Braves at Marlins
Mat Latos won 14 games three times in four seasons before elbow and knee injuries limited him to 16 starts in 2014, but the Coconut Creek, Fla., native starts his 2015 season close to home. The Miami Marlins acquired Latos in an offseason trade with Cincinnati and hand the right-hander the ball for Tuesday’s home contest against the Atlanta Braves.
Latos went 5-5 last season but provides a veteran presence for a young Miami team looking to contend in the National League East. The Braves edged Miami in the season opener Monday, winning 2-1 behind strong pitching. Atlanta, which spent the offseason jettisoning established talent to rebuild its bare farm system, shocked the baseball world Sunday evening by dealing closer Craig Kimbrel to San Diego. New closer Jason Grilli pitched a perfect ninth after Jim Johnson retired all four hitters he faced on Monday.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN South (Atlanta), FSN Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves LH Alex Wood (2014: 11-11, 2.78 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Mat Latos (2014: 5-5, 3.25)
Wood established himself as one of the better young left-handers in the National League last season, posting a 2.43 ERA and a .219 opponents batting average in 17 starts after returning from the minors in late June. Atlanta scored one run or fewer in eight of Wood’s 24 starts. Wood went 2-2 in five appearances (four starts) against Miami last season with a 3.07 ERA.
Latos pitched just 102 1/3 innings last season after averaging 199 1/3 innings and 31.8 starts the four previous seasons. The 27-year-old has never posted an ERA higher than 3.48 in five full seasons as a starter. Latos held the Braves to one run on nine hits in six innings in his only start against Atlanta last season and is 3-3 with a 3.28 ERA in eight career starts against the Braves.
WALK-OFFS
1. Wood struck out 12 Marlins in a 1-0 victory last Aug. 31 and fanned 11 in a 1-0 loss to Miami on April 22.
2. New Miami 2B Dee Gordon collected one hit in his Marlins debut, driving home Miami’s lone run with a third-inning single.
3. Atlanta 1B Freddie Freeman finished 1-for-4 with two strikeouts Monday; he hit .135 with 21 strikeouts in 74 at-bats against the Marlins last season.