Field Level Media
17 Sep 2023, 18:10 GMT+10
(Photo credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports)
Miami Marlins left-hander Jesus Luzardo needs a bounce-back performance.
Miami is 17-12 when Luzardo starts this year, but Monday in his most recent start, the Marlins lost 12-0 at the Milwaukee Brewers. Luzardo allowed a season-high 10 hits to go with six earned runs -- his second-highest totalof the year.
Luzardo (9-9, 3.82 ERA) will look for that turnaround on Sunday for the host Marlins when they go for a three-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves.
The Marlins (77-72) are competing for a National League wild-card berth. Miami is the first NL East team to beat the Braves in a series this year and currently is a half-game behind Arizona and Cincinnati in the race for the league's third and final wild-card spot.
Atlanta (96-52) already has clinched its sixth straight NL East title. The Braves, who have the best record in the majors, also are closing in on home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
"There is something special about this group," Braves third baseman Austin Riley said. "We believe in each other. It's fun coming to the park every day."
With a career-high nine wins this season, Luzardo has faced Atlanta just once this year, losing 6-3 on May 4. In that game, he lasted 5 2/3 innings, allowing seven hits, three walks and four runs (three earned).
In five career starts against Atlanta, Luzardo is 2-3 with a 4.38 ERA.
Luzardo has been much better this year at home (3.14 ERA in 17 starts) than on the road (4.86 ERA in 12). However, after a strong first half (8-5, 3.29 ERA in 19 starts), he has faded down the stretch (1-4, 4.94 ERA in 10 starts).
As for the Marlins overall, manager Skip Schumaker said he is pleased with his team's effort.
"There is no quit in our players," Schumaker said. "They fight until the end."
The Braves, meanwhile, will start right-hander Charlie Morton (14-11, 3.42 ERA) on Sunday. Morton, who is in his 16th MLB season, is two wins short of tying his career high for wins.
The 39-year-old Morton is durable. Aside from the 2020 COVID season, this marks the sixth straight year that he has pitched more than 145 innings.
The Braves are 16-12 this year when starting Morton, who is 2-0 with a 0.71 ERA in two starts against the Marlins this season. For his career against them, Morton is 13-5 with a 3.66 ERA in 23 starts.
Both Miami and Atlanta will enter Sunday's game with hot offenses.
Miami hit four homers on Saturday as Luis Arraez, Yuli Gurriel, Jake Burger and Jazz Chisholm Jr. went deep in an 11-5 win.
Arraez has three homers in two games. Gurriel hit a big three-run shot in the first inning, and Burger had a two-run, tie-breaking homer in the eighth. And Chisholm hit Miami's first grand slam of the season.
Chisholm, who also stole three bases, is closing in on what would be the first 20-20 season of his career. He has 22 steals and 17 homers.
For the Braves, Matt Olson set the single-season franchise record for home runs on Saturday. He has 52 -- one more than Andruw Jones' total in 2005.
Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II also went deep on Saturday. Albies, with 30 homers, tied his career high set in 2021. He also became the fifth Braves hitter to reach 30 this year.
Riley, with 36 homers, is two short of the career high he set last year. Harris, with 18, is one shy of what he posted as a rookie last season.
--Field Level MediaGet a daily dose of Milwaukee Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Milwaukee Sun.
More InformationTHE HAGUE, Netherlands: NATO is pressing ahead with a sweeping new defense spending target, calling on all 32 member nations to commit...
NEW YORK, U.S.: A political newcomer is on the verge of reshaping New York City politics. Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assemblyman...
MADISON, Wisconsin: Tens of millions of residents across the Midwest and East Coast faced dangerously high temperatures over the weekend...
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza - Seven Israeli soldiers were killed in a large explosion in southern Gaza's Khan Younis area on Tuesday night,...
DUBAI, U.A.E.: Iran's top clerics are quietly accelerating succession plans for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was threatened...
BEIJING, China: Extreme weather is once again testing China's resilience, as intensifying monsoon rains trigger floods across major...
MADISON, Wisconsin: Tens of millions of residents across the Midwest and East Coast faced dangerously high temperatures over the weekend...
What Jimmy Graham knows and understands, after decades as an elite athlete and now in retirement after 13 NFL seasons, is the concept...
Rob Kleifield Logan Brown knows there is a stigma. The 6-foot-6, 311-pound Vikings offensive lineman is aware he has to tread carefully,...
The Indianapolis Colts today released the schedule for 2025 Colts Training Camp, presented by Koorsen Fire & Security, which will kick...
The Browns added eight new hires and made seven promotions ClevelandBrowns.com BEREA, Ohio The Cleveland Browns have made eight...
The past provides lessons and perspective on what it takes to succeed Wes Hodkiewicz Tom from Germany No, No, Yes, Doubt it,...