Minnesota @ Miami preview
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Last Meeting ( Sep 26, 2024 ) Miami 8, Minnesota 6
The Miami Marlins are shockingly the hottest team in the majors over the past week as they start a six-game homestand on Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins.
Miami has won seven straight games, including a 6-0 road record during that span. In fact, the Marlins have won a franchise-record nine straight road games.
"The way we played on this road trip was outstanding," Marlins rookie manager Clayton McCullough said. "We're playing a much cleaner brand of baseball defensively. You have to play clean, and you have to win in every facet."
The Marlins appear to be vastly improved from the team that lost 100 games last season. Their current overall win streak is their longest since April 2022.
As to Tuesday's matchup, the pertinent numbers are Miami's 17-24 home record and Minnesota's 18-27 road mark. The Twins haven't won a road series since taking three of four against the Athletics from June 2-5.
Miami, though, won its most recent home series, taking two of three from the Atlanta Braves June 20-22.
The Marlins went 14-12 overall in June, giving them their first winning month since May 2024.
Tuesday's pitching matchup is set to feature a pair of right-handers -- Minnesota's Joe Ryan (8-3, 2.86 ERA) against Miami's Edward Cabrera (2-2, 3.78).
Ryan, 29, is pitching like a stopper and a potential first-time All-Star. In his previous start, he threw six scoreless innings -- three hits, no walks and eight strikeouts -- as Minnesota beat Seattle 2-0, snapping Minnesota's five-game losing streak.
Ryan has been Minnesota's ace since former Marlins starter Pablo Lopez went down with a shoulder injury that will likely keep him out until September.
"We feel like we're going to win anytime (Ryan) pitches," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said.
Ryan ranks third in the American League in WHIP (0.887) and tied for sixth in strikeouts (104 in 91 1/3 innings).
Ever since his 2024 season ended in August due to a shoulder injury, Ryan has been stellar.
Still, he has never faced the Marlins. He is 8-10 with a 5.28 ERA in 25 career starts against the National League.
Ryan will now face a Marlins lineup that -- during their current win streak -- is averaging 7.4 runs per game. That's the best mark in the majors during that span.
The Marlins are 7-6 this year when starting Cabrera, who is much improved of late.
Cabrera, a 27-year-old native of the Dominican Republic, had a poor start this season (7.23 ERA in April). But he pitched to a 2.00 ERA in five starts in May and a 2.89 in four June starts.
This is perhaps the best stretch of Cabrera's career with the possible exception of 2022, when he finished the season with a 6-4 record and a 3.01 ERA.
Cabrera has faced the Twins just once, going 0-0 with a 1.80 ERA, allowing one run in five innings.
That's a typical Cabrera start in one respect -- he usually doesn't last very long. He has pitched as many as six innings just once this season.
--Field Level Media