The Cubs have a chance to finish the job Sunday afternoon, and they’re doing it with a pitcher who’s been as steady as anyone in their rotation lately.
Chicago survived a tense finish Saturday before hanging on for a 6-1 win in the opener and taking the series lead over Miami. The Marlins made it interesting late.
Kyle Stowers cut into the margin with a seventh-inning homer, then Griffin Conine turned a strikeout into a walk to first base on a challenge in the ninth, putting the tying run on base. But Ryan Zeferjahn slammed the door by getting Otto Lopez to pop out.
Now the Cubs sit back in the top wild card spot, though only by a half-game, and they’d love to lock up the sweep before heading into another big series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Clay Holmes gets the ball for Chicago, and he’s been rolling since joining the Cubs. Through five starts, he owns a 1.55 ERA.
The Cubs have benefited from the infield defense behind him, but Holmes has also given them something they may not have fully expected: strikeouts. He has at least five in each of his last two outings, including a season-high eight against the Brewers.
Miami counters with Tyler Phillips, who moved into the rotation in June and has settled in well enough. He’s allowed two runs or fewer in four of his last five starts, and he’s coming off a 5.0-inning, one-hit performance against the Royals.
Still, Phillips has had trouble working deep into games, and his command can get away from him. His walk rate sits at 10.0 percent, and when he misses, opponents have made him pay. His sinker, in particular, has been a pitch teams have slugged well against.
Chicago’s lineup is mostly unchanged after back-to-back wins, with the only switch coming behind the plate. Carson Kelly is back in, replacing Miguel Amaya.
The Cubs have piled up 12 runs in the series and followed that with 13 hits Saturday. Amaya, Michael Conforto, Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ, and Michael Busch all had multi-hit games.
Pete Crow-Armstrong leads off in center, followed by Seiya Suzuki, Michael Busch, Alex Bregman, Ian Happ, Nico Hoerner, Pedro Ramírez, Michael Conforto, and Kelly.
Miami will send out Kyle Stowers, Griffin Conine, Owen Caissie, Jakob Marsee, Heriberto Hernández, Joe Mack, Otto Lopez, Graham Pauley, and Javier Sanoja.
In Other News...
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Jimenez did enough to stick around for a short look, but not enough to carve out a longer path in Miamis roster picture. The Marlins could have kept him by outrighting him to the minors, but instead chose the cleaner break, giving him a chance to find another organization and leaving Miami to keep sorting through its infield mix. [Read more 🡒]
Marlins Are Finally Honoring A 2003 Hero Fans Will Never Forget
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He spent five seasons with the Marlins from 2001 to 2005, going 41-34 with a 3.46 ERA, but his legacy in South Florida was built on the biggest stage. Becketts dominant playoff work, capped by World Series MVP honors, made him a name Marlins fans never really let go of. Sundays induction gives the franchise a chance to officially salute one of the heroes from its most cherished season. [Read more 🡒]
Marlins Just Gave Their Wild Card Push New Life
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The win also pulled Miami back to .500 and within 3 1/2 games of Arizona for the final National League wild-card spot, which is exactly the sort of margin that can make September feel a little less hopeless. For a team that needed a response after dropping the first two games, the bigger question now is whether this was just a needed reset or the start of a late push that still has some life left in it. [Read more 🡒]