Series Preview: Nationals at Marlins

The Miami Marlins will finish out their homestand with a weekend series against the Washington Nationals starting on Friday.

Miami is the worst team in baseball at 4-15 and it has lost nine of the last ten games it has played. The Marlins have been shut out in two straight games and have already been shut out five times this season. The Nationals sit at 9-8 on the year and are coming off two consecutive victories.

Caleb Smith will bring a team-leading 2.65 E.R.A into Friday's start. Smith has been Miami's best starter on the young season and has put together two consecutive quality starts. Smith has 21 strikeouts in 17 innings and he has a sparkling 0.88 WHIP as well. The lefty has been efficient so far and he has been able to give Miami's bullpen some much-needed rest.

The Marlins will give the ball to Jose Urena for Saturday's start. Urena is coming off his finest outing of the season, but he still has not picked up a victory in 2019. Urena is 0-3 with a 6.53 E.R.A and he has allowed a home run in nearly every start. Miami's Opening Day starter has a 1.74 WHIP and has lasted more than five innings only once.

Trevor Richards has posted three quality starts already this season and will try to make it four on Sunday. Richards had a rough outing his last time out, but he still holds a solid 3.57 E.R.A. Richards is struggling with walks this season, though he has managed to work around them most of the time. Washington's hitters hold a .286 average against Richards and have also added a pair of home runs in 35 at-bats.

Starlin Castro leads Miami with his 16 hits and that only begins to tell the story of the team's poor offense in 2019. The Marlins have struggled to put men on base and have scored the fewest runs in all of baseball. Miami is currently on pace to set the MLB record for the lowest run total. Without Castro contributing as of late, the rest of Miami's lineup has struggled to make up that difference.

Lewis Brinson's 2019 season has looked similar to his 2018 campaign thus far. Brinson is hitting .194 this season and has one hit over the past week. The Marlins may decide to make a change in center field if Brinson continues to not produce. Miami called up Isaac Galloway from AAA recently and he could take over for Brinson if needed.