Marlins at Braves
For all the talk about Aaron Judge becoming major league baseball’s best slugger, right fielder Giancarlo Stanton continues to lay claim to that title as his Miami Marlins play the middle contest of a three-game series Saturday at the Atlanta Braves. Stanton blasted two homers in Friday’s 5-3 loss - including a 477-foot bomb that registered as the longest to date in the first year of play at SunTrust Park - giving him 14 homers in his last 24 games.
Stanton’s eighth multi-homer game of the season gives him 35 longballs on the season, tops in the majors and two off his career high of 37 (2012, 2014). Atlanta worked around the Stanton power show in the series opener, getting a three-run homer from right fielder Nick Markakis in the sixth inning to win for just the second time in its past nine games. Markakis is hitting .444 since July 26, while Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte extended his hitting streak to 10 games in Friday’s victory. Atlanta leads the season series 6-3 while improving to 44-20 when scoring four or more runs.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Miami), FSN South (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Miami RH Dan Straily (7-7, 3.79 ERA) vs. Braves RH Mike Foltynewicz (9-6, 4.08)
Straily, who has provided stability for Miami’s shaky rotation, looks to snap a three-start losing streak during which he has allowed 12 runs in 15 innings. The 28-year-old surrendered only two runs on six hits over six innings Sunday despite losing to Cincinnati, but was hit hard in losses to Philadelphia and Texas in his previous two outings. Straily won six of his previous seven decisions, including a victory over the Braves on June 16 in which he gave up just four hits with eight strikeouts in 6 1/3 scoreless innings.
Foltynewicz suffered his first loss since May 27 in his last outing Monday against Philadelphia, giving up five runs on seven hits across four innings. It marked only the second time in the past 11 starts the 25-year-old had surrendered more than three earned runs in an outing, and since the beginning of June he is 6-1 with a 3.80 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 64 innings. Foltynewicz is 1-0 in two starts against the Marlins this season, giving up three runs in 12 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Atlanta 3B Brandon Phillips is hitting .329 in 18 games since the All-Star break after collecting two hits Friday.
2. Miami OF Ichiro Suzuki recorded his 3,061st career base hit in the eighth inning Friday, moving past Craig Biggio for 22nd on the all-time hits list.
3. Atlanta RHP Jose Ramirez has allowed just one earned run in his past 14 innings, and in his past five appearances has surrendered only two hits with nine strikeouts in six innings.