Talking Chop

Is it me, or do we play these guys every week?

The Braves and Marlins will face off for the final time on Florida this season, and you know the Fish will bring a fight to us like they always do. Speaking of fights, I'm sure you've all seen the incident with Nyjer Morgan charging the mound and was then laid out by Gabby Sanchez. That was one of the more enjoyable moments of the season for me, especially since a little punk like Morgan got absolutely laid out. We'll have to see if any Marlins are suspended for the 3-game series this weekend, but I'm guessing it'll take MLB a few days to sort everything out.

Anyways, let's take a look at the Fish:

Offense:

Runs: 604 (7th)
BA: .257 (9th)
OBP: .322 (12th)
SLG: .407 (8th)
wOBA: .321 (9th)
BB/K: 0.38 (15th)
SB: 75 (10th)

You know the Marlins, but we'll go over them. Dan Uggla is having yet another fantastic season (.883OPS, .383wOBA), but he's been bothered by a bad groin over the last week and is questionable for all 3 games this weekend. If he missed any at all, it would be absolutely huge. The man kills the Braves. Hanley Ramirez also continues to be a force in the lineup, though we'll miss the always entertaining Hanley vs. Hudson matchup. Gabby Sanchez (.825OPS, .362wOBA) is having one of the better rookie seasons in the NL, but there's a chance he could miss the series with the inevitable suspension that he'll face from the brawl on Wednesday. Mike Stanton is a huge power threat, but he strikes out in nearly 35% of his at-bats. Logan Morrison is a feel-good story, and he's been pretty good since coming up to the Majors two weeks ago. Cameron Maybin (.659OPS) got his chance to play everyday with the trade of Cody Ross, but he continues to not live up to the hype. Catcher Ronny Paulino is also currently suspended 50 games for testing positive for steroids. 

A look at the pitching match-ups and more after the jump...

Friday, 7:10EST:

Look who's back! Kenshin Kawakami will be making his first start for Atlanta since late-June, and it's a safe bet to think all eyes will be on him in his return. Despite the bad record, Kenshin is still a very good #5 starter and I'd much rather have him than Derek Lowe at this point. Even with the ugly 1-9 record, Kenshin has solid numbers (4.75ERA, 4.19FIP, 4.50xFIP) and will hopefully be able to shut down a pretty weak Marlins lineup. Kawakami faced the Marlins in Florida on May 25th, and took the loss. He pitched six innings and gave up three runs on seven hits.

Andrew Miller, like Kawakami, will be filling in for an injured starter (Ricky Nolasco) and has only started one other game this season. Miller is a lefty, and features a fastball, slider and changeup. Once a top prospect, he still hasn't lived up to the billing of a top-of-the-rotation starter that so many viewed him as. He hasn't faced the Braves in 2010.

Saturday, 7:10EST:

Jurrjens will be looking to right the ship on Saturday, and he's been pretty awful in his last few starts. He's winless on the road, and features an ERA of 6.89. Ugh. We really need Jair to step up in September to get us to the playoffs. With Lowe on the shelf, the fact is that Jurrjens is actually our 2nd most experience starting pitcher right now. JJ faced the Marlins on a rainy July night, and took the no-decision after allowing four runs over six innings.

Josh Johnson, when right, is arguably the best pitcher in baseball. The problem is that he's been anything but dominant as of late. Johnson (2.50FIP, 3.23xFIP) doesn't walk many (2.28BB/9) and strikes out a ton (8.89K/9), and opponents are only hitting .227 against him. Johnson has struggled in the last month, but dominated the Atlanta hitters for six innings in his last start.

Sunday, 12:10EST:

Mike Minor comes into Sunday's start on regular rest for the 2nd time this season, and he continues to impress as he gets adjusted to the Major Leagues. Minor didn't look great in his last start against the Mets, but gutted out five innings of 3-run baseball. Check this stat out: In the games that Minor has started, the Braves have scored 4, 10, 16 and 9 runs. Wow. Kenshin Kawakami, he is not.

Alex Sanabia, a righty, s also a rookie pitcher having a pretty solid season. He doesn't strike out many hitters (5.86K/9), but doesn't walk any either (1.88BB/9). The numbers are a bit skewed for Sanabia (3.98ERA, 3.78FIP, 4.45xFIP), but we all know how the Braves typically fare against young, soft-tossing pitchers. He's faced Atlanta twice this season, and record a no-decision in both games. 

Also, who the hell schedules a Sunday game for 9:10 on the West Coast? Thanks, Marlins. It's not like sleep is important or anything.

Bullpen:

ERA: 4.17 (11th)
FIP: 4.16 (12th)
xFIP: 4.35 (13th)
BAA: .250 (7th)
K/BB: 1.89 (15th)
HR/9: 0.90 (8th)
WHIP: 1.40 (8th)

They're a below average bunch, and they're led by erratic closer Leo Nunez. It seems like Nunez (3.76ERA, 3.07FIP, 2.95xFIP) is all-or-nothing in the 9th innings, but has filthy stuff when he's on. Besides Nunez, guys like Clay Hensley, Brian Sanches and lefty Renyel Pinto have all been solid in middle relief. Burke Badenhop and Jose Veras have also been good in limited time for the Fish. It's a bit odd, though. Most of the relievers in Florida's 'pen have good numbers, but as a whole, they're pretty bad. It's something to think about.

As for the series, I never like playing in Florida. Maybe it's the crowds of 3,500 people each night?* Or maybe it's the football field that they play on? Perhaps it's the horrible announcers and weather? Who knows? Either way, I'm not terribly optimistic and I see the Braves only winning one game in Florida. Johnson vs. Jurrjens is a huge mismatch (especially with Jair on the road), and we never seem to hit young lefties very well.

*With the exception of the always entertaining Puff Daddy concerts. The fans PACK Sun Life Stadium for special nights like those.