Miami

Series Preview: Blue Jays at Marlins

The Marlins and Blue Jays are both on losing streaks as they enter a weekend series

The Miami Marlins will look to halt their latest skid when they host the Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend.

Miami has lost three games in a row, while Toronto has dropped four straight decisions. Both teams are out of contention and have little to play for in the series. With roster expansion coming during the series, there could also be some new names on both sides.

The Marlins were rocked by the Boston Red Sox in their last game at Fenway Park. Miami's bullpen faltered in Wednesday's loss, after also giving up a lead on Tuesday. The Marlins sit at 53-81 on the year, with a month remaining in the schedule.

Dan Straily is coming off one of his best outings of the season and will start Friday's series opener. Straily shut the Atlanta Braves out for six innings in his last start. The victory over Atlanta was his fifth of the season and it lowered Straily's E.R.A. to 4.35 in 2018.

Wei-Yin Chen will bring a superb E.R.A at home into Saturday's start at Marlins Park. Chen has a 1.86 E.R.A. in Miami this season, compared to 9.35 on the road. Chen's start will come in September and it will follow an excellent August. The lefty went 2-1 with a 1.54 E.R.A in the month of August.

Pablo Lopez will get the ball in Sunday's series finale. The rookie is coming off two consecutive strong outings, but he has had trouble picking up wins. The Marlins have lost Lopez's last six starts and his record on the season sits at 2-4. Lopez held opposing hitters to a .246 batting average in August, which was his finest mark of the season.

Miami's offense has been largely inconsistent, but Rafael Ortega has posted some dependable numbers at times. The outfielder has four hits in his last two games and has a .341 on-base percentage overall. With Lewis Brinson working still on a rehab assignment, Ortega figures to continue to see playing time.

Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.

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