Marlins vs. Mets: What to Watch in the Final Series Before the Trade Deadline
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And just like that, the vibes are high in Miami once again. The Marlins finally fished themselves out of a dreadful 12-game losing streak and swept the high and mighty Philadelphia Phillies. It took a three-run ninth-inning comeback, a Sandy Alcantara gem, and two consecutive Pete Fairbanks saves, but the Marlins are back in business.
This weekend, the Fighting Fish go to New York to take on the Mets for the first time since the two teams swept each other in consecutive matchups in late May.
The four-game set kicks off on Thursday at 7:10 p.m. Eury Perez (5-8, 3.56) is expected to face Nolan McLean (7-7, 3.32) at Citi Field. The Mets enter the series with a woeful record of 17 games under .500 and 11 games out of a playoff spot. Miami is one game above .500, and just two games out of a playoff spot.
The All-Important Final Series Before Deadline Looms Large for Fish
Over a few dozen at-bats, none of the active Mets hitters have found much success against Perez, other than that of Bo Bichette, who owns a .875 OPS over eight at-bats.
Perez has enjoyed the best season of his young career thus far, especially since he returned from the injured list in late June. He owns a 1.73 ERA this month and hasn't allowed more than three runs in any of his last eight outings. A pitch that has fed his success is the slider, which has devastated hitters all year. It's held batters to a .154 average and has a 42.7 whiff rate.
For McLean, it hasn't been all sunshine and roses for the rookie, but he's pitched well overall. After a disastrous May in which he owned a 6.10 ERA, he's been fantastic. He's allowed more than two runs once since May 25, and owns a 1.50 ERA this month.
In his only outing against the Marlins, he allowed one run on two hits and walked five over five innings of work on May 31. Owen Caissie picked up the lone two hits against the starter, but he's now on the injured list.
Miami must continue its success into the final series before the trade deadline on August 3. In a season that's been full of rollercoaster rides that are seemingly non-stop, the Marlins have positioned themselves well entering August. Regardless, this series looms large in determining the true outcome of Miami's deadline decisions.
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Jeffrey is a sports writer located in Louisville, Kentucky, with a passion for sports, writing, and storytelling. He has hundreds of published articles across various platforms, including Kentucky Today, The Baptist Courier, FanSided, and more. Jeffrey is a senior at Indiana University Southeast pursuing a B.S. in Journalism/Media with a Minor in Writing. He has a beautiful wife, dog, and firstborn child on the way.