The San Diego Padres have the longest active winning streak in the majors at seven games. They also have won 16 of their past 18 games.
Meanwhile, the Marlins have lost three straight games, all in the 10th inning.
On Sunday afternoon, the Padres will look to complete a three-game sweep of the Marlins, and San Diego manager Mike Shildt is feeling confident.
“Our guys are doing the little things well,” he said. “Guys are competing at every turn. Preparation has been really good.”
The Padres, who beat the Marlins 9-8 on Saturday, will start right-hander Dylan Cease (11-8, 3.40 ERA) in Sunday’s series finale.
Cease was acquired in March from the White Sox, who got four prospects in return.
On July 25, Cease pitched just the second no-hitter in Padres history, beating the Washington Nationals 3-0.
Cease, who is 0-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his only career start against the Marlins, has been hot lately. In his four most recent starts, he is 3-0 with an 0.40 ERA over 22 2/3 innings. He has struck out 27 while allowing just five hits.
Offensively, the Padres have 15 runs in the two games in this series. Several Padres hitters have been impressive, but perhaps none more than rookie center fielder Jackson Merrill, who hit a score-tying solo homer in the ninth inning on Friday. He followed that by hitting a score-tying two-run homer in the eighth inning on Saturday.
“That kid is killing the league,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “He is killing us, especially late in games. It was fun to watch before he got here. It’s not fun to watch now. At 21 years old, he is super impressive.”
Schumaker will start right-hander Max Meyer (2-2, 5.10 ERA) on Sunday.
Meyer, who at 25 is three years younger than Cease, has yet to get his MLB career untracked. A first-round pick — third overall — in 2020, Meyer has been plagued by injuries. He has managed eight major league starts, posting a 2-3 record and a 5.50 ERA.
He has yet to face the Padres.
Offensively, the Marlins are being led by corner infielder Jake Burger, who homered again on Saturday.
Burger has 21 homers this season, including nine home runs over his past 15 games.
“He’s as hot as anyone in the league,” Schumaker said.
Burger said he credits Schumaker for keeping him fresh by using him on occasion at DH and at first base.
“We had a conversation early in the year about utilizing me at first base as a half-off day and at DH, really resting my legs,” Burger said.
“My OPS after a DH day is through the roof. Skip made it a clear point, ‘I want you to crush it the next two months. If I can rest your legs when I can, I will do that.’ Here are the numbers. The numbers don’t lie.”
After hitting just seven homers in the first three full months of the season, Burger hit eight in July, and he already has six in August.
“From July 1 on, I have driven the ball better,” Burger said. “I’m finally fully free from a little oblique (injury) I had earlier in the year.”
–Field Level Media