The Miami Marlins will try to record consecutive wins for the first time in two weeks when they play the second of a three-game road series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday. The Marlins won the opener 7-4 on Tuesday to snap a six-game skid, and they haven’t won two straight since May 22-23 at the New York Mets.
Four Miami relievers combined to retire the last 12 St. Louis batters of the game Tuesday, including Kyle Barraclough’s 11th consecutive scoreless outing. The bullpen might need to be at the ready again Wednesday with left-hander Wei-Yin Chen on the mound, as Chen has shown a tendency for early exits of late. The Cardinals hope to keep up their hot hitting against Chen – despite the loss Tuesday, they clubbed 12 hits, including three from slumping star Matt Carpenter. The loss was just the fourth in 10 games for St. Louis, which remained 3 1/2 games behind Milwaukee in the National League Central.
TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Miami), FS Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins LH Wei-Yin Chen (1-3, 6.10 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Jack Flaherty (2-1, 2.62)
Chen has put together several solid outings for the Marlins, but he has mixed in a few clunkers, and his last start certainly qualified as the latter. The 32-year-old from Taiwan lasted only 1 2/3 innings and was dinged for four runs in a loss at San Diego. Chen’s only start against the Cardinals came in 2016, when he allowed four runs over six innings in a no-decision.
It appeared Flaherty might be the odd man out when Alex Reyes returned to the rotation, but with Reyes back on the shelf, the 22-year-old gets another run. He has made the most of the opportunity thus far, but he’s coming off his worst start of the season after allowing four runs (three earned) in five innings in a no-decision against Pittsburgh. Flaherty has racked up 36 strikeouts against nine walks in 34 1/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. St. Louis OF Marcell Ozuna, who was acquired from Miami in the offseason, is 8-for-14 over his past four games.
2. Marlins 2B Starlin Castro is 9-for-30 during a seven-game hitting streak.
3. Miami 3B/RF Brian Anderson is 14-for-37 in 10 games against NL Central opponents this season.