The Houston Astros, on track for a ninth consecutive playoff berth, will visit the surging Miami Marlins for a three-game series beginning Monday night. While Houston is also on pace for its eighth American League West title in nine years, the team arrives in Miami after being swept in three games by the Boston Red Sox.
In contrast, the Marlins, a franchise with only two playoff appearances in the past 21 years, are experiencing a dramatic turnaround. After losing 100 games last season, Miami has won five straight games, has lost just one of its past 12 series, and is 30-14 since June 13. The team recently reached .500 for the first time since April 15, climbing back from a low point of 16 games under .500.
The Marlins’ recent success includes the franchise’s first-ever three-game sweep of the visiting New York Yankees, a series in which All-Star left fielder Kyle Stowers contributed two homers and eight RBIs. Additionally, center fielder Jakob Marsee became the first major leaguer since 1901 to record at least four extra-base hits and four walks in his first three career games.
This performance has energized the fan base, with the Yankees series drawing 101,545 spectators—the largest three-game attendance since the team moved to LoanDepot Park in 2012. This is a significant increase from last year when the Marlins had the National League’s lowest average attendance at 13,425.
“It’s been a steady climb,” said Marlins rookie manager Clayton McCullough. “To get to .500 is great. It took a lot of work to get here. Now we have to get ready for Houston.”
McCullough will send right-hander Sandy Alcantara to the mound on Monday. The 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner, who missed last season with an elbow injury, has recaptured his dominant form in his last two starts, allowing just one run in 12 innings after struggling early in the year. He has never faced the Astros.
Houston will counter with 32-year-old right-hander Jason Alexander, who has made 26 major league appearances over two seasons and has never faced Miami. The series also marks the return of former Marlins right fielder Jesus Sanchez, who was traded to Houston before the deadline.
“We just couldn’t get a lot going on the whole series,” Astros manager Joe Espada said of the losses in Boston. “We have to put it behind us quickly and get ready for Miami.”
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