The Miami Marlins (35-28) take one of the least productive lineups in MLB on the road to face the Chicago White Sox (28-36) at Guaranteed Rate Field on Friday for the first of a three-game Interleague series.
The Marlins are embarking on a nine-game road trip after wrapping up a productive nine-game homestand (7-2). They are coming off a three-game sweep of the Royals, taking the finale 6-1 on Wednesday at loanDepot Park for their sixth straight win.
Jesus Sanchez was 3 for 4 with a home run and four RBIs. The White Sox won two of three against the Yankees in their last series, splitting both games of a series-ending doubleheader at Yankee Stadium on Thursday.
They followed up a 6-5 win in the opener with a 3-0 loss in the finale. The teams are meeting for the first time since July 24, 2019, when the Marlins finished off a 2-1 series win with a 2-0 victory at Guaranteed Rate Field.
ON THE MOUND
Eury Perez (3-1, 2.25 ERA) is slated to get the start for Miami. The righty threw five scoreless innings in his last start, a 12-1 home win over the Athletics on Saturday.
He was credited with the win, yielding four hits while striking out five and walking one. For Chicago, righty Dylan Cease (3-3, 4.63 ERA) will toe the rubber.
In his last start on Saturday, Cease took a no-decision at home against the Tigers. He threw 5.1 innings and gave up one run on two hits, striking out six and walking three in the 2-1 victory.
AT THE PLATE
The Miami offense is averaging 4.0 runs per game for the season, the fifth lowest in MLB, with a slash line of .261/.321/.401. Luis Arraez leads the team in OPS at .947. The second baseman is slashing .403/.452/.495 with one home run, 30 RBIs, and 26 runs over 58 games.
Over the last five games, though, Miami has averaged 8.0 runs a game while performing better across the board (.308/.364/.497). Against righties like Cease this season, the Fish have a .698 OPS.
Arraez also is the team’s most productive hitter against right-handers with a .983 OPS in 161 at-bats. Chicago is slashing .237/.295/.386 for the season and averaging 4.2 runs per game.
Luis Robert Jr. leads the team with a .843 OPS. The center fielder has 14 home runs, 31 RBIs, and 41 runs scored with a slash line of .265/.321/.522.
The Sox have a .662 OPS against right-handers in 2023, the fifth lowest in the league. With a .757 OPS over 187 at-bats, Robert Jr. also has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Miami is on a three-game winning streak in road games, bringing their record to 14-15 in 2023. The Fish have scored 4.2 runs per game away from home while allowing 4.7 runs.
Chicago has won three in a row at Guaranteed Rate Field. The Sox are 16-15 at home this season, averaging 4.4 runs per game while surrendering 5.1. Chicago is 6-4 in the last 10 games between the teams at Guaranteed Rate Field with an average scoreline of 3.7-3.4.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Marlins are second in the NL East, three games behind the division-leading Braves. The White Sox are third in the AL Central, three games behind the Twins.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Chicago White Sox (-125)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
