Marlins at Reds
The Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds are both buried in last place in their respective divisions, but there appears to be much more hope for one of the teams than the other. The Marlins have shown signs of life following a dreadful start and look to carry the momentum into their six-game road trip when the visit Cincinnati on Friday night.
Miami had won four straight and six of seven following its rocky 5-17 start but had its winning streak snapped in a 6-0 defeat to Philadelphia on Wednesday in the series finale. "Great homestand. We played with a lot of energy," Marlins outfielder Cameron Maybin said. "We've got to keep it going. It's a long year. You can't dwell on days or past weeks." The Reds are trying to avoid dwelling on the past and present - they have lost five in a row at Great American Ball Park after getting swept by Milwaukee to kick off a nine-game homestand. Owners of a major league-worst 7-24 record, Cincinnati sends right-hander Sal Romano to the mound to face Miami lefty Wei-Yin Chen in the series opener.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Miami), FS Ohio (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins LH Wei-Yin Chen (1-0, 1.69 ERA) vs. Reds RH Sal Romano (1-3, 4.65)
After missing nearly a full year due to an elbow strain, Chen made a successful return to the majors Saturday by limiting Colorado to one run on four hits over 5 1/3 innings to pick up the victory in his season debut. Limited to nine appearances (five starts) in 2017, the 32-year-old has never faced the Reds in his first six major-league seasons. He is prone to the long ball, permitting at least 22 homers in four of his first five seasons.
Romano failed to pitch beyond five innings for the fourth time in his last five turns, taking the loss Saturday after giving up three runs (two earned) over 4 2/3 innings at Minnesota. The New York native matched a season high with six innings in his previous start, earning his lone victory with six innings of two-run ball (one earned). Romano has fared well in his two career starts against the Marlins, posting a 1-0 record and 0.93 ERA.
WALK-OFFS
1. Reds 1B Joey Votto is 2-for-15 over the past five games.
2. Marlins C J.T. Realmuto is riding a career high-tying 11-game hitting streak.
3. Cincinnati placed LHP Amir Garrett on the bereavement list Thursday.