The Miami Marlins will look to build on an 8-2 homestand when they open a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs on Monday.
The series in Chicago is part of a seven-game trip for Miami and could be a big test for the team. After sputtering for much of May, the Marlins have been one of the hottest teams in baseball lately. With the recent strong work, Miami finds itself with a 24-31 record. The Marlins are eight games back in the Wild-Card standings, while the Cubs sit four games ahead of them.
The big homestand featured clutch relief work and a no-hitter. In addition to the pitching, Miami stepped up at the plate and paced baseball in terms of batting average. To beat the defending World Series champions, Miami is going to need to carry over that production. The Cubs have been hovering around .500, but are capable of stringing together wins with ease.
In Monday's series opeber, Miami will hand the ball to Dan Straily. While Straily has been decent for the Marlins, this contest does not favor him. Straily has faced the Cubs before and there are some eye-opening statistics in the batting order. Cubs' third baseman Kris Bryant leads the pack against Straily with a .571 average and two home runs in seven at-bats. Jason Heyward has also had success against Miami's right-hander.
In the second game of the series, Jeff Locke will make his second start of the season. Locke looked sharp in his season debut, but he also has had difficulty against Chicago's lineup in the past. The Cubs' current roster has compiled a .359 average with eight home runs against Locke in 117 at-bats. Bryant is once again one of the main threats in the match-up.
In the finale, Jose Urena will take the mound for the Marlins. Urena has had limited exposure to Chicago's lineup in the past, but he too has been hit hard. In 11 at-bats, Cubs hitters have amassed .364 average and a .533 on-base percentage against Urena.
Justin Bour has been Miami's best hitter for the past few weeks and the former Chicago prospect will need to continue that work. Bour was left unprotected by Chicago and was taken by Miami in the 2013 Rule 5 Draft. Since then Bour has grown into one of the biggest power threats in Miami's lineup. The slugger also showed off some speed, with his first career stolen base last week.
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The Marlins will also need continued contributions from their bench. The hero on Sunday was A.J. Ellis, with a long at-bat that led to a run-scoring single. Ichiro Suzuki has yet to get going in 2017, but he should see a pinch-hitting opportunity or two in the series. The Marlins will need Ichiro to find his stroke soon, especially with a short bench.
Monday's series opener will begin at 8:05 p.m.
