You could make an argument that the Miami Marlins’ six-game road trip, which begins Friday at 6:10 p.m. ET against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park, has huge playoff implications.
Coming off a 4-2 homestand in which the Marlins should’ve finished 5-1, the club sits at 62-60, two and a half games out of the final National League Wild Card spot.
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The Marlins lead the Reds by three games in the standings, with Miami having played two more games than Cincinnati.
The two clubs split a four-game series in early April at loanDepot park, with the Reds taking the first two games before the Marlins won the final two.
After scoring just one run in Thursday’s series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Marlins will face Reds right-hander Chase Burns on Friday. Burns, an All-Star this season, is 13-2 with a 2.61 ERA and has struck out 143 batters in 124 innings.
The matchup will test Miami’s offense immediately, especially after its quiet showing Thursday.
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Burns has been among the National League’s most effective starters, and the Marlins cannot afford to give away early opportunities if they hope to steal a game in Cincinnati.
After the three-game series at Great American Ball Park, Miami will head to Citizens Bank Park to face the Philadelphia Phillies (65-58), beginning Monday at 6:40 p.m. ET.
The Phillies are one of the teams Miami is chasing in the Wild Card standings, making the series even more important.
The Marlins are also expected to face two of Philadelphia’s best pitchers.
Left-hander Christopher Sánchez (15-4, 2.54 ERA), who started for the National League in last month’s All-Star Game, is expected to open the series.
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Right-hander Zack Wheeler (10-4, 2.89 ERA) is projected to follow Tuesday.
Wheeler, 36, has enjoyed a successful career against Miami, both at home and on the road, and will have the home crowd behind him Tuesday.
That history makes Tuesday’s game another difficult test for a Marlins lineup that must find ways to create offense against elite pitching.
Yet the opportunity is clear: Miami can gain ground on the team directly ahead of them while protecting its position over Cincinnati.
With only 34 games remaining after this trip, every win matters more.
A strong showing could put Miami in position to control its own fate in September. A poor trip, however, could erase much of the momentum built during the homestand and leave the Marlins chasing from behind once again.