A prime pitching matchup is in the cards later tonight as Jose Fernandez squares off with Jason Hammel in the second game of the much-anticipated Marlins-Cubs series. Fernandez (12-5, 2.79 ERA) was surprisingly hit hard at home by the St. Louis Cardinals in his last start, allowing five runs in just five innings of action. He surrendered a pair of homers in that game, the most he has ever allowed in a start at Marlins Park. That performance was quite a surprise considering Fernandez had allowed just five earned runs combined in his three previous starts.
Hammel (10-5, 3.23 ERA), on the other hand, has been on a roll of late, posting a 2.35 ERA in his last four starts for the Cubs. The right-hander was superb in his last start against the Chicago White Sox, hurling seven innings of one-run ball on Wednesday. He allowed just five hits and struck out seven batters in that ballgame. Hammel will be looking to grab his career-high 11th win tonight against the Marlins.
There’s no denying the fact that the Chicago Cubs hold the advantage in the batting department for tonight’s National League showdown. The Cubs are fourth in the majors in runs scored (534) and second in on-base percentage (.346) this season. The Cubs are also third in the National League in the RBI department with 509 to their name this season. They displayed their offensive prowess in the opening game of this series, outscoring the Miami Marlins, 5-0. Anthony Rizzo starred for the Cubs last night, finishing a home run shy of the cycle and reaching base five times.
Keeping pace with the high-powered Cubs is a major challenge for the Marlins, who have scored just 451 runs this season, 20th in the entire majors. They struggled mightily at the plate last night, going just 7-of-30 without a run against Cubs ace Kyle Hendricks. One guy who needs to step up for the Marlins is Martin Prado. He is 7-of-22 in his career against Chicago starter Jason Hammel with a homer and three RBIs. Prado leads the Marlins in hits (128) and batting average (.323) this season.
Writer’s Prediction: The Cubs (EVEN) extend their winning streak to three games with a thrilling 5-3 victory.
