The host Miami Marlins, who had their eight-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday, will try to get back on track Thursday afternoon in the decisive contest of a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins.
Minnesota recorded a 2-1 victory on Wednesday, but the Marlins are still on an impressive roll.
“We’re playing a good brand of baseball,” Miami rookie manager Clayton McCullough said. “We’re coming to the ballpark with the expectation to win and the understanding of what it takes to win.”
Leading the Marlins is left fielder Kyle Stowers, who is riding a nine-game hitting streak (.406, 13-for-32) during which he has five homers and 11 RBIs.
The Thursday pitching matchup features a pair of right-handers: Miami’s Eury Perez (0-2, 6.19 ERA) against Minnesota’s David Festa (2-2, 5.40).
Perez, who has yet to face Minnesota, missed all of the 2024 season and the start of this year following Tommy John surgery.
He made his return on June 9, and the Marlins have been cautious with him so far. Perez’s pitch count has steadily increased in his four starts, going from 70 to 79 to 89 and 93.
Perez has yet to last five innings in his comeback, and he is still looking for his first win since June 25, 2023. With that 2-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, Perez improved to 5-1 with a 1.34 ERA, looking like a budding superstar at the age of 20.
Since then, however, Perez is 0-7 with seven no-decisions and a 5.37 ERA.
The good news for the Marlins is that Perez appears healthy, throwing his fastball over 100 mph on various occasions. Now he just needs a win.
“My arm is responding,” he said. “I truly believe I will have better results in the future.”
Festa gave up four runs, three earned, on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings during in his only career appearance against the Marlins, on Sept. 26, 2024. He has never pitched in Miami.
The Twins are 4-4 in his starts this season.
A New Jersey native, Festa has just two career quality starts, one this year. Festa has been better on the road (3-3, 4.60 ERA in nine career starts) than at home (1-5, 5.43).
As for Minnesota’s lineup on Thursday, it will be interesting to see the continued progress of third baseman Royce Lewis, who returned to action on Tuesday following a two-week hamstring injury.
It was Lewis’ second hamstring injury this season — both on the same leg — after he was sidelined for the first five weeks of the campaign.
Lewis, the first overall pick in the 2017 draft, has 32 doubles, 35 homers and 113 RBIs in his first 183 major league games. He can be a difference-maker when he’s right.
“I’m feeling good,” said Lewis, who appeared only as a pinch hitter on Wednesday. “I just want to stay healthy. I hate the stops and starts.”
Minnesota second baseman Willi Castro went 3-for-4 on Wednesday, his fourth three-hit game of the season. He is batting .275 with a .798 OPS.
“Willi is having a real good offensive year for us,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “That’s why he’s in the three-hole for us in a lot of games.”
–Field Level Media
