Previews, Streaks, Tips, Notes
Miami Marlins at Washington Nationals May 13 7:05 EST
Conventional wisdom suggests that you shouldn’t really judge any major league baseball team until sometime around Memorial Day. Teams that came flying out of the gate may have come back to earth, while the slower starting teams will have settled into a groove. This is an incredibly long season, and there is no point in getting too up or down based on what goes down in April and May. The Washington Nationals were a team that looked almost unbeatable in the early stages, but they have taken a pretty sizeable step back in the last couple of weeks. No-one really knew what to expect from the Miami Marlins after a disastrous season last year, and it’s pleasantly surprising that they are just 3 games out of first in the NL East. These two teams will hook up in Washington on Friday to begin a 4-game series that could shake up the division standings just a little.
Why bet on the Miami Marlins
A 5-11 start suggested that the Marlins (18-15) might be the same type of team as last year, but they then went on a run that saw them win 11 of 12 games. That has hauled them right back into the fray atop the division, where they are now just 3 games back of the pace setting Mets. Having a healthy Giancarlo Stanton back in the line-up this season has certainly helped, as he has already hit 10 dingers and driven home 24 runs. Despite that display of power, the Marlins are still down the rankings in runs scored, and are middle of the pack in team ERA. This looks like a team that may eventually fall off, but they are certainly fun to watch right now. Tom Koehler (2-3, 5.83 ERA) will start for the Marlins.
Why bet on the Washington Nationals
As mentioned at the start of this preview, the Nationals (21-13) got out to an amazing start, although it should be noted that they had a pretty favorable schedule in the opening weeks. Once their schedule started to include teams expected to contend this season, things started to go a little south. The Nationals are just 4-6 in their last 10 games, which included a 4-game sweep at the hands of the red hot Chicago Cubs. They returned home after a lengthy road trip and started out with a series win over the Tigers. The goal for the Nats is to win their division this year, and the next 2 series, where they play the Marlins and the Mets, should give us a better idea of where they stand. Gio Gonzalez (2-1, 2.19 ERA) will start for Washington.
My Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
The Marlins and Nationals have split the 6 games they have played this season, which makes me believe this will be another tight series. I like the pitching match-up for the Nationals here, and I think they will take Game 1.
Miami Marlins 2 Washington Nationals 5
Miami Marlins at Washington Nationals May 13 7:05 EST
Conventional wisdom suggests that you shouldn’t really judge any major league baseball team until sometime around Memorial Day. Teams that came flying out of the gate may have come back to earth, while the slower starting teams will have settled into a groove. This is an incredibly long season, and there is no point in getting too up or down based on what goes down in April and May. The Washington Nationals were a team that looked almost unbeatable in the early stages, but they have taken a pretty sizeable step back in the last couple of weeks. No-one really knew what to expect from the Miami Marlins after a disastrous season last year, and it’s pleasantly surprising that they are just 3 games out of first in the NL East. These two teams will hook up in Washington on Friday to begin a 4-game series that could shake up the division standings just a little.
Why bet on the Miami Marlins
A 5-11 start suggested that the Marlins (18-15) might be the same type of team as last year, but they then went on a run that saw them win 11 of 12 games. That has hauled them right back into the fray atop the division, where they are now just 3 games back of the pace setting Mets. Having a healthy Giancarlo Stanton back in the line-up this season has certainly helped, as he has already hit 10 dingers and driven home 24 runs. Despite that display of power, the Marlins are still down the rankings in runs scored, and are middle of the pack in team ERA. This looks like a team that may eventually fall off, but they are certainly fun to watch right now. Tom Koehler (2-3, 5.83 ERA) will start for the Marlins.
Why bet on the Washington Nationals
As mentioned at the start of this preview, the Nationals (21-13) got out to an amazing start, although it should be noted that they had a pretty favorable schedule in the opening weeks. Once their schedule started to include teams expected to contend this season, things started to go a little south. The Nationals are just 4-6 in their last 10 games, which included a 4-game sweep at the hands of the red hot Chicago Cubs. They returned home after a lengthy road trip and started out with a series win over the Tigers. The goal for the Nats is to win their division this year, and the next 2 series, where they play the Marlins and the Mets, should give us a better idea of where they stand. Gio Gonzalez (2-1, 2.19 ERA) will start for Washington.
My Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
The Marlins and Nationals have split the 6 games they have played this season, which makes me believe this will be another tight series. I like the pitching match-up for the Nationals here, and I think they will take Game 1.
Miami Marlins 2 Washington Nationals 5
