The Giants and Marlins wrap up their 3-game set on Sunday, June 21, with first pitch at 1:40 PM ET. Tyler Mahle is still rehabbing in Sacramento and the Sunday starter for San Francisco hasn't been the headline — the bats and bullpen have. Miami, meanwhile, has been running Tyler Phillips, Ryan Gusto, and Sandy Alcantara through the rotation while half the staff is on the IL.
The bigger story is San Francisco's run. Four straight wins, capped by a doubleheader sweep at Truist Park on June 17 where Robbie Ray went 6.1 scoreless out of the suspended-game pen and Rafael Devers and Jung Hoo Lee went back-to-back. At 31-43 the Giants are still buried, but this is the most cohesive baseball they've played in weeks — and they're catching a Marlins team that just got bludgeoned 8-2 and 7-0 by the Phillies before salvaging the finale 12-4.
Miami sits at 37-38, technically in the wild-card mix, but the rotation picture is grim. Robby Snelling had internal brace surgery in May. Eury Perez and Janson Junk are on the 15-day IL. Adam Mazur is on the 60-day. Thomas White was just diagnosed with a season-ending shoulder capsular sprain. Behind Alcantara and Max Meyer, manager Clayton McCullough is essentially mixing and matching, and the Sunday matinee is the kind of spot where that math gets brutal.
- 10-Day-ILHeliot Ramos LF — Ramos (quadriceps) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
- 10-Day-ILHarrison Bader CF — Bader met with Dr. Robert Anderson on June 5 and received a stem-cell injection to address plantar fasciitis in his left foot, MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILTyler Mahle SP — Mahle (hamstring) allowed one earned run on one hit and five walks while striking out three over three innings in Triple-A Sacramento's 10-1 win over Oklahoma City on Tuesday.
- 15-Day-ILKeaton Winn RP — The Giants placed Winn on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to a right elbow strain.
- 60-Day-ILJason Foley RP — Foley (shoulder) struck out two over a scoreless inning in a rehab appearance with Triple-A Sacramento on Friday.
- 60-Day-ILJoel Peguero RP — The Giants placed Peguero on the 60-day injured list Monday due to a left hamstring strain, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
- 60-Day-ILJared Oliva CF — Oliva (wrist) started at designated hitter and went 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, a double, an RBI and a run scored in Triple-A Sacramento's 6-4 loss to Reno on Saturday.
- 60-Day-ILRowan Wick RP — The Giants placed Wick (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
- Day-To-DayThomas White SP — White was diagnosed with a left shoulder capsular sprain Friday and is expected to miss the rest of the season, Isaac Azout of FishOnFirst.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILEury Perez SP — Perez (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Jacksonville on Thursday, Stephen Strom of Marlins Radio Network reports.
- 15-Day-ILJosh Ekness RP — Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said Monday that Ekness is expected to miss approximately six weeks due to a right calf strain, Kyle Sielaff of Marlins.tv reports.
- 15-Day-ILJanson Junk SP — The Marlins placed Junk on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to right shin bone inflammation, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILGriffin Conine LF — Conine (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Jacksonville on Tuesday, Stephen Strom of Marlins Radio Network reports.
- 60-Day-ILAndrew Nardi RP — The Marlins transferred Nardi (ribcage) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday.
- 60-Day-ILRobby Snelling SP — Snelling underwent internal brace surgery Friday to repair a torn UCL in his left elbow.
- 60-Day-ILRonny Henriquez RP — The Marlins placed Henriquez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.
The Giants aren't exactly whole either. Heliot Ramos (quad) is on a rehab assignment in Sacramento, Harrison Bader is dealing with plantar fasciitis after a stem-cell injection, and the bullpen has been gutted — Jason Foley, Randy Rodriguez, Hayden Birdsong, Rowan Wick, Jose Butto, and Keaton Winn are all on the IL. The fact that they're winning anyway is the story. If Ramos gets activated in this series it's a real shot in the arm for a lineup that's been carried by Devers and Lee.
Series-finale matinees after a Saturday night game are where tired bullpens get exposed, and both clubs are short. Whoever blinks first on the mound probably loses this one — and right now San Francisco is the team playing with the wind at its back.