Marlins Face Guardians in Tight August Showdown
It’s a warm August night in Cleveland, and Progressive Field is set for a game that could feel like a mini playoff preview — the Miami Marlins visiting the Cleveland Guardians. The first pitch is at 6:40 p.m., and while it’s only Game 118 of the season, both clubs know every win counts right now.
The pitching matchup tells its own story. Miami sends Janson Junk to the mound, a right-hander who has quietly been lights out away from home. In seven road outings — four of them starts — he’s gone 4-0, and the Marlins have won six of those games. He’s been steady, almost surgical, in handling opposing lineups on the road. Across the diamond, Cleveland’s Logan Allen takes the ball. Over his last 10 starts, Allen has posted a 3.53 ERA across nearly 59 innings, keeping hitters off balance and giving the Guardians a consistent shot to win.
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Offensively, both teams have some hot bats coming in. For Cleveland, Kyle Manzardo just reached 20 homers for the year, thanks to a two-home-run game last Sunday, and he’s been blistering at the plate over his last five outings — hitting .462 with a double, two homers, and four RBIs. José RamÃrez remains the anchor of the lineup, leading in homers, RBIs, and batting average, while Steven Kwan continues to get on base and set the table.
Miami’s power threat comes in the form of Kyle Stowers, who has 25 homers and 71 RBIs. Xavier Edwards, batting .303, leads the team in average, while Otto Lopez and Agustin Ramirez contribute steady extra-base pop. Still, the Marlins’ recent offensive output has been uneven — averaging just under four runs per game in their last 10 contests — and their pitching staff has allowed more than five runs per game over that same stretch.
From a betting perspective, Cleveland comes in as a slight favorite at -125, with Miami listed at +106. Oddsmakers see a close one — the implied probabilities put Cleveland’s win chance just above 54%, Miami’s just under 49%. The over/under sits at 7.5 runs, with plenty of people expecting this game to sneak over that mark. Cleveland has been favored often this year and has won the majority of those games, while Miami has been scrappy in the underdog role, winning almost half the time.
Both clubs have had mixed results lately — Cleveland is 8-2 in its last 10, while Miami is 4-6 — but with playoff races tightening, expect urgency from the first inning. If Junk’s road dominance holds up and the Marlins’ bats wake up, we could see an upset. But if Allen keeps pitching the way he has, Cleveland might just protect home turf again. Either way, this one has the feel of a game worth watching start to finish.
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