Marlins vs Mets Preview: Ace on the Mound, Rivalry Deepens

The Marlins just dropped two straight games. That's rough. But look at what happened last weekend in Miami—the bats were absolutely alive. Hicks crushed two homers. Hernández rocketed a 416-foot missile to center. Caissie was ripping doubles into the gaps. The Marlins scored 10 runs across three games against the Mets. That's the kind of power you need when your rotation is dealing with injuries. Max Meyer takes the mound tomorrow, and if Miami's hitters keep swinging like they did last time, the Mets defense will have its hands full.

Freddy Peralta is a big deal. The All-Star right-hander is a strikeout machine with serious velocity. He's taking the ball for the Mets tomorrow at Citi Field. This is his chance to anchor a rotation that's been shaky all season. The Mets are 23-33, and they need their pitchers to step up. Peralta has the pedigree to do exactly that. He'll face a Marlins lineup that just put up 10 runs in three games. That's a huge test right away. If Peralta can shut down Miami's hitters and pile up strikeouts, the Mets get a shot at bouncing back.

The Marlins pitching staff is banged up. Sandy Alcántara's talent could change everything if he stays healthy. Eury Pérez is dealing with a hamstring issue. Robby Snelling had surgery and won't pitch until next season. That leaves Max Meyer as a key arm right now. He's got a 5.4 ERA, which isn't pretty. But Meyer has the talent to bounce back. Tomorrow he faces a Mets team that's only 23-33 and struggling to score runs. This is Meyer's moment to show the Marlins rotation can stay strong even with everyone hurt. The game starts at Citi Field on Friday night.