The Braves are (still) holding on to a half game lead for first place in the NL East and a win today would help ensure that lead lasts for another day but it will not be easy against Jarlin Garcia and the Marlins.
Atlanta will trot out touted top prospect Mike Soroka for his third career start in the big leagues. Soroka was phenomenal in his first start going 6 innings and only giving up one run to the Mets but was roughed up in his last start against the Giants due to a BABIP of nearly .500. Soroka overall has a 4.50 ERA with much better peripheral stats and 8 strikeouts in 10 innings.
The Marlins are sending out a top rookie of their own in Jarlin Garcia who is doing well with a 2.68 ERA. His ERA might be a facade though as his FIP and xFIP both sit at 4.72 which suggests he has been lucky to this point. He doesn’t strike out a ton of batters with just 26 in 37 innings and his walk rate is pretty bad at nearly 4 per game but he’s been kept afloat by running a BABIP of just .163. Garcia also sports nearly a 37% hard contact rate allowed meaning that it is only a matter of time before some team gets to him and hopefully that will be the Braves today.
Soroka has yet to face the Marlins but Garcia has faced the Braves in 10 relief appearances last season giving him at least some idea of what is coming. It should be a pretty good matchup between two rising arms as the Braves look to hang on to first place.
Game Info
Atlanta Braves at Miami Marlins
Marlins Park, Miami, FL
7:10 pm EDT, May 12, 2018
TV: Fox Sports South, MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM/93.7 FM, WYAY 106.7, Braves Radio Network