Miami

Series Preview: Marlins at Reds

The Marlins will be visiting the Reds for a three-game series starting on Tuesday

The Miami Marlins will be looking for some wins in a road series against the Cincinnati Reds beginning on Tuesday.

The Marlins have lost five of their last six games and sit at 3-7 on the season. The Reds own the worst record in Major League Baseball at 1-8 and have dropped eight games in a row. Cincinnati's best hitter thus far has been former Marlin Derek Dietrich, who already has three home runs in 2019.

Jose Urena's season is off to an ugly start, with two losses and a 10.38 E.R.A. Urena who will start Tuesday's game, began last season in similar fashion and has looked completely overmatched in his two appearances. The right-hander has been giving up far too many hits and has not lasted five full innings as of yet. Due in part t Urena's short outings, Miami's bullpen has already been taxed during the first two weeks of the season.

Trevor Richards has two quality starts in as many chances and will be looking to make that three in a row on Wednesday. Richards is 0-1 with a 3.00 E.R.A and Miami has lost both of his starts. The right-hander has kept the Marlins in the games, but has been a victim of poor run support so far. Great American Ball Park is a hitter's park, which could help Miami's weak offense. Richards at the same time, will have to continue to avoid mistakes in an unforgiving park.

Pablo Lopez will get the ball for Thursday's series finale, following two disappointing outings. Lopez is 1-1 with a 6.10 E.R.A in his two appearances, but his strikeout totals look promising, Lopez has 12 strikeouts in his 10.1 innings of work and he has only walked one batter. Lopez has never faced the Reds in his career, but he has struggled against left-handed hitters. With the Reds having multiple powerful lefties in the lineup, Lopez will have to be careful to avoid a big inning.

With a pair of home runs in Saturday's game, Jorge Alfaro moved his season total to three on the season. Alfaro could add to that total in this series and may also boost his batting average. Alfaro is a career .444 hitter in the ballpark, with a .500 on-base percentage. All of those plate appearances came during Alfaro's time with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Dietrich figures to play plenty in the series and could be looking for some payback against Miami. The Marlins decided to move on from Dietrich over the off-season and he's made himself a fan favorite quickly with the Reds. Dietrich hit two home runs into the river behind the park in one game over the weekend. The utility player admired one of the home runs, which later led to a bench-clearing incident.

Tuesday's first pitch will be thrown at 6:40 p.m.

Contact Us