With the Atlanta Braves running away with the Nationally League East divisional race, the Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies find themselves in the thick of the National League Wild Card race and start a series in South Beach on Friday.
Philadelphia Phillies (-125, 7) vs. Miami Marlins
Reigning Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara gets the start for the Marlins, and shockingly has been one of the team’s weak links this season, entering having allowed at least four runs in seven of his last 10 starts.
After posting a 2.38 ERA with 8.1 strikeouts and two walks per nine innings last season, he’s been worse in nearly every category this season with a 4.93 ERA with 7.4 strikeouts and 2.8 walks per nine innings with hitters posting a .281 batting average with a home run every 20 at-bats when facing him for a third or fourth time during a game.
Phillies starter Zack Wheeler also enters in rough form, having allowed nine runs across his past two starts and has had issues on the road each of the past two seasons, posting a 3.90 road ERA compared to a 2.74 ERA at home.
Wheeler is facing the Marlins at the wrong time as the team overall this season is averaging just 4.2 runs per game, but entering Thursday was averaging 6.4 runs per game across their last 16 home games, and overall for the season had a .278 hold batting average entering Thursday, the second-best mark in the National League.
Just like the Marlins are hitting at home, the Phillies are hitting on the road with a .261 road batting average this season; which is fifth in the league and at least four runs in 13 of their last 22 games overall, averaging 5.4 runs per game in that span.
With just one of Alcantara’s past eight starts having gone under the total and the Marlins 20th in the league in bullpen ERA this season, runs should be plentiful in Miami on Friday.
The Play: Phillies vs. Marlins Over 7
