I think we have to take at least 2 of 3 vs. the Dodgers if we want to stay in this wild card race. A week and a half ago, there were 9 teams ahead of us for the wild card and now there are only 6! The Marlins are getting great pitching every outing but must come with the bats vs. a hot LAD team!

 

Here are the matchups....

 

GAME 1 will be the biggest! GO D-TRAIN!!!!

 

Monday, August 14 Dodger Stadium | 10:10 PM ET

 

 

Dontrelle Willis, LHP (7-9, 4.08)

@ Derek Lowe, RHP (9-8, 4.09)

 

 

Scouting Report:

Willis was wild over his 114 pitches and 5 1/3 innings in his last start, against the Nationals. The left-hander walked five, threw two wild pitches and hit a batter as he lost his ninth game of the season. Willis will face the Dodgers for the fourth time in his career, trying to improve on his 1-3 mark. Willis' 8.50 ERA against Los Angeles is his highest against any Major League team.

 

Lowe was the tough-luck pitcher in his last start, a pitchers' duel with Colorado's Jeff Francis. After eight solid innings where he allowed only four hits, Lowe left the game in the ninth. He allowed three runs and struck out six in the 3-1 loss. The right-hander has greatly improved over his last three starts.

 

 

 

GAME 2-

 

Tuesday, August 15 Dodger Stadium | 10:10 PM ET

 

 

Anibal Sanchez, RHP (4-2, 4.13)

@ Chad Billingsley, RHP (3-3, 3.52)

 

 

Scouting Report:

Sanchez walked the first three batters he faced in his last outing against Washington, and looked to be setting himself up for a rough night. But the right-hander got a popup from Nick Johnson and induced a double play from Austin Kearns, ending the inning and setting the stage for a 9-6 Marlins win. Sanchez threw 95 pitches over his six innings against the Nationals and got the no-decision.

 

Bothered by a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand, Billingsley said he "had nothing" in his last start, and it showed. He walked six in five innings, but none of the walks led to a run. The only run he allowed was on a home run that hit the foul pole. Despite keeping his club close, he only made it through five innings.

 

 

 

 

Game 3-

 

Wednesday, August 16 Dodger Stadium | 3:10 PM ET

 

 

Josh Johnson, RHP (10-6, 2.69)

@ Mark Hendrickson, LHP (5-12, 4.05)

 

 

Scouting Report:

Bouncing back from his roughest start of the season, Johnson turned in the finest start of his rookie campaign. Johnson tossed seven shutout innings, giving up two hits, in beating the Diamondbacks. The 6-foot-7 right-hander reached the 10-win plateau in his 25th game. Now he seeks to avenge his rough outing on Aug. 5 to the Dodgers. That day, L.A. pounded him for five runs on eight hits in three innings. It was his shortest stint as a starter.

 

Hendrickson got a tough-luck no-decision in his last start, against the Giants, after allowing only two runs in seven innings. He walked Barry Bonds three times and in Bonds' only official at-bat, had an RBI single. Hendrickson's defense helped bail him out of several jams, but his pitching style results in the ball being put in play and he needs solid defense to be effective.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PREDICTION- Marlins win games 1 and 3 and win the series!

 

 

We need strong outings from D-Train (who is only 1-3 with a 8.50 ERA vs Dodgers all time) and Josh Johnson who got pounded by the Dodgers his last outing.

 

 

Reds are playing St.Louis and Philles are playing the Mets so now is the time to make up some games! GO MARLINS!

I completly agree with you, I won't say that our wild card chances are gone, but it is a very important series.

Just win

Game two will be easier to win than game one.

 

 

I doubt that big time....LA is on a high from winning last night's game in 11 innings......we can catch them in a letdown AND D-TRAIN will be PISSED about his latest outings!

GO MARLINS!!!!!!!

Tough as it is, we are at the point where every series is huge. We really need a dodger like winning streak of 9 or 10 games to get over the hump, or it won't happen.

1@atime

Perhaps. I just have zero faith in Dontrelle locating pitches right now.

Sadly I agree with you there. I expect a huge revenge game tonight. I expect our guys to play with some great detemination just like the last Mutts series.

We couldn't take a game at home, and now we're on the road against them and on top of it all they've got a seemingly healthy Nomar back in their lineup.

 

Just please don't get swept again

What r the Dodgers? 14-1 right now? Well they are the hottest team in baseball and for good reason this team is the deepest roster in baseball. It is a very tough series for us but with our pitching We can give them major fits...We were swept last time by them the kids remember that and will fight tooth and nails. Dontrelle has a bit to prove tonite as well on his own. I believe We can win 2 of 3 but it will be a war!

I want a sweep. If they can do it to us on the road, so can we.

Dontrelle always struggles against L.A, or for that matter against any westcoast team.

I hope he proves me wrong.

it all starts with DTrain

 

dude, needs to finally step up

it all starts with DTrain

 

dude, needs to finally step up

 

Agreed. D-Train needs to have a good outing if they want to win this game and more importantly have the momentum for game two.

Dontrelle always struggles against L.A, or for that matter against any westcoast team.

I hope he proves me wrong.

 

Not that I'm doubting you, but do you have stats to back that up?

any 2 games wins are fine with me lol, but this game would be sweet to win with DTRAIN on the mound.

Dontrelle always struggles against L.A, or for that matter against any westcoast team.

I hope he proves me wrong.

 

Not that I'm doubting you, but do you have stats to back that up?

Over the last 3 years vs the Dodgers, he is 1-3 with a 8.50era in 4 starts

 

and in Chavez Revine (last 3 years), 0-1 in 1 start with a 4.50era(3 runs in 6 innings, bb, 6k)

Dontrelle always struggles against L.A, or for that matter against any westcoast team.

I hope he proves me wrong.

 

Not that I'm doubting you, but do you have stats to back that up?

Over the last 3 years vs the Dodgers, he is 1-3 with a 8.50era in 4 starts

 

and in Chavez Revine (last 3 years), 0-1 in 1 start with a 4.50era(3 runs in 6 innings, bb, 6k)

thanks.

 

So he had a quality start in his only trip to LA. Not bad, I'll take that again with the way our bats have been swinging.

Dontrelle always struggles against L.A, or for that matter against any westcoast team.

I hope he proves me wrong.

 

Not that I'm doubting you, but do you have stats to back that up?

No, but hes got an avatar of Miggy smiling.

we should win the third game with Johnson, and the first two games are toss-ups..hopefully we can take one of those. we need to get some payback for the sweep at DS.

BIG SERIES! Do it boys!

The Dodgers cannot win forever. It is high time they started losing and I can think of no better team to send them into a skid.

I don't like the west coast games, becasue of the time difference.

2 out of 3 is a must basically for the rest of the year if we want to pass all these teams ahead of us.

I think The Don is going to pitch well tonite. He's had his rough patch. It's time to close the season out strong starting tonite.