Reds at Marlins
The Miami Marlins enjoyed a bit of home cookin' at the expense of a team that is getting eaten alive as it skids toward the All-Star break. After winning the series opener, Miami looks to further distance itself from a disastrous nine-game road trip when it plays the second contest of a three-game set versus the visiting Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.
Christian Yelich recorded his seventh multi-hit performance in 11 outings with a homer and double in a 3-1 triumph on Friday. Veteran Martin Prado also collected two hits in the opener and has 14 in his last eight contests for the Marlins (45-41), who have guaranteed themselves a winning record in the first half for the first time in seven years. The reeling Reds (32-55) are singing a vastly different tune, having dropped 13 of their last 17 to make themselves comfortable in the cellar of the National League Central. The road has been particularly unkind as Cincinnati suffered its fifth loss in eight outings on the 10-game trek and is a woeful 14-30 away from Great American Ball Park.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cincinnati), FSN Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds LH John Lamb (1-5, 5.43 ERA) vs. Marlins LH Adam Conley (5-5, 3.65)
Lamb fell to 0-2 in his last six starts on Sunday after getting shredded for a career-high eight runs on as many hits in 4 1/3 innings of a 12-1 shellacking at Washington. Lamb, who will turn 26 on Sunday, would give himself an early birthday gift if he can keep the ball in the park after surrendering three homers to the Nationals and seven in his last five outings. Control has also been an issue for Lamb, who has issued four walks in two of his last four trips to the mound.
Conley turned in his third dominating performance in four outings on Sunday after scattering four hits over six scoreless innings in a 5-2 victory at Atlanta. The 26-year-old has yielded all of one run on nine hits in the three strong trips to the mound (19 2/3 innings) after getting ripped for five runs in 4 1/3 frames of a 7-5 setback at Detroit on June 28. Conley has pitched well at home, surrendering just two homers in 41 innings while limiting the opposition to a .214 batting average.
WALK-OFFS
1. Miami SS Adeiny Hechavarria is 0-for-11 in his last three games.
2. Cincinnati All-Star LF Adam Duvall fanned three times in the opener and has struck out 11 times in the last seven contests.
3. Marlins C J.T. Realmuto is 0-for-8 with four strikeouts after recording a 4-for-4 performance on Monday.