Marlins at Braves
The Miami Marlins are off to a solid start while contending in the National League East, but have yet to find a way to beat the NL’s worst team in their first four meetings. The Marlins hope to end that drought when they visit the struggling Atlanta Braves in the middle contest of a three-game series on Saturday afternoon.
The Marlins coughed up a two-run lead and fell 4-2 at Atlanta on Friday for their fourth consecutive defeat against the Braves this season. Miami’s Marcell Ozuna has hit safely in nine straight games and boasts multiple hits in five in a row, but Jeff Francoeur went 4-for-5 with an RBI Friday to help the Braves end a four-game losing streak. Nick Markakis snapped out of a 0-for-16 slump over a five-game span with two hits and two RBIs in the series opener for Atlanta, which has won just three of 23 home games. The Braves hope to match the 14-hit attack they produced on Friday night.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Miami), FSN Southeast (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins LH Wei-Yin Chen (3-2, 4.61 ERA) vs. Braves RH Aaron Blair (0-3, 7.59)
Chen has won three of his last four decisions, but struggled last time out when he allowed five runs on nine hits over 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision against Tampa Bay. The Taiwan native yielded two runs on four hits in 6 1/3 innings against Atlanta on April 15 without being involved in the decision. Erick Aybar, who left Friday’s game with a foot injury, is 3-for-7 with a homer versus Chen, who limited opponents to three runs in six of nine starts.
Blair is expected to return from Triple-A after permitting nine runs on nine hits in his last major-league start on May 17 against Pittsburgh. The 24-year-old Las Vegas native gave up seven total runs in his first three starts before struggling in his last two before the demotion. Blair has struck out eight and walked 12 in 21 1/3 innings so far and gave up one run in six innings against the NL-best Chicago Cubs on April 29 without a decision.
WALK-OFFS
1. Miami SS Adeiny Hechavarria went 0-for-4 in the series opener, but had 16 hits in his previous 11 contests.
2. Atlanta 3B Gordon Beckham is 4-for-10 in his last three games to raise his batting average to .308.
3. Miami LF Christian Yelich (back) walked as a pinch hitter Friday and could return to the starting lineup for the first time since Monday.