Sandy Alcantara (8-4, 4.01 ERA) gets the ball at 6:40 PM MT against Colorado rookie Sean Sullivan (0-2, 8.25 ERA) in a pitching matchup that matches the season-record gap between these two clubs. Alcantara has been as sharp as he's been all year over his last 4 starts — a 2.89 ERA, 25:3 K:BB over 28 innings in that stretch — and arrives at Coors Field having won each of those outings.
Sullivan debuted June 12 after the Rockies' rotation was stripped down to near nothing, and the young lefty has not had an easy introduction to the big leagues. His last start on June 23 against Boston lasted 5 innings and included 5 walks — a control problem that becomes exponentially worse at altitude. The Marlins have been running on one of the game's hottest offensive stretches this month, and they will not be forgiving with free passes.
Miami closed out the Cardinals series 2-1 in favor of the Marlins, winning the season series from St. Louis for the first time since 2016, though they dropped Sunday's finale 2-1 on a Bryan Torres 2-run homer to snap a 4-game winning streak. The loss was an outlier in an otherwise dominant month — the Marlins went 18-5 in June heading into tonight, the best mark in baseball. Their offense has leaned on stolen bases, on-base percentage, and timely hitting from names like Xavier Edwards, Javier Sanoja, and Kyle Stowers rather than pure power. Colorado, meanwhile, has oscillated between wins and losses in its last 5 without any real traction.
- 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.
- 10-Day-ILLiam Hicks C — Hicks (back) is expected to return from the 10-day injured list Tuesday in Colorado when first eligible, MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILJanson Junk SP — Junk (shin) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Jacksonville on Sunday, allowing one run on three hits and no walks while striking out three over 2.2 innings.
- 60-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.
- 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.
- 60-Day-ILAdam Mazur SP — The Marlins placed Mazur (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.
- Day-To-DayBrayan Castillo RP — The Rockies announced Monday that Castillo is dealing with right lat tightness and has been shut down from throwing while undergoing treatment for the injury, TheDNVR.com reports.
- Day-To-DayCase Williams SP — Williams is currently slowed by a stress reaction in his right triceps, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
- Day-To-DayJared Thomas CF — The Rockies announced Monday that Thomas hasn't been participating in spring training while he recovers from offseason surgery to address a fractured hamate bone in his right wrist, TheDNVR.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILBrenton Doyle CF — Doyle (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Albuquerque on Tuesday, Kevin Henry of The Denver Gazette reports.
- 15-Day-ILTanner Gordon RP — Gordon (hip) struck out four batters while allowing one hit and no walks over four scoreless innings in a rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A Albuquerque.
- 15-Day-ILJaden Hill RP — The Rockies placed Hill on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with right shoulder tendinitis.
- 15-Day-ILBlas Castano RP — Castano was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque on Thursday.
- 60-Day-ILChase Dollander SP — Dollander underwent an internal brace procedure on his right elbow Monday, Kevin Henry of The Denver Gazette reports.
The Rockies were at one point tied for the most players on the injured list in all of baseball this year, and the rotation has been the hardest hit. Chase Dollander is out after elbow surgery, Jose Quintana is on the 60-day IL, and multiple relievers are also shelved — which is precisely how Sullivan ended up in this spot in the first place. Miami has its own walking wounded (5 pitchers on various IL stints), but they still have Alcantara, and that matters enormously in a game like this. Center fielder Brenton Doyle is on a rehab assignment and could return to the Rockies lineup soon, which is a genuine bright spot for Colorado, but it does not change tonight's mound situation.