It’s dangerous to throw around predictions. Especially series-to-series where anything can happen. But this looks like a good series for the Red Sox to bounce back after tough losses in San Diego and Houston.
In some fortunate scheduling the Texas Rangers will play the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yankees play the St. Louis Cardinals, who aren’t terrible at .500 and could punch at the struggling team from NYC. The Astros get to face the Baltimore Orioles. And the Seattle Mariners play the New York Mets.
While both NY teams have been struggling of late, the Mets aren’t untalented and might take a win or two from Wild Card competition in Seattle. Basically, if the Sox take care of their own business there is a lot of baseball being played this weekend that could help here or there.
Sandy Alcantara, something of the ace of the Marlins when healthy, has been mostly not great this season. He’s allowed 11 earned runs over his last 12 innings. Strikeouts are down, walks are up, hits allowed are up. And despite a good outing once in a while he’s proof that pitchers don’t always just “come back.” Well, Walker Buehler is proof too. Buehler is nearly two seasons deep into his return and the results are decidedly mixed at best. He, like Alcantara, has good outings and more middling to bad appearances. But he was just knocked around by the diminished Atlanta Braves. The Red Sox at home are likely to be a tough draw. Lucas Giolito, helped by some terrible umpiring, had a miserable last start and will look to bounce back without CB Bucknor around to complicate the strike zone.
Cal Quantrill is on his fourth team now and has one season where he posted a FIP under 4.00: 2020.He’s made 23 start this year and 10 have been under 5 innings. Seven of those have been 4.0 or fewer.
What can you say about a pitcher named Janson Junk? Well, he’s actually been, uh, pretty good. Not a junkballer. He’s actually having a bit of a career year. Sure it’s not an amazing year all things considered but for him an ERA of about 4 is pretty nice. Garrett Crochet was ambushed by the Astros and is looking to do a little fishing this weekend.
A total and brief aside: the Marlins have zero retired numbers. None.
The Marlins had a 15-10 July, propelling them a bit above the other struggling teams but are off to a 6-8 August.
This is a team that was hot and has cooled. Isn’t sending their best pitchers (this year, yeah Sandy could be tough) and is mostly playing out the strike for the season.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Friday, August 15: Sandy Alcantara (6.55 ERA / 4.55 FIP) vs. Lucas Giolito (3.77 ERA / 4.44 FIP)
Saturday, August 16: Cal Quantrill (5.09 ERA / 4.50 FIP) vs. Brayan Bello (3.25 ERA / 4.16 FIP)
Sunday, August 17: Janson Junk (4.06 ERA / 2.99 FIP) vs. Garrett Crochet (2.48 ERA / 2.54 FIP)
When/Where to Watch
Friday August 15: 7:10 PM ET on NESN
Saturday August 16: 4:10 PM ET on NESN
Sunday August 17: 1:35 PM ET on NESN
