NBA Finals Game 5: One Year, One Goal, One Winner

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Not many people expected the Miami Heat to be in this position right now. Well, except the Miami Heat.

How could a five seed with no perceived superstar take the crown of the East?

And there’s not one answer for that question.

For starters, it begins with the confidence from your locker room. Just a bunch of dogs that have continually been doubted and are here to prove people wrong.

That’s led by the leader of this team, Jimmy Butler. He hasn’t lacked an ounce of confidence throughout this playoff run, so what makes you think he’ll stop now. Even being down 3-1 doesn’t seem to faze him, because when you have confidence in both yourself and your locker room, that’s all you really need to win.

Another reason they’ve gotten to this point is because they have a bunch of guys who accepted their role on this team. That goes to the guys who were promoted and demoted in this rotation. Meyers Leonard and Kendrick Nunn going from starter to the borderline of the rotation, while Tyler Herro and Goran Dragic had to adjust to their new role quick. Not only is that not an easy thing to do, it’s not an easy thing for players to buy into.

Winning isn’t always about on-court stats and numbers. It’s also about decisions that are made off of the court, that’ll lead to guys putting up those numbers.

Erik Spoelstra made it clear that was necessary heading in, making sure this team was on the same page for the much needed adjustments that lied ahead. That’s because of the trust factor with this team.

When many believed Bam’s offensive aggression needed to improve or that Jimmy’s unselfishness may be a bad trait, Coach Spo knew his personnel, and denied it all.

The final and most important answer to that question is hungriness.

This team is hungry and will not be satisfied until they hold up that Larry O’Brien trophy. No matter if that time comes in a week, in a year, or in a few years, this team won’t let up on the ultimate goal.

As Gary Payton said in his latest piece for The Players’ Tribune, “Y’all are still here- and y-all belong here.”

One year. One goal. One winner.

 

Brady Hawk can be found at @BradyHawk305

Stock up, Stock down vs Seattle Seahawks

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Welcome back, guys, to another installment of Stock Up Stock Down. In Week 4 of the 2020 NFL season, your Miami Dolphins hosted the Seattle Seahawks and came up short in the end with a score to 31-23. In a hard-fought loss to a heavily favored team, let us dive in and see what happened in Week 4.

Stock Up

Solomon Kindley

A quarter of the season is over and Solomon Kindley has catapulted himself as the best pick of the past draft for us. Solomon has shown that his strengths in college (run blocking, double teaming, pulling) are strengths in the pros. Most importantly, his weaknesses (pass blocking and mobility) are areas he has attacked to get better with the results being apparent. Pro Football Focus graded Solomon as the highest-graded rookie OL in Week 4 of the whole league after allowing 0 pressures on 54 pass-blocking snaps while working through a foot injury he had before and during the game.

Devante Parker

Devante Parker has completely shed the soft label he had early on in his career. Anyone who closely follows and watches tape on DVP sees that the explosion from last year is not there at present. He looks a step slower, which can be the difference between a completion and an interception. Making no excuses and with an obviously not 100% hamstring, Devante took advantage of a plus matchup like an elite WR does.

Early on, the effort was to get DVP going with 2 catches, but he had to make some plays off during the middle of the first quarter because of a new and separate ankle injury. Devante came back and went to work from the second quarter on. DVP all game got open on slants, posts, and dig routes to the tune of 10 catches on 12 targets netting 110 yards with a long of 21. In a season that shows more and more the lack of explosive threats in this offense, it is a relief to see how consistent Devante has become while fighting through an injury that early in his career would keep him out.

Jason Sanders

Giving only praise and not harping on the negative, let’s give some credit to Jason for converting on all 5 of his attempts, yes, 5 attempts (more on that later). He was Coach Flores’ security blanket all afternoon long and would have been the only player to score without the final drive and Fitzpatrick late 10-yard run.

Ogbah & Lawson

For the first time this season, this pair of free agents popped all afternoon and showed exactly the reasons we brought them in for. Shaq had only 2 tackles, but they were a TFL and a Sack to show his versatility in stopping the run and being strong enough to wrestle Russell Wilson down. Ogbah was more impactful with 5 total tackles. Of those 5, 1 was a sack, 2 were TFL, and additionally had 2 QB hits, which led to Russell early struggles in the game as he was forced to leave the pocket consistently where we were unable to slow down Russell’s scrambles with him throwing on the run at an elite level.

Texans 1st and 2nd Round Picks

The Laremy Tunsil Trade is looking more and more like we committed highway robbery for all of those picks. After a 0-4 start to the season, the Texans have announced that Coach/GM Bill O’Brien has been relieved of his duties effective immediately. With our own struggles plus the ones the Texans are continuing to add, we can be sitting with potentially 2 top 10 picks in the 2021 NFL Draft. It’s paramount that we add players at skill positions early and often to properly give Tua the weapons needed to thrive.

Stock Down

RedZone Offense

5 field goals, 1 touchdown, which came on the game’s final drive for the Dolphins. That is just unacceptable in any NFL game, let alone one where we are playing and trying to limit the leading MVP candidate for this year. 5 different times Flores decided to go for a field goal instead of going for it on 4th down. 5 different times.

They score ended up being 23-31, meaning 8 points short, which could have come in any of the 5 instances we thought best to go for field goals. Ultimately if we want to have a chance to compete and beat teams that very clearly overmatch us, we need to be out of the ordinary and be aggressive when the opportunities present themselves.

Rushing Attack

After last year where Ryan Fitzpatrick led us in rushing yards, and we decided to invest heavily in the OL and RBs, I could not fathom a single game where Fitz would lead us in rushing, and yet here we are again. As much as I love Myles Gaskins, it’s clear he is doing everything to the best of his ability, which still only leaves us with a 4.0 average rushing, longs of 15 yards rushing receiving, and finally 0 touchdowns.

How can Jordan Howard and Matt Breida be combined for only 36 carries when Myles has 48! Matt and Jordan are both proven backs who have shown they can perform at high levels in this league, and yet they have less than half the carries individually that Myles has? The coaching staff will have to take a hard look in the mirror because if Fitzpatrick cannot survive without a running game, I don’t want to even chance what Tua would look like with this rushing attack.

Fitzpatrick

It’s becoming tougher and tougher to swallow the product being fed to us by Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick is an elite backup QB that can come in for a pinch and bring energy to a team but being relied on as a starter for 16 games is becoming more lunacy than unrealistic. Ultimately, this year’s goal is to get Tua comfortable enough that after the next draft where we add him some weapons, he can take the next step in his development, but without actually giving him playtime, how can he really get ready?

To clarify, I am not saying that Fitzpatrick was the problem in the loss versus the Seahawks because we severely lack talent at the skill positions. Outside of DVP and Gesicki, we don’t have anyone that consistently threatened defenses but having said that, Fitzpatrick is also not the solution. I wouldn’t want Tua to have to struggle with these skill position players, but there were plenty of times during the game where Fitz did not look past his first read, which from a veteran is unforgivable, but from a rookie would be understandable growing pains.

Jerome Baker

I really have had to start asking myself if maybe Jerome is hurt or something undisclosed behind the scenes is going on. After a monster first game where he totaled 16 tackles and played 95.3% of the snaps, Baker has totaled 16 tackles the next 3 games(!). And with each game, his snap percentage is going down. In week 2, he dropped to 93.4%, Week 3 to 89.4%, and finally, an alarming 69.8% of the snaps last week. As a player, we all thought would take the next step and be Coach Flores’s ultimate chess piece has really fallen flat this year and maybe in the doghouse similar to what Raekwon McMillan last year, and we see how that ended up.

Coaching Staff

Many questionable decisions could be dissected in-depth, but when do we start asking ourselves, is Coach Flores really a defensive genius? Every game at multiple instances, I ask myself, why is the defense struggling so much? Why can we not consistently rush the passer, stop the run, miss tackles, or just use or pieces more effectively? Noah Igbinoghene is going to be a great player one day, let’s hope, but why is he every game matched up against one on one and getting picked on all game? Why do we have such an inability to adjust to what the opponent is doing to us?

Every half time besides last week, it always feels like the other team comes out with a plan with what to attack in the second half while we are just continuing on doing what we did from the first half. Lastly, for Chan Gailey and the offensive side of the ball, we need more explosive plays, and Preston and Myles have shown to be unable to do either. We need to see more of Jakeem, more Lynn Bowden, more of Matt Breida and Jordan Howard. And can we gather up the courage one time to play like its 2020 and try and go for at least 1 of the 5-field goal attempts we just “couldn’t” pass up? Almost all analytics say to try and convert some of them, and that is what ultimately killed us more than anything.

Overall, this team desperately needs a jolt of energy and a coaching staff who can adjust. We can fix one of those issues by possibly seeing what Tua can do, but when can we hope for Flores and the rest of the staff to hold themselves as accountable as they hold players. Till next time, Fins Up!

 

 

 

MMA Fights of the Month: October 2020

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Fight of the Month Power Rankings: October

 

What makes for a great fight? It’s much more complex than having two strikers go at it. There has to be a certain amount of tension that the fight emanates. The battle scars and aesthetic of a fighter going through war makes it all the better. If a fighter is unique in his own way, it just adds to the recipe for making a great fight. This month, we are going to take into consideration all of those things and more, and bring you a power ranking of the best fights of October. 

  1. Luigi Vendramini vs Jessin Ayari

This was the first fight of the card AND the month and if it was any indication of how this month is going to go, we’re in for a lot of exciting fights. Luigi Vendramini and Jessin Ayari started off the night by going right at each other. After a good right hand by Luigi rocks Jessin, he finishes him with a head kick. This exciting fight starts off the month of October at #1 on the list

 

  1. Nassourdine Imavov vs Jordan Willaims

Of all the fights on the card, this definitely was the one with the most damage inflicted. It was almost a throwback fight looking like UFC 2, due to the fact that the blind referee missed 2 (!!!) headbutts, one of which caused a broken orbital bone of Williams. This fight was a war. Jordan showed the heart of a champion, unwilling to go down no matter how many heavy shots he took. As for Nassourdine he was willing to dish it all out. This all-out war puts it at #2 on our power rankings.

 

  1. Dusko Todorovic vs Dequan Townsend

Coming up third in our fight of the month is the rise of undefeated Dusko Todorovic vs Dequan Townsend. Dusko came in this fight looking sharp as ever. His striking was crisp, defense kept him clean, and his wrestling was dominant. When he put all of those together in this fight he put away someone who got TKO’d once before tonight in 33 career fights. Dusko’s dominance puts his fight with Townsend at #3

 

  1. Germaine de Randamie vs Juilianna Pena

This fight should’ve been the main event of the card. #1 Ranked Germaine De Randamie took on #4 Ranked Julianna Pena. It was a clash of styles and given the domination that GDR took from Nunes on the ground, it seemed if Pena took her down it was over. GDR was able to keep the fight on the feet in the first, while Pena was able to implement her game plan early in the second. That was when GDR turned things around. She reversed position and locked in a von flue choke that almost won her the fight, but the round ended. And again late in the third, she goes for a submission. This time she pulls a guillotine and is able to put Pena to sleep in a fight that could’ve gone either way. This was the first submission win for “The Iron Lady” and earns her a spot at #4

 

  1. Casey Kenney vs Heili Alateng

 

Casey Kenney earns himself the last spot on our power rankings with the clinic he put on against Heili Alateng. His kicks to the body left Heili with a big red patch on the side of his body and he was throwing bombs at him, busting up his face in the process. With such a masterful performance by Kenney, not only did he earn a fight in a few weeks on UFC 254, he earns himself the last spot on our power rankings. 

 

Just missed: Holm vs Aldana

 

You can follow Johnathan on Twitter @ThreePieceCombo

Marlins Drop Game 2

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The Atlanta Braves played our own game and beat us. Countless of us have realized that if we are to beat the juggernaut Braves, we would have to keep each game low scoring. Yesterday, in the Braves’ 2-0 win, we did just that. The Braves only put up runs on Dansby Swanson and Travis D’arnaud solo home runs. Pablo Lopez looked great for the Marlins otherwise, but that still wasn’t enough. The bats have chosen a bad time to go dormant, and with their backs against the wall, this cannot continue.

 

Pablo Lopez did his job for the Marlins

 

In his first career playoff start, Pablo Lopez went 5 innings allowing 2 runs versus one of the most potent offenses in the league. We have talked extensively here on the network, whether it be in these articles or the youtube, about how the key to victory against Atlanta lies in holding their hitting back. It is truly a disheartening sight to see for Marlins fans. They did what they were supposed to and still lost. Pablo pitched great but lost his battle with Ian Anderson, who went 5 ⅔ innings of scoreless baseball. The issue lied today in the hitting, which starkly contrasts game 1. 

Alfaro for Wallach

 

The most notable change that must be made in Chad Wallach to Jorge Alfaro. Wallach is a measly 1-13 in Postseason play, with 0 RBIs, 0 extra-base hits, and 5 strikeouts. The decision to put Wallach in as the starter lied in his comfortability with the pitchers, but in this series with the Braves, it hasn’t mattered much. 11 runs have been allowed with Wallach behind the plate, and it’s hard to say Alfaro would make it any worse. Alfaro provides a stronger bat in the lineup with more pop. A career .262 hitter, Alfaro gives more depth to a floundering lineup, a depth that could push the Marlins over the top. I’d rather take Alfaro in a game-winning situation at the plate than Wallach. Give the young buck a chance.

 

Looking at today’s Marlins game: Could it be our last?

 

Well, if it is, it has been quite the run. The bottom feeders won’t go out without a fight, but unless the bats get out of their slump fast, we could be saying goodbye to Marlins baseball. We have Sixto Sanchez on the mound versus the Braves Kyle Wright. Backs against the wall. October baseball. There is nothing better.

Marlins Drop NLDS Game 1

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This wasn’t the start that we wanted in Houston. The Marlins lose 9-5 versus Atlanta to start the NLDS. The game initially thought to be a pitchers duel between aces Sandy Alcantara and Max Fried, turned into a shootout. With the Braves lineup, that is the type of game they will always win. In the process, the Fish blew an early 4-1 lead. The Braves 6-run 7th inning sealed the deal.

 

The Braves can swing it but are beatable

 

Without a doubt, the Braves have one of the most potent offenses in the league. 3 MVP candidates leadoff their order. Acuna Jr. led off the game with an absolute missile to right-center to put the Braves up 1-0. RBI doubles by Travis D’arnaud and Marcell Ozuna cut the Marlins lead to 4-3 in the 3rd. Finally, in the 7th, D’arnaud’s 3-run homer broke it open, followed by a Dansby Swanson 2-run homer to put it away. The Braves are dependent on the long ball. Keep the ball in the park, and we win. Sandy did just that (for the most part) and saw some success. Today, Pablo Lopez attempts to do the same and lead the Marlins to victory.

 

The Marlins swung it well, struggled to close the door

 

I understand the decision to put Sandy back out on the mound for the 7th. 90 pitches in, he was on a roll. However, it may have been in the Marlins best interest to hand the ball to Boxberger for the 7th, let Yimi get the 8th, and save Kintzler for the 9th. Sandy allowed 2 singles to start the inning and put Yimi Garcia in an extremely tough situation versus the meat of an extremely potent lineup. Mattingly’s decision is definitely questionable, although Sandy most likely had some say in it. Yimi Garcia finally folded and lost us a game. It happens, and he will pick it up going forward. The bats were great early, putting up 4 runs, but they stalled late, as 9 runs from the Braves were too much to overcome.

Looking at today’s game: Marlins vs Braves 

 

Pablo Lopez takes the mound for the Marlins as they try to bounce back versus their division rivals. Ian Anderson takes the ball for Atlanta. The Marlins’ backs are against the wall, but they’ve been here before. Time to defy the odds again.

 

Down 3-1: “It’s Not Like It Has Never Been Done Before”

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“It’s not like it has never been done before.” That’s what Bam Adebayo had to say about being down 3-1 in the series against the Los Angeles Lakers.

If there were ever a team that can sustain a confident mindset of winning three straight games, it would definitely be this Heat team.

Jimmy Butler made sure to say that their confidence will stay high over the next few days, saying “I know we can do it.”

The reason that they know they can do it is because the issues that they’ve endured are fairly obvious. They have done a pretty good job defensively, but ultimately open shots will need to be made to beat a team like the Lakers.

It was also clear that the role players had a tough time in game four, especially since the rotation changed once again. Meyers Leonard went back to the role of getting no playing time, while Kendrick Nunn played a rough 25 minutes. When your offensive engine, in Goran Dragic, is not playing, somebody will have to step up and replicate some of the things that he usually does.

“The series is not over.” That is what Tyler Herro had to say about their current situation. Once again, there was a mutual theme between players after the game, which was that they know what they need to fix. And that ultimately falls on everybody on this roster.

Jae Crowder has mentioned many times that they need to take it game by game. And now that they’re focused on just getting a win in game five, it’ll make for an interesting Friday night.

This team led by Jimmy Butler will not just lay down after getting this far. They will battle and compete in game five since it’s just yet another testament of that Heat culture.

Jimmy Butler has thrived in these types of situations, not only in basketball but in life. He’s endured the feeling of being down 3-1 since he was 13. He has been doubted and counted out his whole entire life, and he will get to display some more of that will to win on Friday.

How Florida’s NFL teams are shaping up

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Florida is famous for many things ranging from being home to tourist hotspots like Disney World and the Kennedy Space Centre, but the Sunshine State is just as famous for its sport. It has national teams for everything from football to hockey. Perhaps the best known are its three NFL teams:-

 

The Miami Dolphins, with a home base at Hard Rock Stadium in the northern suburb of Miami Gardens, Florida, play in the East division. They are the oldest professional sports team in the state. The Jacksonville Jaguars, owned by Shahid Khan and based at TIAA Bank Fields in Jacksonville, Florida, play in the South division. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are based in Tampa, also compete in the South division. 

 

All three Florida-based teams are super popular with NFL betters in the state, and when the NFL season is underway there is not much else talk on the street, as betting online becomes the favorite past-time and bets pile in over who will make it to the playoffs, or better yet, the Super Bowl.

 

As the 2020 NFL season prepares to get underway, players are all fired up to kickstart the season on the right footing. This season there is a new playoff format that will include 14 teams in the post-season tournament, instead of the usual 12. For now, it’s anyone’s game and sports enthusiasts are lining up to place their bets on who will make it to the playoffs and ultimately take away the crown. 

 

Historically, the Dolphins have the best track record of the three Florida teams. But after a hugely successful spate in the 70s and early 80s, they have had a bit of a dry spell in more recent years. They made it to the playoffs a few times since, just falling short of bringing home the trophy. They have made a few changes to the team this off season, adding more talent which could make all the difference to their chances. And with Coach Brian Flores firing them up, they have as much as a chance as any. Their first game of the season is only days away against the New England Patriots. The outcome will give fans a better idea of the team’s future direction.

 

The Bucs, who were established in 1976, made it to the playoffs several times previously between the late 70s and early 80s before finally winning the Super Bowl in 2002. But, they have had a tough few years since 2008, failing to make it to the playoffs. However, they renowned for being persistent and putting up a good fight. They recently snatched up big names like Tom Brady from the Patriots. Out of the three Florida teams, the Buccaneers are said to have the best chances of turning things around this season, despite a few bumps in the road in 2019. The Bucs will face off against the New Orleans Saints the same day as Miami goes up against the Patriots. 

 

Established in 1995, the Jaguars may not be the oldest or most established team in the state, but they have their eye firmly on the prize. They fell short of making it to the Super Bowl in 2017 when they narrowly lost out to the New England Patriots. With a bit of a rejig to the team this season it is possible they could make it to the post-season with a bit of hard work and sweat. The team is also said to be signing former Bucs running back Dare Ogunbowale in the countdown to the season kickoff. They also have some young wide receivers who could help push things along against some of the team’s weaker competitors in the South division.

 

The bets are on as to which of Florida’s teams will be the front runner for the playoffs. For now, it’s anyone’s game in pro football until the teams test out their new lineups. In the meantime, fans are bracing themselves for some excited games on the field and hoping that one of the Florida trio will make their state proud.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Tough Game Four Loss

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The Miami Heat fell short in game four against the Lakers, 102-96. Miami once again displayed their toughness and grittiness, but ultimately couldn’t pull out a win. Here are my five takeaways…

#1: Miami’s defense looked strong once again.

Miami decided to switch over to play more man in the last game, and stuck with that in game four. This caused disruption against both Anthony Davis and LeBron James. For starters, Miami’s ability to throw a bunch of guys at AD, especially with Bam Adebayo back, holds much importance. Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala continue to try and play physical with Davis, which is needed when you can’t match his length. LeBron James on the other hand also had a tough time against Miami’s defense. They forced LeBron to have 5 first half turnovers, and only score 8 points. For Miami, that was a huge plus going into halftime, since they did what they had to do on that end of the floor. The shooting is actually what seemed to hurt them early.

#2: Jae Crowder’s impact was on full display, even when he isn’t scoring.

When taking a look at the impressive first halves from Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, Jae Crowder’s impact may have been lost. But ultimately, this was a huge reason for their defensive success. He went scoreless through 17 minutes in the first half, but somehow they missed him when he went to the bench. Anthony Davis began to gain confidence offensively once he didn’t have the physical Crowder matched up with him. This was yet another representation of these role players impact, which hold much value in an NBA finals game against LeBron James and company. He also brings an element of intensity when on the floor, which is always a spark to the team, especially the young guys. Jae’s defensive performance in game four should not be overshadowed, since it played a huge part in only going into the half down by two.

#3: Bam Adebayo’s injury doesn’t seem to be an issue.

Bam Adebayo returned to play in game four of the finals, but there were question marks if he would be 100%. And well, it was clear right out of the gate that he was. He hit the floor two times in the first quarter, and continued to play through it like nothing happened. Once again proving the toughness of Bam Adebayo. He also took initiative to be offensively involved early for Miami, which was much needed. But ultimately, his true impact came by doing everything else on the floor. His defense, passing, and rebounding abilities continued to shine in game four. And more importantly, the level of comfort he brings for teammates when on the floor. Even though this team has Jimmy Butler, Bam is the engine of this Heat team.

#4: Three-point shooting woes continue for Miami.

The Miami Heat have harped on their outstanding three-point shooting all season, but these NBA finals games haven’t proved that to be true. It was discussed that Miami were in need of a bounce back shooting game in game four, but that wasn’t exactly the case. Jae Crowder and Tyler Herro had a tough night shooting the three ball, which is needed with Goran Dragic out. The problem wasn’t only that they weren’t hitting these shots, but they were missing open shots. And when you are in an NBA finals game against a team like the Lakers, you must capitalize on those open jumpers. Miami will need to clean this issue up going forward, after shooting 11 for 32 from beyond the arc.

#5: The lack of role player production hurt Miami.

Miami has been a team all year that has thrived on the production of their bench unit and role guys. But ultimately, they didn’t show up in game four, since Kendrick Nunn, Kelly Olynyk, and Andre Iguodala had a tough time being offensive factors. Even though I mentioned the impact of Jae Crowder throughout as well, he wasn’t able to be the scoring factor that he usually is. And without Goran Dragic, there was a need for somebody to fill the shoes offensively. Kelly Olynyk did it in game three, which was a huge reason for their win. But once again, this Heat team missed Goran Dragic in game four. There were many instances in the fourth quarter where Goran would usually step up and get a bucket in a time of need. When you don’t have that offensive engine, it’s a tough game to win.

Marlins Braves NLDS

5 Keys to Marlins and Braves NLDS Series

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The Miami Marlins stand among MLB’s final eight teams. The 2-0 sweep of the Chicago Cubs caught most baseball fans by surprise. It marked only the second postseason sweep in franchise history, but the Marlins were not among those astonished by the accomplishment. The Marlins expected to win, as they do against their NL East rival the Atlanta Braves, in the NLDS.

The juggernaut that is the Atlanta lineup presents a far more formidable challenge for the Fish, but there is a pathway for this unlikely Cinderella story to continue.

Here’s a look at five keys to the Marlins and Braves NLDS Series.

Frontline Starting Pitchers Need to Come Through

The Miami Marlins starting pitchers posted a 4.31 cumulative ERA in 2020. That was good for 14th in MLB, but it included 13 different pitchers. The Braves touched up Pablo Lopez, Game 2’s starter, for nine earned runs in 12.2 innings pitched (three starts). Sixto Sanchez made two starts versus Atlanta, surrendering four earned runs over nine innings pitched.

Sandy Alcantara, who has yet to lose against the Braves in his career, takes the hill for the Marlins in Game 1. In three career starts versus Atlanta, Alcantara has a 2.41 ERA without recording a decision. Braves hitters have posted a .230/.338/.279 slash line in 71 career plate appearances versus Alcantara.

The Marlins likely need two of these three pitchers to dominate their starts versus the Braves. The other options to start on the NLDS roster include unproven rookies Dan Castano, Braxton Garrett and Trevor Rogers.

The pitching staff in general posted a bloated 6.64 ERA versus Atlanta this season, but a closer look at that number shows 41 of the 64 earned runs came courtesy of pitchers who were not on the Wild Card roster. Subtract those pitchers, and the staff ERA drops to a far more manageable 4.00 against the Braves.

“We have to attack the strike zone,” Miami manager Don Mattingly said. “We’ve got good stuff. Don’t give them anything. Make them earn it. We have to go attack these guys.”

Leverage the Bullpen

Miami’s starters will need to go deep into games to prevent exposing the weaker portions of the team’s bullpen. The Marlins used a staggering 37 different pitchers this season, including 28 different relievers. Overall, the bullpen ERA finished at 5.50, fourth worst in the league. A closer look at that number reveals it as a flawed measure.

17 of those 28 relievers pitched less than eight innings out of the ‘pen but surrendered a whopping 65 earned runs over 59.2 innings combined. Hence, the inflated bullpen ERA. If you take the Marlins top-five relievers, you’ll see a group that posted a 2.00 ERA over 85.2 innings pitched. That would be the best mark in the league by far.

Brandon Kintzler, Yimi Garcia, Brad Boxberger, James Hoyt and Richard Bleier sport a mix of stuff and experience and should be able to save games if given the opportunity. As a group, those five are 13 for 18 in save opportunities. As a team this season, the Marlins are 31-0 when leading after six innings, so the bullpen has come through.

Mattingly will need to leverage these top-five arms to win this series. In the Wild Card round, the bullpen posted a scoreless 6.2 innings pitched in two games, allowing just two hits.

Watch Out with the Fastball

Marlins pitchers relied heavily on the fastball in their Wild Card sweep of the Chicago Cubs. Miami threw fastballs at a 75 percent clip against the Cubs, with an average speed of 95.8 mph. Chicago hitters struggled to turn on those offerings, hitting just .157 against Marlins’ fastballs.

Against the Braves, the Marlins staff may need another approach in the NLDS. Atlanta sports the best fastball-hitting lineup in the MLB these days. Braves batters posted a .311 average against fastballs in 2020, the highest such mark since the 2015 Royals hit .312. Atlanta’s slugging percentage remained a whopping .551 against fastballs.

The Reds tried to limit fastball use in the Wild Card round, throwing just 43 percent of their pitches as heat. The Marlins staff will need to locate their off-speed and secondary pitches well, and be selective with their fastballs, because Atlanta’s lineup is stocked with five regulars who hit well over .300 against the fastball.

Getting Runs Early

The Marlins offense did nothing through six innings in both Wild Card games. Thankfully, their starting pitchers kept those games in control, allowing a stirring comeback in Game 1 and a go-ahead homer in Game 2. The offense seemed to come alive late in both games.

Against the Braves, the Marlins will need more runs early in the ballgames. Atlanta gave up 24 runs over its final three games of the regular season, losing two of them, but they were dominant in their two-game sweep of the Reds in the Wild Card round. If the Marlins can chase Atlanta’s starters early, they set themselves up for success down the line in this series. With no off days, bullpen management will be key, and the Braves don’t have a solid fourth starter in their rotation.

What’s more, the Braves bullpen was one of the best in MLB in 2020. Atlanta’s bullpen posted a 3.50 ERA, which was fourth lowest in MLB and second lowest in the NL. Miami struggled to scratch runs across the Braves bullpen during their 10 matchups this season.

The Marlins will look to repeat their last outing against Atlanta’s ace Max Fried, when they connected on two home runs in the first inning. Those were the lonely two homers surrendered by Fried in 2020. Miami hitters have had some success against Fried, with a slash line of .333/.383/.593 in 60 plate appearances.

Jesus Aguilar went 15-for-40 with two blasts and eight RBIs against Atlanta during the regular season.

Make Up for Marte’s Loss

Starling Marte suffered a non-displaced fracture of his left pinkie in Game 1 of the wild-card series and sat out Game 2. He’s on the taxi squad for the NLDS, and will not make an appearance for the Marlins in this series.

Reserve outfielders Magneuris Sierra, Monte Harrison and Lewis Brinson each have excellent speed and are strong defenders but can’t hit like Marte. And that’s a problem for a club that batted .203 in the wild-card series.

For Marte’s replacements, getting on base and putting pressure on the defense will be key. The Marlins stole 53 bases in 2020, and they’ll need to manufacture runs with the feet in this NLDS series against the Braves.

 

Tuesday, Game 1: Sandy Alcantara (3-2, 3.00 ERA) at Max Fried (7-0, 2.25 ERA), 2:08, FS1

Wednesday, Game 2: Pablo Lopez (6-4, 3.61 ERA) at Ian Anderson (3-2, 1.95), 2:08, MLB Network

Thursday, Game 3: Kyle Wright (2-4, 5.21 ERA) at Sixto Sanchez (3-2, 3.46 ERA), 2:08, FS1

Tyler Herro Isn’t Fazed by the Big Stage

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Tyler Herro walks back to the bench after the end of the first quarter in game three, with a chirping LeBron James in his ear. He doesn’t even react to one of the best players to ever play the game, mostly since Jimmy Butler did that for him.

That wasn’t the only instance that he had people trying to get in his head. Late in the first quarter, Tyler attacked the rim on a fast-break with two guys in front of him and a trailing LeBron James. LeBron blocked his shot, and sent Tyler to the floor hard. Markieff Morris decided to stand over him and wait for him to get up, so he could let him know. Tyler Herro decided to push him out of the way to show that he wasn’t backing down.

To put that in perspective, this Lakers team is going at a 20 year old rookie, who is the youngest player to ever start in an NBA finals.

They’re not only going at him mentally, but also physically when on the floor. It seems as if they are more worried about Tyler Herro with the ball in his hands than Jimmy Butler who just scored 40 points.

And Tyler hasn’t even played to the best of his abilities in this Finals series. He is 17 for 48 from the field through the first three games, but still makes the Lakers defense uncomfortable when on the floor.

But ultimately, Tyler is being asked to play a role that he hasn’t played much of all season, on the biggest stage possible. Without Goran Dragic, he is the main ball-handler on the team. Goran was a guy that took a lot of the load off Tyler all season, which he has mentioned a lot in the past about how comfortable he is when he shares the floor with Goran.

This meant that he had to not only adjust quick, but also grow up quick. And he has done exactly that.

He has the most dynamic offensive abilities on this roster, which means he can explode at any moment. Confidence has nothing to do with it since he doesn’t lack an ounce of it, but rhythm seems to be the actual attribute. If he can get his shots to fall early on, this will take a lot of the load off of Jimmy Butler and the rest of the team.

Even when being the main focus for a team in the NBA finals, he still doesn’t shy away. He continues to get the ball at the end of games and attempt big time shots.

As Jimmy Butler said after game three, “I saw him just hoop. This isn’t a big stage for him, this is just basketball.” And well, Tyler will indeed need to go out there and just “hoop,” since that can ultimately win them another game in this series.