Marlins at Cubs
The Miami Marlins have won four consecutive series after a rough start to the season and look to continue moving in a positive direction when they visit the slumping Chicago Cubs on Monday for the opener of their three-game set. J.T. Realmuto reached base four times and Starlin Castro knocked in three runs for the second straight game as the Marlins outlasted Cincinnati 8-5 on Sunday, improving to 8-3 in their last 11 contests after a 5-17 start.
“We talked early in the year about how I thought we were playing pretty good,” Miami manager Don Mattingly told reporters. “We were playing close games and finding ways to lose. Now, we’re finding ways to win. To get back into it, we have to do it like this - winning two out of three (in a series).” Jarlin Garcia looks to continue his strong start to the season when he takes the mound in the series opener against Kyle Hendricks, who is 2-1 with a 1.35 ERA in five career games against the Marlins. The Cubs have dropped a season-high five straight games after losing on a walk-off home run for the second straight day on Sunday as rival St. Louis posted a 4-3 victory. Javier Baez homered for the second straight contest to give Chicago the lead in the 14th inning before former Cub Dexter Fowler delivered a two-run shot in the bottom half to end it.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Miami), NBCS Chicago
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins LH Jarlin Garcia (1-0, 1.09 ERA) vs. Cubs RH Kyle Hendricks (2-2, 3.19)
Garcia has strung together four consecutive outstanding starts but has just one win to show for it despite allowing two runs and 10 hits over 23 innings in that span. The 25-year-old Dominican gave up one run and five hits with three strikeouts across six innings in a no-decision on Tuesday against Philadelphia. Garcia limited the Cubs to one hit over six scoreless frames of relief during his season debut on March 30 as Miami posted a 2-1 victory in 17 innings.
Hendricks registered his fourth quality start in six outings on Tuesday but came away with the loss after permitting three runs on four hits and two walks in 7 2/3 innings against Colorado. The 28-year-old Dartmouth product served up three homers in that setback, and opponents have gone deep against him eight times in 36 2/3 frames this season. Castro is 3-for-6 lifetime versus Hendricks, who held Miami to one run on four hits and three walks over six innings in a no-decision on March 30.
WALK-OFFS
1. Chicago 3B Kris Bryant has hit safely in six straight games after homering on Sunday but is just 6-for-37 over his last 10 contests.
2. Realmuto, who went 2-for-4 on Sunday, has hit safely in 14 of his 16 games this season.
3. The teams split a four-game series in Miami to open the season, playing a total of 36 innings in the last three contests.