WASHINGTON NATIONALS NOTES:
No team release available.
MIAMI MARLINS NOTES:
MARLINS MINUTE
The Marlins today play the first of three games against the Nationals to begin a five-game homestand that wraps up with two against the Rays on Tuesday and Wednesday. Miami is coming off an off-day on Thursday, following its final West Coast road trip of the year in which the club went 2-4 against the Dodgers and Padres.
FISH BYTES
- The Marlins offense has struck out a combined 1,022 times this year, the 6th-lowest total in MLB, behind Cleveland (897), Washington (909), Arizona (992), New York-NL (1,018), and Houston (1,019). The last time the Marlins ranked in the top 10 in the Majors in strikeouts was 2017 (10th).
- The Marlins pitching staff leads the National League with 1,200 strikeouts (3rd most in Majors behind Minnesota and Toronto).
- Miami ranks 3rd in the NL with a .259 batting average (8th in the Majors), behind Washington (.259) and Atlanta (.274) and ranks 4th in the NL with 1,126 hits.
PRESIDENTIAL RUN
The Marlins host the Nationals for a three-game set this weekend, playing seven of their next nine games against their divison foes. Miami has swept the Nationals in two series this year, going 6-0 in three games at loanDepot park and three at Nationals Park. Have taken eight of their last nine games against Washington and have a 21-4 record against them since the start of 2022.
- The Marlins are 52-49 against the Nationals all-time at loanDepot park and 258-245 overall.
WEDNESDAY’S RECAP
Miami was blanked in the series finale at San Diego, 4-0, marking the club’s 9th shutout loss of the season. RHP Sandy Alcantara suffered his 11th loss and allowed 4 earned runs on 7 hits over 6.2 innings, including a 2-run homer in the 6th inning. The Marlins mustered just 4 hits, with the lone extra-base hit coming off the bat of SS Joey Wendle (1×3, 1 2B). LHP A.J. Puk tossed 1.1 scoreless innings in relief with 1 strikeout.
BRAX ON THE ATTACK
LHP Braxton Garrett is tied for the National League lead with 12 starts in which he has allowed 1 or 0 earned runs (t-3rd in MLB). Garrett, who has set career highs in 2023 with his 24 starts (17), 128.0 innings pitched (88.0), and 132 strikeouts (90), owns a 4.54 ERA Post All-Star Break since posting a 3.70 ERA prior to the All-Star Break.
- Allowed 15 earned runs on 30 hits over 24.2 innings (5.47 ERA) in his first 5 starts coming out of the break. Has combined to allow 3 earned runs on 9 hits over 11.0 innings (2.45 ERA) in his last 2 starts against the Astros and Dodgers.
JAKE THE RAKE
3B Jake Burger snapped a career-long 13-game hitting streak on Wednesday at San Diego that began back on Aug. 8. Marked the second-longest hitting streak by a Marlin this season, one shy of Bryan De La Cruz’s 14-game hitting streak from May 4-20. Over this span, Burger hit .440 (22×50) with 6 doubles, 1 home run, and 9 RBI with 6 multi-hit games (includes three 3-hit efforts, tied for his career-high).
SOLER POWER
DH Jorge Soler ranks 5th in the National League with 33 home runs (7th in MLB). Marks the most home runs by a Marlin since 2017 (Ozuna – 37 & Stanton – 59) and is tied for the 8th-most homers in club history.
- His 14 home runs against left-handed pitchers lead the Majors and are one shy of the most for a Marlin in a single season, trailing only Giancarlo Stanton’s 15 home runs off lefties in 2017.
- Hit his 3rd career lead-off home run on Friday at the Dodgers and his first as a Marlin, also marking Miami’s first leadoff home run of 2023 (last, Jazz Chisholm Jr., June 10, 2022 at Houston). Became the 8th player in franchise history (18th occurrence) to go deep twice from the lead-off spot, and the first since Jazz Chisholm Jr. in that same game against the Astros.
- Recorded his 4th multi-HR game of the season (14th of his career) in the Friday night game at the Dodgers on Aug. 18 and his first since June 11 at Chicago-AL, becoming the 9th player in club history to have at least 4 multi-HR games in a single season and the first since Marcell Ozuna (4) and Giancarlo Stanton (10) in 2017.
FALSE STARTS
Miami has gone 16-25 in the first game of a series this year, dropping 10 of their last 13 series openers. Own a combined 46-35 record in games two and three.
ON DECK
Of Miami’s remaining 34 games, 17 are against teams currently in postseason position (50%).
BABY GOAT GOES HOLLYWOOD
Tomorrow’s starter and Marlins rookie Eury Perez struck out a career-high 10 batters during his last outing in Game 1 of the doubleheader at the Dodgers on Saturday, becoming the youngest pitcher (20-162) to record double-digit strikeouts in a game since Seattle’s Felix Hernandez (19-129) struck out 11 batters on Aug. 15, 2005 vs. the Royals.
- He became just the 8th Marlins pitcher (9th occurrence) to strike out 10+ Dodgers’ hitters in a game and the first since Sandy Alcantara struck out 10 in his complete game vs. LAD on Aug. 27, 2022 at loanDepot park. Perez is only the 2nd pitcher in Marlins history to accomplish the feat at Dodger Stadium, joining Trevor Richards on April 25, 2018.
TODAY’S STARTER – #29 BRAXTON GARRETT
- Braxton Garrett, 26, will make his 25th start (26th app.) of the season today. Marks his fifth career start against the Washington Nationals.
- Last faced Washington on June 17 at Nationals Park. Allowed 1 run on 4 hits and 1 walk with 8 strikeouts over 6.0 innings to record a win.
- In his most recent start at Los Angeles-NL on Aug. 19 (Game 2 of doubleheader), allowed 3 runs on 5 hits (2 home runs) with 6 strikeouts over 6.0 innings.
- The Marlins are 18-6 in Garrett’s starts this year, including 8 consecutive wins from May 31 – July 8 and 4 consecutive wins from July 28 – Aug. 14.
- Leads the National League with a 6.29 (132/21) K/BB ratio (min. 100.0 IP).
- Has allowed 3 runs of fewer in 8 of his last 10 starts. Has held opponents to 1 or 0 ER in 12 of his 24 starts; tied for first among NL starting pitchers.
- Career, RHB vs. Garrett: .276 AVG (211×764), .332 OBP, .794 OPS. LHB vs. Garrett: .230 AVG (54×235), .304 OBP, .636 OPS. Has allowed only 4 HR in 235 AB vs. LHB.
- In 12 starts (13 apps.) at loanDepot park this season, owns a 4.98 ERA (65.0/36) and has gone 3-2 with 69 strikeouts. In 11 starts away, is 4-2 with a 2.86 ERA (63.0/20) and 63 strikeouts.
- In 26 career starts (27 apps.) at loanDepot park, owns a 4.07 ERA (132.2/60) and has gone 6-8 with 151 strikeouts. In 24 starts away (25 apps.), is 6-6 with a 3.96 ERA (125.0/55) and 111 strikeouts.
