ODDS ANALYSIS
After a brutal start to their seven-game road trip the Diamondbacks battled back for a pair of wins to open their series with the Marlins. Arizona was swept in its three-game set at Philadelphia to open the trek down 3.53 units but responded by winning the first two in Miami and are in the red 2.17 units on the moneyline. However, the Dbacks have been a strong play on the runline this season at 22-16 up 4.7 units through their first 38. The teams cashed the under in the first two and Arizona has played below the total in three straight games bringing the under to 17-19-2 for the season.
A managerial change failed to ignite the Marlins as they lost the first two games under Dan Jennings. The club fired Mike Redmond Sunday after a shutout loss to the Braves for their sixth loss in seven games with the team in the red 4.59 units over that stretch. The Marlins have not been a good bet this season down 9.98 units on the moneyline and 9.5 units on the runline, but they are a strong over play at 23-15-2 through their first 40 games despite cashing the under in the first two of this series.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Archie Bradley (2-1, 3.27 ERA) struggled to find his form in his first start off the disabled list, walking three and allowing four runs in two innings against the Phillies Saturday. He went on the DL after taking a line drive to the head on Apr. 28. Bradley pitched will prior to the injury going at least six innings in each of his first three starts giving up only three earned runs.
Bradley will start Thursday in his first career appearance against Miami.
Mat Latos (1-4, 5.54 ERA) was knocked from his last start when a line drive struck his left ankle. He threw 54 pitches in three-plus innings allowing five earned runs on eight hits and was ineffective as Atlanta beat him for the third time this season. He was sharp in his previous two outings allowing two runs on nine hits with 11 K’s over 13.1 innings.
Latos is 4-1 with a 2.61 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with 60 strikeouts in 51.2 innings over eight career starts against the Dbacks.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“The first thought was, ‘What’s going on here?’ It’s only natural for the players to have that, too. But you’ve got to realize what’s positive about this, and know he’s a baseball guy who’s here to turn us around.” – Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton on the selection of Dan Jennings as manager
LIVE BETTING or SITUATIONAL BETTING
In a decision that could be described as interesting and even bizarre, the Marlins presented Dan Jennings as their new manager on Monday. Jennings last coached 30 years ago, at a high school in Mobile, Ala., and never played in the big leagues. Now he’s in charge of leading a group of men that was expected to challenge for the NL East crown. The Marlins call the decision out-of-the-box – which it is – but it also wreaks of desperation from an organization known for its knee-jerk reactions. Give Jennings credit for accepting the challenge and nobody knows the roster better than the man who assembled it, but on-field decisions made by a man who’s never been there can make for disastrous consequences.
PROP TALK
Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt has triple-crown tools and could very well capture the coveted trophy someday. A career .295 hitter, Goldschmidt is having his finest season so far batting near .320 while leading the team in home runs and RBIs. After an injury-marred 2014 season, Goldschmidt is healthy and doing what the Dbacks expect him to do in the middle of the order – hit for power and drive in runs. Goldschmidt has fared will against Mat Latos with a lifetime .364 average but he’s looking for his first home run and RBI off the Marlins veteran righty. Watch for the Dbacks first baseman to drive in a few with a couple of base knocks.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Arizona starter Archie Bradley faces another hurdle since coming off the disabled list. Bradley was hit in the head on a line drive off the bat of Colorado’s Carlos Gonzalez on Apr. 28 and was rocked by Philadelphia in his first outing following his return. You can’t really fault the guy after something like that, but he needs to have a better outing just so he feels comfortable on the mound again. The kid has all the tools and is a top-of-the-rotation talent but the mental part of his game needs to be in place as well.
Maybe Mike Redmond wasn’t the Marlins’ problem. One game after Redmond was let go, Miami’s final 22 batters went hitless, demoted closer Steve Cishek had another rough outing and the Marlins lost in extra-innings spoiling the managerial debut of Dan Jennings, adding to the frustration of a horrible start. A group of underachievers now look to Jennings, who has no experience managing a club, to get them out of their funk. A large task looms for the man.
Arizona 5, Miami 3
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Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The ballgame pitting the Arizona Diamondbacks versus the Miami Marlins will commence Thursday, May 21, 2015, at 12:10 p.m. ET at Marlins Park. You can watch the contest live on the MLB Network.
