Miami Marlins vs Cleveland Guardians Picks and Predictions June 7th 2024

Guardians Bid to Rebound and Hand Marlins Fifth Straight Loss

The Cleveland Guardians will face the Miami Marlins on Friday night in the first game of a three-game interleague series, following an unusual warm-up area disappointment.

The Guardians’ Thursday game against the Kansas City Royals didn’t unfold as expected. Following their failure to hold onto a two-run advantage and ultimately falling 4-3, they let slip an opportunity to clinch victory in the abbreviated two-game series due to rain.

Pitching Matchup

Logan Allen (6-3, 5.83 ERA) will start for the Guardians against Ryan Weathers (3-5, 3.41 ERA) of the Marlins. Both left-handers are looking to improve their recent performances in this Miami showdown.

Guardians’ Recent Performance

Going into Thursday’s down, the Guardians’ warm up area had been flawless, with a 24 1/3 inning scoreless streak tracing all the way back to May 28. The group appeared to be ready to get the compass when Jose Ramirez hit a go on homerun in the third inning and added a RBI infield single in the fourth, stretching out Cleveland’s lead to 3-1.

However, starter Tanner Bibee left the game in the sixth inning after allowing a leadoff single to Freddy Fermin and walking MJ Melendez. Reliever Nick Sandlin faced immediate trouble with a run-scoring double from Hunter Renfroe and a game-tying fielder’s choice from Kyle Isbel. Both runs were charged to Bibee. Isbel then hit the go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning, snapping the Guardians’ bullpen’s scoreless streak.

Manager’s Perspective

“That’s a long stretch of innings,” Bibee said. “It’s been unbelievable. They’ve been able to keep us afloat, and they’re going to keep doing it.”

Despite the hiccup, the Guardians’ bullpen still boasts a 2.38 ERA, the best in baseball this season. Cleveland relievers have notched 19 wins, second only to the Milwaukee Brewers (25).

Marlins’ Recent Performance

The Marlins’ last game was on Wednesday, with the Tampa Bay Rays defeating Miami 5-3 to finish a two-game sweep. Miami has now lost four consecutive games. The Marlins have faced challenges with their offense, only leading in three innings throughout their losing streak, despite the bullpen’s strong performances. In this period, the Texas Rangers and Rays have scored more goals than them, with a score of 27-8.

Strong Bullpen Efforts

On Wednesday, the Marlins’ bullpen was stellar after starter Braxton Garrett was chased after giving up five runs in 2 2/3 innings. Five relievers combined to allow only two hits and struck out six batters for the remainder of the game.

“Every guy who came out there was just nasty and shut the door on them,” Garrett said. “It’s just frustrating to watch — not to see them do well, but to just see them do well, and I really let everybody down.”

Allen and Weathers: Recent Form

For Cleveland, Allen took the loss in his most recent start on May 29, when he tied a season high by allowing seven runs over a season-low 1 2/3 innings in a 7-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies. However, he earned the win in his lone start against the Marlins on April 23, 2023, giving up one run over six innings in his major league debut, leading Cleveland to a 7-4 victory.

Weathers, meanwhile, took the loss last Saturday after giving up four runs over six innings in the Marlins’ 7-0 loss to the Rangers. He also took the defeat in his only appearance against the Guardians on June 15 of last year, allowing six runs over 1 2/3 innings as the San Diego Padres suffered an 8-6 loss.

Game Expectations

Both teams are anxious to change their luck. The Guardians aim to recover from their bullpen’s unusual error, while the Marlins want to end their four-game losing streak. The game’s result will heavily rely on how well Allen and Weathers, the starting pitchers, perform.

The Guardians will rely on their solid bullpen and consistent offensive threats like Jose Ramirez from the beginning of the series. In the meantime, the Marlins want to get back on their feet and build on the recent success of their bullpen. As both teams strive to rise in the standings, the game will be fiercely competitive for the fans.