SAN DIEGO PADRES NOTES:
Friars mount 5-run 9th inning, top Marlins 9-4 in series opener in Miami
- Last night, the Friars tied the game at 4-4 with a 2-run 7th inning, and in the 9th, they plated 5 to claim Game 1.
- Juan Soto reached base 4 times, and he logged a game-tying 7th inning RBI single…the Padres saw multiple hits from Soto, Xander Bogaerts, Matt Carpenter, and Trent Grisham, and the Friars combined to go 6-for-16 at the plate with RISP.
- Starter Ryan Weathers pitched just 4.0 IP with 3 runs allowed on 7 hits, and Nick Martinez was credited with the win.
Padres hope to win their 2nd series in their last 8
- San Diego snapped their 5 series losing streak in their 1st series this roadtrip against the Nationals (won the series 2-1), but after losing Sunday’s rubber game against the Yankees, they entered Miami having lost 6 of their last 7 series.
- This 11-day, 9-game roadtrip is the Padres 1st 3-series trip of 2023, and a win today would cement the series victory…they enter today’s game having won 4 of their 7 games so far since May 23. MLB to produce & distribute Padres games, starting today
- Last night, MLB announced it will take over production and distribution of all Padres locally distributed games starting today, Wednesday, May 31…the new arrangement, which gives fans the option to watch on television or stream digitally, will allow fans in the Padres home television territory to watch games on linear television listed as San Diego Padres on the following channels: DirecTV, AT&T U-verse, COX, Spectrum, and MLB.tv.
RISPY Business
- San Diego batters collected 6 hits last night with RISP, which were the most hits with RISP in a road game for the Padres this year…the 6 hits tied with their 6 on April 29 vs. the Giants in the Mexico City series, and their season high was 7 on May 1 vs. the Reds…in their last 5 games, SD has at least 1 hit with RISP (with a total of 13 hits with RISP in that time.
All-Star Ballots announced
- Today, the 2023 Scotts MLB All-Star Ballot launched, opening Phase 1 of this year’s All-Star voting…
during Phase 1, fans around can choose their starters until Thursday, June 22…they can vote as many as
5 times per every 24-hour period exclusively at MLB.com, on all 30 MLB club sites, and on the MLB app. - The 2023 All-Star games will be held on Tuesday, July 11th at T-Mobile Park…the 93rd Midsummer
Classic will be the 3rd to be hosted by the Mariners and the 2nd to take place at T-Mobile Park (2001).
STARTING PITCHER – BLAKE SNELL 4
Snell set for 5th career start vs. Marlins
30-year-old left-hander Blake Snell takes the mound for his staff-leading 11th start of the season, his 6th road start and the 5th of his career vs. the Marlins…he’s struck out 30 Marlins in his 21.0 career innings vs. the Fish…in his 2 starts at loanDepot Park, he is 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA (3 ER, 11.0 IP), 1.09 WHIP and .184 AVG against.
Snell doesn’t factor into comeback victory vs. Nationals last time out
Snell allowed a season-low 1 ER last Thursday at Nationals Park in SD’s 8-6 victory and exited after the 5th inning with a 5-1 advantage, but failed to earn his first winning decision since May 1 vs. CIN…it was his third homerless start of the season, and his 2nd in as many starts (also: May 12 @ LAD).
Snell’s run support average 7th-fewest in the NL
Snell’s 5 runs of support last Thursday @ WSH were the 2nd-most he’s received, behind only the 6 he got in his last winning decision on May 1 vs. CIN…in his 3 starts following his most recent win, he received a combined 3 runs of support…among all NL hurlers who have made at least 10 starts entering today, his 3.78 run support average (runs scored while he’s in the game) is 7th-fewest…digging deeper, among all qualifying NL pitchers since the start of 2022, his 4.10 RSA is 10th-fewest…the Padres are now 2-8 in his 10 outings, and his 6 losing decisions T-2nd most in the Majors.
Call him ‘Swing and Miss Snell’
Snell has caused opponents to swing and miss 31.4% of the time, 7th-highest swing and miss rate among all ML starters and 4th highest in the NL (min. 10 starts)…among all ML pitchers who have made at least 55 starts since 2021, which was Snell’s first season with the Padres, his 32.1 whiff % is the 4th-highest, trailing only Corbin Burnes (35.0%), Shane McClanahan (33.5%) and Dylan Cease (32.6%).
Quality stretch
Snell posted a streak of 3 consecutive quality starts from May 1-12, T-3rd longest streak of his career and tied for his longest as a Padre (also: Aug 25-Sept 7, 2021)…his longest quality start streak was 6 consecutive starts during his Cy Young 2018 season April 10-May 8.
Limit the free passes
Snell’s lone winning decision came in his only start this season with 0 walks on Mon, May 1 vs. CIN…it was the 12th time in his career he’s issued 0 walks across 6.0+ innings, and he is now 10-0 with a 1.29 ERA in such outings…it was his first career start vs. the Reds, leaving his former team, the Tampa Bay Rays, as the only team he is yet to square off against.
More on the walks
Snell has issued 3+ walks in 7 of his 10 starts so far this year, including 4 such starts in a ow from April 6-25…this season, he’s issued 31 BB to the 226 batters he’s faced across 50.0 IP…he has the 4th-highest BB/9 IP ratio (5.58) and 3rd highest BB/BFP (.137) – min. 10 starts.
MIAMI MARLINS NOTES:
MARLINS MINUTE
The Marlins tonight continue a nine-game homestand – matching their longest ‘stand of the year (also Sept. 15-24). Play the second of three games vs. San Diego tonight before taking on Oakland (3 gms) and Kansas City (3 gms). Are coming off a 5-5 road trip, which began by dropping two of three in San Francisco and three of four in Colorado before sweeping a three-game series in Anaheim over the weekend.
- Had Monday off, their first off day since May 15. Played a stretch of 13 straight days with games in which they went 8-5.
YESTERDAY’S RECAP
Miami dropped the series opener vs. San Diego, 9-5, after entering the ninth inning in a 4-4 tie. RHP Sandy Alcantara allowed a season-high 5 walks and surrendered 4 runs on 5 hits with 3 strikeouts over 6.1 innings. LF Bryan De La Cruz recorded his eighth 3-hit game including a 2-run homer in his first start out of the leadoff spot in the order. The Marlins offense strung together 10 hits and drew 8 walks but grounded into 3 inning-ending double plays, went 2×10 with runners in scoring position, and left 11 runners on base.
UP THE RANKS
At 28-27 through the club’s first 55 games, marks the latest in a non-shortened season the Marlins have owned a winning record since August of 2017.
SEND THE FISH TO THE SEA
Major League Baseball today launched the 2023 All-Star Ballot for the 2023 MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard, which will be held on Tuesday, July 11 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.
- Here are the Marlins’ nominees at their positions: Garrett Cooper (1B), Luis Arraez (2B), Jean Segura (3B), Jon Berti (SS), Jacob Stallings (C), Jorge Soler (DH), Bryan De La Cruz (OF), Jazz Chisholm Jr. (OF), and Avisail Garcia (OF).
PODER SOLER
DH/OF Jorge Soler homered in 5 straight games from Tuesday-Saturday, becoming just the second player in Marlins history to accomplish the feat behind only Giancarlo Stanton’s franchise record 6-game streak from Aug. 10-15, 2017. Matched the Cubs’ Christopher Morel and Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado for the longest streaks in MLB this season.
- Is tied for 2nd in MLB with 17 HR (trailing only Pete Alonso-20).
- Has hit an MLB-most 12 HR in the month of May, matching the franchise record for May held by Giancarlo Stanton (2012) and Dan Uggla (2008). Only one time in Marlins history has a player hit more homers in any month – Stanton, 18 HR in 2017. His 25 RBI in May are tied for the third most in club history (also, Marcell Ozuna, 2016).
- His 17 home runs are tied for the most by a Marlins player in the first 53 games played of a season with Giancarlo Stanton in 2015 and Gary Sheffield in 1996.
- Leads MLB with 9 HR vs. left-handed pitching; also ranks atop MLB in slugging (.958) and OPS (1.414) vs. LHP.
- Is tied for MLB lead and leads the NL with 9 go-ahead home runs in 2023 (NYY’s Aaron Judge also has 9).
DE LA CRUZIN’
OF Bryan De La Cruz recorded his eighth 3-hit effort of the season last night, the second-most among MLB players behind only Bo Bichette (9). Is batting .347 in the month of May (26 gms played) with 17 runs scored, 5 doubles, 5 HR, 14 RBI, and a .962 OPS. Has raised his batting avg. from .253 entering May to .301 for the season.
- De La Cruz’s 14 multi-hit games rank 2nd on the team, behind only Arraez’s 21.
- Has gone 17×46 (.348) against lefties this year vs. going 40×140 (.286) against right-handed pitching.
DO YOU LIKE PIÑA COLADAS?
1B Yuli Gurriel started 7 of 10 gms on the road trip and has reached safely in 9 of his last 10 starts, batting 14×35 (.400) with 4 runs, 1 double, 2 triples, 5 RBI and 8 walks dating back to May 13.
- Recorded triples in back-to-back games (6th inning at COL on 5/24, 3rd inning on 5/25 at COL), becoming the oldest player (38-350) to triple in consecutive games since CLE’s Kenny Lofton on 9/27-28, 2007. Marks first time in his career he’s tripled in back-to-back games, and the first Marlin to do so since Jazz Chisholm Jr. on April 15 & 17, 2022. Were just the sixth and seventh triples of his career and his first since Aug. 14, 2020, vs. Seattle. • On Friday, became the fourth-quickest Cuban-born player to reach 900 career hits, doing so in 831 games. Only Jose Abreu, Tony Oliva, and Rafael Palmeiro did so in fewer games than Gurriel.
IN A PINCH
The Marlins are 10×28 (.357) in pinch-hit at-bats in 2023, the second-highest avg. among MLB teams (WSH, 4×11, .364). Pinch hitters for Miami have 1 double, 1 triple, 2 home runs, 8 RBI, 2 walks, and a league-leading 1.079 OPS.
JESUS IS BACK
The Marlins returned from rehab and reinstated OF Jesus Sanchez from the IL (right hamstring strain) prior to yesterday’s game, where he reached on a pinch-hit single in the eighth inning and remained in the game playing right field.
- Prior to his injury, Sanchez had hit safely in 10 of his last 13 games between April 25 and May 12 including five multi-hit games, 7 doubles, 3 home runs, 10 RBI, and a 1.205 OPS in that span. Went 17×42 (.405) in the 13 gms.
MIAMI MARLIN, JONATHAN DAVIS
OF Jonathan Davis has hit safely in four of his first five starts with the Marlins since being acquired on May 22 from Detroit. Has gone 8×22 with 6 runs, 1 triple, 1 home run, and 3 walks through his first 5 starts.
- Davis went 3×4 with 2 runs and a 2-run HR in his first start Wednesday night in Colorado. Became just the eighth player in club history to record at least 3 hits in first start as a Marlin, and the first since JB Shuck’s 4×4 debut in 2018.
GOOD FIRST IMPRESSIONS
2B Luis Arraez leads MLB with his .376 batting avg. (70×186) and a .432 OBP, and is t-3rd with 70 hits. Is also tied for 3rd with 21 multi-hit gms. Has struck out 10x in 206 PA (.050 K/PA), the lowest mark in MLB among qualified batters.
- Is the highest avg. through a player’s first 50 gms to start a season since Cody Bellinger’s .391 avg. with the Dodgers in 2019.
- Only Dee Strange-Gordon (79 in 2015) has more hits for a Marlins player through his first 50 games of a season.
- Is batting a National League-best .389 (37×95) trailing only Aaron Judge (.406) for best avg. on the road this season. Has hit safely in 21 of 25 games away from Miami.
GREAT WHEN LATE
The Marlins’ offense ranks third in MLB with a .272 avg. in the seventh inning or later, behind only Houston (.275) and Toronto (.272).
TODAY’S STARTER – #29 BRAXTON GARRETT
- Braxton Garrett, 25, will make his third career start against San Diego and his 10th start (11 apps.) of the 2023 season. Owns a 6.10 ERA (10.1 IP/7 ER) with 14 strikeouts against SD.
- In his last start at San Diego on August 10, 2021, tossed 3.1 innings and allowed 8 hits, a season-high 5 runs, and finished with 4 strikeouts on 68 pitches (46 strikes).
- In his most recent start on Thursday, May 25 at Colorado, tossed 5.0 innings and allowed 2 runs, 6 hits, and 1 HR, on 3 strikeouts and 3 walks.
- In 17 career starts (18 apps.) at home, owns a 4.10 ERA (85.2 IP/39 ER) and has gone 3-7 with 99 strikeouts. In 18 starts away (19 apps.), is 3-5 with a 4.30 ERA (92.0 IP/44 ER) and 78 strikeouts.
- In 3 starts (4 apps.) at home this year, owns 7.50 ERA (18.0 IP/15 ER). In 6 starts away, owns a 2.70 ERA (30.0 IP /9 ER).
- Has allowed 2 runs or less in 7 of 9 starts.
- Career, RHB vs. Garrett: .288 AVG, .353 OBP, .830 OPS. LHB vs. Garrett: .239 AVG, .324 OBP, .639 OPS. Has allowed only 2 HR in 159 AB against lefties.
- Made 17 starts at the Major League level in 2022 after entering the year as the Marlins No. 11 prospect. Went 3-7 with a 3.58 ERA (88.0 IP/35 ER) with 24 walks, 90 strikeouts, and 9 home runs allowed.
