Texas @ Miami preview
Marlins Park
Last Meeting ( Aug 19, 2014 ) Texas 3, Miami 4
The Miami Marlins' flair for the dramatic has been unmatched in the majors in 2014, and their late-inning heroics are keeping them in the postseason hunt. Miami aims for a two-game sweep of the visiting Texas Rangers on Wednesday after notching a 4-3 win in 10 innings a night earlier. It was the Marlins' 11th walk-off win and their 32nd one-run victory -- both tops in the majors.
Giancarlo Stanton again was the hero for Miami in the opener, delivering a game-winning single in the 10th to bolster his burgeoning MVP candidacy. The Marlins have won eight of their last 11 contests to pull within 2 1/2 games of San Francisco for the second wild card in the National League. The Rangers have dropped five of six and own the worst record (48-77) in the majors.
TV: 12:40 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Texas), FSN Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Nick Martinez (2-9, 5.27 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Nathan Eovaldi (6-7, 3.96)
Martinez ended a drought of nearly three months with a win at Houston on Aug. 10, but he couldn't duplicate that effort last time out. The 24-year-old gave up four runs over six innings Friday against the Los Angeles Angels and has not recorded a quality start in seven outings since June 21. The rookie has never faced the Marlins.
Eovaldi has notched three straight quality starts but managed only one win over that stretch. The 24-year-old was hurt by some sloppy defense in a loss to St. Louis on Wednesday, as two of the four runs he allowed over six innings were unearned. Eovaldi is facing Texas for the first time.
WALK-OFFS
1. Stanton is 13-for-31 with four homers over his past nine games.
2. Rangers SS Elvis Andrus is riding a seven-game hitting streak, but is batting only .286 over that stretch.
3. Marlins LF Christian Yelich is 16-for-33 during an eight-game hitting streak and has recorded multiple hits in six of his last 10 contests.
PREDICTION: Marlins 6, Rangers 4