Luzardo and LHP Braxton Garrett have combined to go 17-13 with a 3.73 ERA (289.1/120), both making a career-high starts and throwing a career-high innings. Both have held opponents to 1 or 0 earned runs in 13 of their starts this season – tied for the most such starts in MLB with SD’s Blake Snell, PIT’s Johan Oviedo, LAA’s Shohei Ohtani, and TOR’s Yusei Kikuchi. The Marlins are the only team to feature two starters with at least 13 starts of 1/0 ER.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
The Marlins are making their second visit of the year to the Nation’s Capital, having swept the previous three-game series here June 16-18. Dating back to their final visit to D.C. in 2021, Miami has won 15 of their last 18 games at Nationals Park.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Marlins pitching has surrendered just 52 first-inning runs this season – 5th fewest among Major League staffs. Their 1.18 combined WHIP in the first inning is lowest among all NL teams.
10 TIMES
Miami collected 13 hits in last night’s victory, their 50th game this season in which the team has collected at least 10 hits. Only Atlanta (60), St. Louis (53) and Philadelphia (52) have registered more such games this season among NL clubs. Miami had just 43 such games in all of 2022.
DUCKS ON THE POND
The Marlins are batting just .188 (62×329) with runners in scoring position since the All-Star break, tied for the lowest mark in the Majors. Batted .266 with RISP prior to the break, the 4th-highest such average in the National League.
GETTIN’ JAZZY
CF Jazz Chisholm Jr. is 1 home run away from recording 15 HR and 15 SB in th4 same season for the second time (also 2021). Would become the 6th player in franchise history with multiple 15/15 seasons, joining Cliff Floyd (3x), Derrek Lee (2x), Hanley Ramirez (5x), Gary Sheffield (2x), and Preston Wilson (3x).
CATCHING ON
C Jacob Stallings has doubled in his last 3 games, marking the third time in his career he has recorded at least 1 extra-base hit in 3 consecutive games (April 11-13, 2021 and July 5-10, 2021). Stallings has also caught 2 of 3 base-stealers in this same span of 3 games (Aug. 26-29).
BURGER KING
3B Jake Burger is batting .323 (32×99) with a .865 OPS in 26 games since joining the Marlins on Aug. 2. Has 7 doubles, 3 home runs, and 12 RBI in this span, reaching base safely in 23 of the 26 games with 8 multi-hit efforts. Has not committed an error in 66 total chances at third base in 219.0 innings since joining the Fish.
GREAT SCOTT
Marlins LHP Tanner Scott leads all NL relievers with 84 strikeouts (5th in MLB), 2nd most among all LH relievers behind Aroldis Chapman (91). • Is 6 strikeouts shy of his career-high 90 strikeouts in 2022 which rank as the 3rd-most strikeouts by a reliever in club history. Only Robb Nen (92, 1996) and Kyle Barraclough (113, 2016) have struck out more batters in relief.
PODER SOLER
DH Jorge Soler ranks 5th in the National League and tied for 6th in MLB with 35 home runs. Marks the most home runs by a Marlin since 2017 (Ozuna – 37 & Stanton – 59) and marks the 6th-most homers in a single season in club history. His 19 go-ahead homers lead MLB. Each of his last 5 home runs have given the Marlins a lead.
STARTING PITCHER – #39 EURY PEREZ
- Eury Rafael Perez, 20, will make his 16th career start today. Marks his third career start against the Washington Nationals. In his most recent start on Aug. 26 vs. Washington, allowed 1 unearned run on 3 hits and 1 walk over 6.0 innings while striking out 7. With his outing on Aug. 26 vs. Washington, became the youngest pitcher to make 4 starts of 6.0+ innings, 0 ER, and 3 hits or fewer since earned runs became official, passing Rube Bressler (3 such starts, 1914) and Charles Bender (3 such starts, 1904). Has allowed 0 earned runs (1 unearned run) on 5 hits with 17 strikeouts and 1 walk in his last 2 starts on Aug. 19 at LAD and Aug. 26 vs. WSH. With his career-high 10 strikeouts on Aug. 19 at LAD, became the youngest pitcher (20- 162) to record double-digit strikeouts in a game since Seattle’s Felix Hernandez (19-129) struck out 11 on Aug. 15, 2005 vs. Kansas City. His 2.68 ERA is the lowest among all rookie starters in MLB with at least 15 GS. Has struck out 90 batters through his first 15 MLB starts; the second-most by a Marlins rookie through the same amount of starts behind only Trevor Rogers (96). Earned his first MLB win on Thursday, May 18 vs. Washington, becoming the youngest pitcher in Club history to earn a win (20 years, 33 days). Threw 5.0 innings, struck out 6,
and allowed only 3 hits and 1 run. Made his Major League debut on May 12 vs. Cincinnati and became the youngest pitcher in Marlins history and youngest Dominican-born starting pitcher (20 yrs, 27 days). Pitched 4.2 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits with 7 strikeouts and 2 walks.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS NOTES:
OPPONENT – MIAMI MARLINS
The Nationals and Marlins will play 13 times this season (7 in D.C., 6 in MIA)…Trevor Williams (2nd rd., 2013) and Stone Garrett (8th rd., 2014) were drafted by the Marlins…Hunter Harvey’s dad, Brian, saved 45 games and was an All-Star for the Marlins in 1993, his first of three seasons with them (1993-95)…Bullpen coach Ricky Bones capped his 11-year MLB career with the Florida Marlins (2000-01)…Robert Garcia made his Major League debut with the Marlins earlier this season….Marlins first baseman Josh Bell spent two seasons (2021-22) in D.C
DISTRICT BASEBALL
The Washington Nationals continue their nine-game, 11-day homestand on Friday night against the Miami Marlins…Despite the loss on Thursday, the Nationals are 16-5 (.762) at home since July 8, the best home record in Major League Baseball since that date. In addition to the four-game series against Miami, this homestand includes series against the New York Mets (2 G) and Los Angeles Dodgers (3 G).
ROSTER MOVES
The Nationals selected the contract of outfielder Travis Blankenhorn and recalled right-handed pitcher Amos Willingham from Triple-A Rochester on Friday. Blankenhorn joins Washington after leading the organization in OPS (.877) and slugging percentage (.517) in 108 games with Triple-A Rochester. Willingham returns to Washington for the third time this season…He’s pitched to a 2.89 ERA (3 ER/9.1 IP) in six games since returning to Rochester on August 11.
WINNING WAYS
Since July 8, Washington is 28-19 (.596), the fourth-best record in the National League and the seventh-best record in Major League Baseball. The Nationals completed the month of August with a 17-11 record, their first winning month since June 2021 (19-9).
START ME UP
The Nationals have used just seven starting pitchers this season, tied with the Toronto Blue Jays for fewest in MLB…Washington is also the only team in baseball to have five pitchers make 20 or more starts…The fewest number of starting pitchers the Nationals (2005-pres.) have ever used in a season is eight (2012, 2014)… Washington matched a team record last season with 15.
MR. CARTER
Since returning to the Major Leagues for the first time since 2021, Carter Kieboom has hit safely in six of eight games, going 8-for-30 (.267) with a double, three homers, five RBI, one hit by pitch and four runs scored. Two of the three home runs were with the score tied at 0-0 and gave the Nationals the lead in games they would go on to win.
JOEY BATS
Joey Meneses is tied for fifth in the National League with 32 doubles, eighth with 145 hits and ninth with a .284 batting average…Additionally, he ranks seventh in the National League with a .361 average with runners in scoring position. He is 22-for-66 (.333) with seven doubles, 13 RBI, three walks and 11 runs scored in his last 17 games.
BORN TO RUN
Since being moved to the leadoff spot on July 7, CJ Abrams is hitting .271/.321/.422 with six doubles, a triple, seven homers, 16 RBI, nine walks, six hit by pitch, 27 stolen bases and 32 runs scored. His 27 stolen bases since moving to the leadoff spot on July 7 are the most in Major League Baseball ahead of Ronald Acuña Jr. (21)…On the season, he ranks third in the National League with 38 stolen bases. Of his 14 home runs this season, five have given the Nationals the lead at the time.
RUIZ IS RAKING
Keibert Ruiz leads National League catchers in average (.324), on-base percentage (.381), slugging percentage (.531) and is second in hits (47) since July 9. Ruiz is hitting .329/.396/.573 with five doubles, five homers, 16 RBI, eight walks and 13 runs scored over his last 22 games. He ranks fifth in the National League with a .363 average with runners in scoring position. Ruiz is 9-for-18 (.500) with two doubles, two homers and 11 RBI with RISP over his last nine games
STARTING PITCHER – #74 JAKE IRVIN
Tall right-handed starter was added to Washington’s 40-man roster following the 2022 season…Has the “Best Control” in Washington’s system, per Baseball America…Joins other University of Oklahoma pitchers Cade Cavalli (2020 Draft) and Jake Bennett (2022 Draft) in the Nationals organization….Is the 25th pitcher drafted/signed and developed by the Washington Nationals to start a game for Washington (2005-pres.).
LAST START
Allowed one earned on four hits, walked three and struck out three in 6.0 innings of work on August 26 at Miami…He took a no decision in the Nationals’ 3-2 victory.
vs. MIAMI
Is 0-0 with a 1.64 ERA (2 ER/ 11.0 IP) with seven strikeouts in two career appearances against the Marlins this season.
RECENCY BIAS
Irvin has pitched to a 2.54 ERA (8 ER/28.1 IP) with 24 strikeouts and just nine walks in his last five starts… Although he has not earned a decision, the Nationals are 4-1 in those five starts. Since having his turn in the rotation skipped in early June for rest, Irvin has pitched to a 3.64 ERA (29 ER/71.2 IP) with 61 strikeouts and 21 walks allowed in 13 starts.
FIRST MAJOR LEAGUE WIN
Earned his first Major League win on May 8 at San Francisco…Tossed 6.1 shutout innings with five strikeouts, three walks and four hits allowed…With the outing, Irvin became the first pitcher in Nationals history (2005- pres.) to finish one of his first two career starts with at least 6.0 scoreless innings.
THE STORY OF HIS CURVEBALL
As told to Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post: “To Irvin, baseball was more about having fun than plotting a future. He learned his curveball grip by messing around in the backyard. He honed the pitch by throwing it from shortstop to first base during practice, a way of messing with his teammates.” Opposing batters are 22-for-116 (.190) with 33 strikeouts against his curveball.
