May 2-4: Diamondbacks vs. Marlins Series Preview

Miami Marlins third baseman Brian Anderson (15) reacts from second base after hitting a double in the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners at loanDepot Park. — Photo by Sam Navarro/USA TODAY Sports

The Marlins wrap up this home stand with three games against the D-Backs.

The Miami Marlins weren’t able to extend their winning streak to eight games on Sunday, dropping the series finale 7-3 against the Mariners. They’ll look to bounce back Monday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team that has struggled offensively to start the year.

I’ll cover the usual stuff in this series preview:

Schedule, Watch, Listen
Probable Pitchers
Recent Lineups
What To Watch For
Poll: How Will This Series Play Out?

Schedule, Watch, Listen

Monday, May 2 at 6:40 pm

Tuesday, May 3 at 6:40 pm

Wednesday, May 4 at 12:40 pm

TV broadcast: Bally Sports Florida for Monday’s and Wednesday’s games; Bally Sports Sun for Tuesday’s game (Paul Severino and Tommy Hutton)
Radio broadcast for all 3 games: 940 AM WINZ, WAQI 710

Probable Pitchers

Monday: RHP Zac Gallen vs. RHP Pablo López

Gallen: 0.60 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, 25.0 K%, 21.4 HardContact% in 15.0 IP
López: 0.39 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 27.1 K%, 20.0 HardContact% in 23.1 IP

Tuesday: RHP Humberto Castellanos vs. LHP Trevor Rogers

Castellanos: 5.79 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 12.9 K%, 27.4 HardContact% in 14.0 IP
Rogers: 5.09 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 18.4 K%, 17.1 HardContact% in 17.2 IP

Wednesday: LHP Madison Bumgarner vs. RHP Elieser Hernandez

Bumgarner: 1.17 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 16.0 K%, 25.5 HardContact% in 23.0 IP
Hernandez: 5.75 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 22.5 K%, 22.5 HardContact% in 20.1 IP

Projected Lineups

Diamondbacks most recent lineup: Varsho (C), Luplow (CF), Peralta (LF), Walker (1B), Beer (DH), Marte (2B), Smith (RF), Ahmed (SS), Perdomo (C). — *Diamondbacks’ recent lineups.*

Marlins most recent lineup: Berti (2B), Cooper (1B), Soler (LF), Sánchez (CF), García (DH), Anderson (RF), Wendle (3B), Rojas (SS), Stallings (C). — *Marlins’ recent lineups.*

What to watch for on…

Monday: Old friend Zac Gallen.

The Marlins traded Zac Gallen for Jazz Chisholm Jr. at the 2019 trade deadline.
Gallen had a disappointing 2021 season that was rife with injuries. A stress fracture in his forearm, elbow strain, and hamstring strain kept him from settling in. Finally healthy, Gallen has been impressive in his first three starts this season. He’ll face his former team and the player he was traded for on Monday.

Tuesday: Can Marlins hitters take advantage of Arizona’s starter?

Humberto Castellanos in 2022: 12.9 K% (ranked 187 of 198 qualified pitchers), 5.9 SwStr% (191/198).
Castellanos has not been sharp in his five appearances (three starts) this season. His last outing against the Cardinals was particularly bad: 2.0 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 0 K. Castellanos has trouble getting batters to chase pitches out of the zone and rarely induces a swing-and-miss, suppressing his strikeout rate to well below the league average. The Marlins have done a good job at drawing walks this season (10.2%), but they are susceptible to the strikeout (25.6%).

Wednesday: Brian Anderson is heating up.

Anderson career vs. Bumgarner: 3-for-10, 1 double, 1 home run, .442 wOBA, .652 xSLG.
Anderson comes into this series with a five-game hitting streak, including a 445 ft. home run in Sunday’s game. We’re seeing a new and improved Anderson in 2022. He’s been more selective at the plate compared to the last few seasons, resulting in a reduced chase rate and more walks drawn. Anderson has had success against LHP and he’ll look to stay hot with the lefty MadBum on the mound.