Series Preview: Nationals at Marlins

The Miami Marlins will return home for a series against the Washington Nationals starting on Tuesday.

The Marlins are coming off a sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies on the road and have won four games in a row. Miami has struggled at home this season, but has a decent 17-21 record on the road. The Marlins have a 30-46 record overall and remain in last place in the National League East.

Miami's starting rotation has captured headlines in recent days as it has quickly become one of the best in baseball. The rotation's 3.71 E.R.A is third-best in Major League Baseball and that staff is a big reason for Miami's recent success. Since mid-May, the Marlins have a winning record and are inching closer to fourth place in the division.

Miami's starter on Tuesday will be Trevor Richards and he will bring a 3.54 E.R.A into the game. Richards is coming off a strong start against the St. Louis Cardinals, where he struck out eight in 5.2 innings of work. The right-hander is 3-7 on the season, but his record could easily be better. Richards has been a victim of poor run support for several of his starts.

Zac Gallen will make his second career start in Wednesday's game. The 23-year old pitched decently against the Cardinals, but came away with a no-decision. Gallen allowed one run on five hits in five innings of work. The right-hander came up to the big leagues with high expectations, after dominating the minor leagues this season.

Miami's E.R.A leader Sandy Alcantara will get the ball in Thursday's series finale. Alcantara has a 3.51 E.R.A this season and has been Miami's ace at times. The right-hander has also struggled in some other appearances and has given up too many baserunners overall. Despite having the best E.R.A on the team, Alcantara's 1.41 WHIP is currently the worst mark in the rotation.

Brian Anderson has been on fire recently and he leads the team with ten home runs this season. Anderson hit .333 last week with three home runs and six runs batted in. The 26-year old has at least one hit in six of his last seven games and four multi-hit games during that span.