The Miami Marlins are one win away from a sweep, and Sunday’s finale against the Washington Nationals will put the spotlight on Janson Junk.
Miami took the second game of the three-game series on Saturday and now has a chance to finish off its National League East rival with a third straight win. Junk gets the ball, and the Marlins need a steady outing from him if they want to close the door.
That’s been the issue with Junk this season: the consistency just hasn’t always been there. Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez are the top two arms in the rotation, but beyond that, Miami has been trying to piece things together. Manager Clayton McCullough is looking for Junk to step in and deliver a strong performance, get outs, and help the Marlins stay on track.
Junk’s most recent start came on Aug. 17 against the Philadelphia Phillies, when he worked five innings and gave up two runs on eight hits. He struck out two and walked two in that outing. His August ERA sits at 3.21, a number that’s serviceable but still leaves room for more.
Miami’s rotation has been a moving target. Right now it includes Alcantara, Perez, Junk, Ryan Gusto, and then other arms coming and going from the organization. The Marlins have also been without Max Meyer, one of their more reliable starters, and his stay on the injured list has been a long one.
The timing matters, too. The Marlins are still hanging around in the National League wild card race, and the games they’re playing as August winds down and September approaches carry real weight. They’re not being treated like a finished product, either - this is still a team testing pitching options and shuttling arms between the majors and Triple-A.
But if Miami wants to keep winning, especially with Meyer still out, Junk has to be part of the solution.
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Hutton arrived in Miami in 1997 after already building a broad resume that included work with the Expos, Yankees and Blue Jays, along with national telecasts. The tribute featured ceremonial first pitches and video messages, a fitting nod to a broadcaster whose presence helped bridge the franchises early years in South Florida with the fans who kept listening year after year. [Read more 🡒]