By Stephen Nover
Marlins at White Sox Over 9 1/2
During their last three games, the Marlins have faced the following starting pitchers: Hyun-Jin Ryu, Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler.
Those three All-Stars can make any offense look anemic especially at spacious Dodger Stadium.
Things are completely different now for the Marlins. They get to face Ivan Nova and the White Sox at Chicago’s Guaranteed Rate Field. So not only do the Marlins drop way down in the class of their opponent’s starter, but they go to a good hitter’s park that is espcially offense-friendly during the humid months of July and August. The Marlins also get to use a DH.
Making all of this even sweeter for the Over is the weather forecast. It calls for wind to be blowing out to right at 17 mph.
Nova probably shouldn’t be in a big league rotation. He is 1-4 with a 7.14 ERA in eight home starts this season. The 32-year-old Nova is in rough form, too, allowing 10 runs on 16 hits and five walks during his past two starts spanning 10 2/3 innings.
The White Sox should do damage against Trevor Richards. The Marlins have some intriguing young pitchers. Richards isn’t one of them.
Miami is 0-7 in Richards’ last seven starts. Richards has a 5.50 ERA during this time frame. He has failed to complete the sixth inning in each of his last six starts. So a bad Marlins bullpen likely is going to get stretched out.
This will be Richards’ eighth career interleague start. He is 0-2 with a 5.50 ERA in his first seven interleague starts.
(Stephen Nover has beaten the NFL in 23 of the last 25 years. He finished last football season going 27-5-2 on his last 34 NFL plays and going 65-35 on his last 100 college football plays. If you are interested in Stephen’s sports service, please contact him at scriber26@gmail.com, or message him via Twitter.)
